February 23, 2001
9:44 AM Subscribe
The Dubya Administration backs the lawsuit against distributing or linking to the DeCSS utility. What's next?
I was under the impression that the complete source code was published in one of the court documents, and is therefore a matter of public record. Unfortunately, I don't know enough about C (I'm still a student) to use the code I saw, or even verify it's completeness, so it's pretty useless to me. Still, if this *is* the entire program reproduced in this document, isn't it silly to make it illegal to publish it elsewhere?
posted by Eamon at 10:12 AM on February 23, 2001
posted by Eamon at 10:12 AM on February 23, 2001
The law only counts when it's feasible to enforce it. Empty gestures designed to make friends.
posted by sonofsamiam at 10:14 AM on February 23, 2001
posted by sonofsamiam at 10:14 AM on February 23, 2001
Hollywood spends more money on PACs than than dvd pirates. Despite this, they're fighting a loosing battle with information.
posted by Loudmax at 10:18 AM on February 23, 2001
posted by Loudmax at 10:18 AM on February 23, 2001
I believe they realized the error of their ways in making the code a part of the public record like that & moved to seal that part of the evidence.
posted by zempf at 10:19 AM on February 23, 2001
posted by zempf at 10:19 AM on February 23, 2001
I thought this was a place where intelligent ideas were exchanged, but apparently I was mistaken. It is a board for whiny people. "Waah, my candidate didn't win!" "Waaah! A President with some measure of dignity is in the WHite House!" "Waah! I am so 1337 and all Microsoft and AOL attempts at simplifying the user interface make me feel not as superior when everyone gets access to stuff only I should be able to read!"
I don't want to appear as if I'm trolling, but sometimes this sounds more lik a self-help group than a place for idea exchange....
(BTW, my whining about whining makes me a hypocrite. Right ON!)
posted by Capn_Stuby at 10:40 AM on February 23, 2001
I don't want to appear as if I'm trolling, but sometimes this sounds more lik a self-help group than a place for idea exchange....
(BTW, my whining about whining makes me a hypocrite. Right ON!)
posted by Capn_Stuby at 10:40 AM on February 23, 2001
There are only six posts here. Only one of them was directed against the Bush administration. (I can see how you might take my post that way, but it wasn't meant that way. I'm very right-wing, politically)
Calm down.
posted by sonofsamiam at 10:42 AM on February 23, 2001
Calm down.
posted by sonofsamiam at 10:42 AM on February 23, 2001
For some reason, I'm put in mind of a scene from "Full Metal Jacket":
COLONEL
You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and
you wear a peace button. What's that
supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?!
JOKER
No, sir.
COLONEL
You'd better get your head and your ass wired
together, or I will take a giant shit on you!
JOKER
Yes, sir.
COLONEL
Now answer my question or you'll be standing
tall before the man.
JOKER
I think I was trying to suggest something
about the duality of man, sir.
COLONEL
The what?
JOKER
The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir.
COLONEL
Whose side are you on, son?
JOKER
Our side, sir.
COLONEL
Don't you love your country?
JOKER
Yes, sir.
COLONEL
Then how about getting with the program?
Why don't you jump on the team and come
on in for the big win?
posted by Perigee at 11:02 AM on February 23, 2001
COLONEL
You write "Born to Kill" on your helmet and
you wear a peace button. What's that
supposed to be, some kind of sick joke?!
JOKER
No, sir.
COLONEL
You'd better get your head and your ass wired
together, or I will take a giant shit on you!
JOKER
Yes, sir.
COLONEL
Now answer my question or you'll be standing
tall before the man.
JOKER
I think I was trying to suggest something
about the duality of man, sir.
COLONEL
The what?
JOKER
The duality of man. The Jungian thing, sir.
COLONEL
Whose side are you on, son?
JOKER
Our side, sir.
COLONEL
Don't you love your country?
JOKER
Yes, sir.
COLONEL
Then how about getting with the program?
