[free-sklyarov] Mainstream Support

[Paul Callahan]

--- "James S. Huggins (Free Sklyarov)"
<FreeSklyarov at ZName.com> wrote:

> Outside of the hacker and digital communities, what
> "mainstream"
> organizations have, so far, said that they "agree"?
> 
> Which ones might?

Well, the ACM is a mainstream professional
organization.  Of course, it is a computer
organization
so that might not be what you mean.  Anyway, I'm
pleased to see that they've written a letter to  
Pat Schroeder of AAP against the anti-circumvention 
provisions of DMCA.  The authors are Barbara Simons
and Gene Spafford, but they are speaking on behalf
of the ACM; there is no disclaimer to indicate 
otherwise. I'm new
to this list so I'm sure I'm not the first to post
this link, but here it is:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/IP/AAP-letter.html

I think you'd have a hard time contending that
the ACM is a bunch of "long-haired hackers".  Among
other things, they publish a code of ethics
(http://www.acm.org/constitution/code.html) that
includes the provision:

1.5 Honor property rights including copyrights and
patent. 

          Violation of copyrights, patents, trade
secrets and the terms of license
          agreements is prohibited by law in most
circumstances. Even when software is
          not so protected, such violations are
contrary to professional behavior. Copies of
          software should be made only with proper
authorization. Unauthorized
          duplication of materials must not be
condoned. 

Unfortunately, what I get out of a recent Wired
article is that most Washington insiders don't 
understand or care to understand the views of the
computer community--even its most mainstream
spokespersons--on this unethical and unworkable
provision of DMCA.  Rep. Rick Boucher (D, VA) is a
notable exception.

I'd certainly like to see Boucher build a coalition,
but it's unclear how much power he really has.  His
approach seems quite mainstream, and his interest 
seems to be based on the notion of fair use rather
than "hacker ethics."  

I should confess for myself that while I support
the intellectual grounds for releasing Sklyarov and
overturning DMCA, I am also motivated by solidarity
with a member of my profession who has been
mistreated.
I.e., there are many people who are held in jail 
unjustly right now, but Sklyarov is one that I 
personally feel a particular obligation towards. I
don't think I'm alone in this.

--Paul


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