[free-sklyarov] Is the Open Source movement at risk from the DM
CA?
proclus at iname.com
proclus at iname.com
Wed Jul 25 19:08:25 PDT 2001
On 25 Jul, Jon O . wrote:
>
> Ok, so we need to get the Open Source people a FAQ or
> quick sheet on this so they help...
>
> I'd never read this. Crazy...
It's really simple and quite germaine. Software houses like Adobe and
M$ could protect their file formats with anti-circumvention measures as
in DVD's and eBooks, so that it would be illegal to reverse engineer
them. Coupled with an on-line authentication system like Passport,
free software could be entirely marginalized. In such an eventuality,
you can kiss fair use goodbye. Then, there's UTICA...
Regards,
proclus
http://www.gnu-darwin.org/
>
>
> On 25-Jul-2001, J.E. Cripps wrote:
>>
>>
>> > Is the Open Source movement at risk from the DMCA?
>>
>> > Microsoft Word contains a proprietary file format. Open
>> > Source developers often work to reverse engineer this
>> > format in order to create compatible products. Star
>> > Office is a Word alternative and can read these word
>> > documents. Is it only a matter of time before MS says
>> > you are circumventing a protection?
>>
>> > Anyone care to comment?
>>
>>
>> "A subtle danger is that the DMCA gives companies effective permanent
>> patents on file formats. What if the next MS Word format were to claim
>> DMCA protection because it could be used to "Protect Copyright"? All MS
>> have to do is add a "Do not copy" flag to a Word document and we could
>> say goodbye to Star Office etc. I wonder if the DMCA could be applied
>> to something like an authentication protocol - MS Passport for example?"
>> --Richard Corfield, on c.o.l.a., c. July 21, 2001
>
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