[free-sklyarov] Counter-Terminology

Izel Sulam izel at sulam.com
Wed Jul 25 18:22:24 PDT 2001


There was an earlier thread about this topic, which some of you might have 
missed. I believe it's important that many people read and contribute to 
this discussion, so I will summarize the points made earlier.

Content providers and their infrastructure providing partners-in-crime are 
on a mission to desensitize the public to cryptographically encapsulated 
media. Part of this effort is to associate cryptographically encapsulated 
media with a bland, inoffensive, friendly term. This term is "copy 
protected media".

"Copy protected media" has all kinds of unintended positive meanings that 
have to do with protecting the consumer. (From viruses, crackers, who knows 
what else?) If we allow this term to become a part of everyday lexicon, it 
will be that much more difficult to educate the public about the evils of 
the DMCA and of cryptographically encapsulated media.

Therefore, we need to engage in acts of counter-terminology. We need to 
pick an alternative term that more accurately describes cryptographically 
encapsulated media for what it is: Media placed in a straightjacket so as 
to kidnap one's fair use rights.

Suggestions so far are:

1) Copy controlled media
2) Usage controlled media
3) Crippled media (My suggestion)

It has been said that "copy controlled media" is an unwise choice, because 
it frames the debate over media control in terms of copying, therefore 
piracy, which plays right into the hands of content providers. There are a 
whole bunch of fair use rights, copying being only one, therefore it may be 
unwise to make it a central theme of our counter-terminology.

Comments, suggestions are very much welcome on this topic. Tell us which 
counter-term you like best, or weigh in with an alternative counter-term.

Thanks,
- izel
   





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