[free-sklyarov] Interview with Edward Felten

[Robloch at aol.com]

Good interview discussing issues around copyright 'violation.'

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2002/nf2002019_7170.htm
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Q: Which brings us to the DMCA, a law you believe hurts the public without 
preventing illegal copying. What's your objection?

A: It's the anticircumvention parts of the law that concern me the most. It 
goes beyond protecting copyrights. It goes beyond prohibiting copyright 
infringement -- which of course was already illegal before we had the DMCA -- 
by outlawing certain technologies and certain kinds of discussions. 

For someone like me -- I do computer-security research -- I now have this 
complicated, vague law in my head all the time. Whenever I'm going to open my 
mouth to talk about technology, I have to think if it's safe, or do I have to 
call my lawyer. At the very least, it scares people away from topics that 
most need to be discussed. 

I think we all benefit from knowing how well copy-protection technologies 
work, when they work, when they don't, and what kind of approaches to 
building them make sense. Whether you are a customer, an investor, or a 
songwriter who has been told this is a safe way to release music, it's 
important to talk about this technology and know whether it's going to do 
what it says it will. The real danger in the DMCA is a chill of that 
discussion.