[wplug] Super-DMCA laws

[R.E.Coutch]

Hey !

I didn't know other hams hung out here too !

My call is KC3QW but I haven't been very active in a while.

-Bob


Frank W. Holden Jr. wrote:

>Well, for what I read it means that what use to be legal for us ham
>radio operators throughout the world is now illegal!!! I sure did like
>re-broadcasting NASA missions over the net and via radio for the
>intent of educational purposes...
>
>This piece of crap they have come up with is way to broad! By what it
>says, if I was to re-broadcast a local radio station, as an example,
>to a friend anyplace else on the net, it is illegal! If I record a
>portion of a radio show and compress it with a password for
>transmission, I have broken the law. When did it come to pass that
>commercial broadcasts over the air waves was illegal??? Now I am NOT
>allowed to talk on my radios anymore either, so my freedom of speach
>is being attacked! There are just too many ways and angles to look at
>this new law that impeeds on our constitutional rights...
>
>Just some ramblings from a RF fried brain...
>Frank
>
>
>Dave Neuer wrote:
>  
>
>>Yep, it's true (follow the "text" link and look at the
>>bill history). It's law in PA.
>>
>>Most of it deals w/ theft of Telco service, but the
>>really troubling part is paragraph 1, section II "TO
>>CONCEAL OR TO ASSIST ANOTHER TO CONCEAL FROM ANY
>>TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICE PROVIDER OR FROM ANY LAWFUL
>>AUTHORITY THE EXISTENCE OR PLACE OF ORIGIN OR OF
>>DESTINATION OF ANY TELECOMMUNICATION"
>>
>>Who is a lawful authority? The cops? A copyright
>>holder? It's not clear until you read down farther in
>>the definitions section where they talk about telcos,
>>radio, satellite, cable and TV broadcasters.
>>
>>So basically, this is designed to protect the owners
>>of digital TV content.
>>
>>But that above paragraph would seem to make
>>VPN/Firewall software, hardware, and information
>>illegal as well.
>>
>>I seriously doubt the legistlature knew just how dumb
>>that provision is (for instance, most Telcos
>>themselves would be guilty just by offering VPN
>>service; even if you argued that their intent clearly
>>isn't concealing the origin or destination from
>>*themselves*, you could argue that they were
>>concealing the data transmitted from "lawful
>>authorities" if someone passes a song or movie file
>>over the VPN). Linux is conceivably illegal under the
>>section.
>>
>>It's a crappy law. It's bad for Telcos, bad for
>>equipment manufacturers, bad for customers...
>>
>>As the activists in the MA legistlative hearing
>>pointed out, it's really only good for the digital
>>broadcasters.
>>
>>Hopefully the first time it gets used it will be
>>struck down as overly broad and criminalizing a wide
>>array of current, accepted practices.
>>
>>I guess we'll either have to wait and see, or organize
>>a campaign to repeal it (it would have been nice to
>>know about the law ahead of time, though).
>>
>>It's getting to the point that I feel remiss as a
>>citizen for not spending all day combing the Thomas
>>Project site, the PA legislature, etc. looking for
>>dangerous legislation.
>>
>>Dave
>>
>>--- "Romano, Chris" <CRomano at AtlasBD.com> wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>I know that it's not Linux or Open Source, but it
>>>affects us all.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Has anyone been following this?  It looks like it
>>>might have been passed in
>>>PA.  Is it true?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/1999/0/SB1173P2313.HTM
>>    
>>
>>>
>>>more info:
>>>
>>>http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/states/
>>><http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/states/>
>>>
>>>(look under the "Affected States" section)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Chris Romano
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do you Yahoo!?
>>The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo
>>http://search.yahoo.com
>>_______________________________________________
>>wplug mailing list
>>wplug at wplug.org
>>http://www.wplug.org/mailman/listinfo/wplug
>>    
>>
>
>  
>