Re: SSSCA will make open source illegal in the US


Subject: Re: SSSCA will make open source illegal in the US
From: D. Ward (dylan.@esatclear.ie)
Date: Wed Mar 06 2002 - 02:05:35 MST


I appreciate the concern and you are probably right to be afraid of laws that protect large firms financial interest at the cost of consumer freedom, but the fact of the matter is this kind of proposal is doomed from the start. Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Clinton try something similar to this with the internet? And, didn't it meet with a barage of criticism and bad press, enough to force him to undo what he had done?

The SSSCA is not backed by the Republicans and is already thought not to be implemented due to lack of support. Read:

http://www.macuser.co.uk/dylwar/php3/openframe.php3?page=newnews/newsarticle.php3?id=1809

Who knows, maybe I am talking out of my a**, but Joe Public generaly likes the right to copy their CDs and albums into portable format, make mixes of their favourite music and tape their favourite shows from the TV (especially if they cannot watch them due to work or other engagements) or even copy their favourite movies off the TV, cable or satelite to watch later or at their convienience. What about the tech industry? I am an IT Manager for a small Irish firm and I love to build my own PCs. If I am not again mistaken, there are thousands upon thousands of techies alike that feel the same and equally the same about Open Source software.

This kind of legislation is started by and protects only large industry (i.e. music, film and Micro$oft). AND, please don't call me a paranoid 'cause I'm not, didn't the same thing happen during the Vietnam war era with Bell Helicopters and a couple of other key industries trying to protect their financial interests? Don't be mistaken, just because I work and live in Ireland that I have no idea about U.S. legislation, I do. I am an ex-pat who moved here with his wife (Irish). I know about American law and lived many a year on the fringes of society (college student). These kind of proposals always eventually meet a 12 foot thick brick wall. It may take a little while and a little yelling, but they meet it.

So, keep informed and complain A LOT, but don't worry too much.

On Tue, 5 Mar 2002 22:25:28 -0500 (EST)
"nathan r. hruby" <nhruby@arches.uga.edu> wrote:

> On Tue, 5 Mar 2002, Ralph Wiggums wrote:
>
>
> This email is a but of hyperbole if not outright FUD: Currently exsisting
> technology and devices will be grandfathered in by default. The bill as
> is stands now, if passed, will propose a future date for enforcement of
> SSSCA regulations and aproved methodology on anything that falls under
> its definition of "digital interactive technology or services." This time
> will also probably be used to create a medium size agency for development
> of approved methods and enforcement regulations. I really don't like the
> SSSCA, but I prefer to fight my battles with the correct information in
> hand.
>
> > The SSSCA, among other things, will make the following illegal:
> > * Assembling a home-built PC.
>
> No, you'll be able to do that, but the parts you but will need to have the
> SSSCA approval on it. As will the software you run on that hardware.
>
> > * Using a non-secure computer (ie, a computer built before the would-be
> > implementation of the SSSCA) on a network.
>
> No, but you will not be able to replace that computer after the SSSCA date
> with a non-SSSCA machine.
>
> > * Widespread development of open-sourced (non-copyrighted and "digitally
> > unsigned? software.
>
> OpenSource and Free softweare is typically copyrighted to the original
> author(s) of the software. The GPL, in fact, uses copyright law in its
> own favor to achive this, as it is a licenese granting you use of a
> copywrighted work under certian conditions: namely that it reamin free.
> IT will stifle the development of allowing people to have the source, as
> having the source is a means of circumventing SSSCA, which would be a
> no-no.
>
> Not sure what the "digitally unsigned" thing is. I'm all for crypto
> signatures on everything so this doesn't bother me. I wish pgp/gpg were
> better integraated into more email clients.
>
> > * Use of open-sourced software (essentially the entire software platform for
> > the UNIX and Linux operating systems, on which Computer Science research
> > relies).
>
> Not by name, but by action.. explained in the last post and above.
>
> > * University and corporate research on systems, debugging, security, and
> > watermarking.
>
> No, it'll probably be allowed, but under goverment supervision and care.
>
> > * All VCRs, DVDs, and pretty much every current digital hardware will be
> > banned and considered illegal
> >
>
> No they won't. Future hardware devices will however prevent you from
> unauthorized use of copyrighted materials.
>
> > Please sign the petition and write your congressman and senator
> > http://www.petitiononline.com/SSSCA/petition.html
> >
>
> The wording of this petition makes most things associated with a computer
> goverment policeware, ACPI, for instance.
>
> -n
> --
> ......
> nathan hruby - nhruby@arches.uga.edu
> computer support specialist
> department of drama and theatre
> http://www.drama.uga.edu/
> ......
>
>



This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Wed Mar 06 2002 - 02:20:11 MST