Why don't you jump on the team and come
on in for the big win?
posted by Perigee at 11:02 AM on February 23, 2001
Get the real thing. And to hell with Dubya and Jack Freakin Valenti.
posted by johnnydark at 11:23 AM on February 23, 2001
posted by johnnydark at 11:23 AM on February 23, 2001
an exact copy of a post on my own page:
download DeCSS! get your DeCSS here! step right up! crack encrpypted dvd's with this!
fuck you, bush.
posted by will at 11:24 AM on February 23, 2001
download DeCSS! get your DeCSS here! step right up! crack encrpypted dvd's with this!
fuck you, bush.
posted by will at 11:24 AM on February 23, 2001
You know what? Clinton administration would have probably done the same thing...
posted by owillis at 11:27 AM on February 23, 2001
posted by owillis at 11:27 AM on February 23, 2001
You know what? Clinton administration would have probably done the same thing...
Just a quote from the article:
This isn't the first time that the DOJ has sided with the entertainment industry in court. Last September, the Clinton administration filed an amicus brief in the Napster case saying the file-trading service can't use the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 as a legal shield.
It isn't necessarily true that Attorney General John Ashcroft believes that DeCSS should be verboten. Instead, the DOJ is acting in its traditional role of attorney for Congress in defending the constitutionality of a federal law in court.
posted by Avogadro at 11:33 AM on February 23, 2001
Just a quote from the article:
This isn't the first time that the DOJ has sided with the entertainment industry in court. Last September, the Clinton administration filed an amicus brief in the Napster case saying the file-trading service can't use the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992 as a legal shield.
It isn't necessarily true that Attorney General John Ashcroft believes that DeCSS should be verboten. Instead, the DOJ is acting in its traditional role of attorney for Congress in defending the constitutionality of a federal law in court.
posted by Avogadro at 11:33 AM on February 23, 2001
I believe they realized the error of their ways in making the code a part of the public record like that & moved to seal that part of the evidence.
Yep. The particular document was the reply declaration of John J. Hoy, which is still hosted at Cryptome. Verio (Cryptome's ISP) recently put under pressure by the MPAA to force John Young to remove the document, as the posting that particular court document is now a violation of the DMCA... Verio behaved admirably, telling Young that they would let him keep at it as long as he would state that, under penalty of perjury, he didn't believe he was breaking the law.
In all fairness, this DOJ maneuver I would have expected from either administration (cf the Clinton DOJ's position re: Napster). Even Declan admits this:
It isn't necessarily true that Attorney General John Ashcroft believes that DeCSS should be verboten. Instead, the DOJ is acting in its traditional role of attorney for Congress in defending the constitutionality of a federal law in court.
posted by tingley at 11:38 AM on February 23, 2001
Yep. The particular document was the reply declaration of John J. Hoy, which is still hosted at Cryptome. Verio (Cryptome's ISP) recently put under pressure by the MPAA to force John Young to remove the document, as the posting that particular court document is now a violation of the DMCA... Verio behaved admirably, telling Young that they would let him keep at it as long as he would state that, under penalty of perjury, he didn't believe he was breaking the law.
In all fairness, this DOJ maneuver I would have expected from either administration (cf the Clinton DOJ's position re: Napster). Even Declan admits this:
It isn't necessarily true that Attorney General John Ashcroft believes that DeCSS should be verboten. Instead, the DOJ is acting in its traditional role of attorney for Congress in defending the constitutionality of a federal law in court.
posted by tingley at 11:38 AM on February 23, 2001
i didn't think this was so much a matter of "boo, bush is a stupid dickhead" (true as that may be) as a technical thread. no one bashed bush until people started saying "stop attacking bush!"
touchy, conservatives? yeesh.
posted by pikachulolita at 2:18 PM on February 23, 2001
touchy, conservatives? yeesh.
posted by pikachulolita at 2:18 PM on February 23, 2001
What's next?
How about a war in Iraq? It's been a while, and the economy has been sluggish, you know.
posted by hijinx at 3:19 PM on February 23, 2001
How about a war in Iraq? It's been a while, and the economy has been sluggish, you know.
posted by hijinx at 3:19 PM on February 23, 2001
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This Administration finds it appalling that there are still citizens of this country who seem to defy our re-education program. The road to American prosperity and happiness was laid out quite clearly in our party platform:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
If you are having difficulty with understanding these concepts, do not result to thoughtcrime. Contact the Ministry of Truth immediately.
posted by Perigee at 10:04 AM on February 23, 2001