-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Sid Ordway Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2006 8:35 AM To: The Accessible Phones Discussion List Subject: US permits phone-cracking and DVD copying exemptions to copyright law.
US permits phone-cracking and DVD copying exemptions to copyright law. Thursday 23rd November 2006 PC Pro - London,UK The US Library of Congress has approved a record number of exemptions to copyright laws, granting permission for film and media studies professors to crack DVD discs' DRM and for breaking software locks on mobile phones. In total, the Librarian of Congress, James H Billington has granted six exemptions, the most ever, and for the first time has exempted groups of users en masse, including phone recyclers and people working on computer security. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which introduced several strict copyright protections into US law, stipulates that every three years the Librarian examines the need for any exemptions and acts accordingly. The library's Copyright Office has determined that it will now be legal to break and remove the software locks on phones so that they can be used with any chosen carrier. Not only will this let consumers get full value from their handsets, it will also increase the scope for the reuse of handsets. While permission for film studies professors to copy extracts from DVDs has always existed under fair-use provisions, the new exemption gives them the right to break the CSS copy-protection that encumbers most DVD discs. The change had been resisted by Hollywood, who suggested that VHS tape extracts be used instead, but professors argued that DVDs preserve a more accurate record of the original film print's colours and dimensions. Under the other exemptions introduced yesterday in the US, blind people are now permitted to circumvent any DRM on electronic books, so that they can use tools such as text-to-speech software to read them. The Copyright Office also authorised cracking the DRM on software where the technology to read it is no longer available and if the software's use is restricted by a dongle that is damaged and cannot be replaced. Finally, the Copyright Office has given permission for testing DRM technologies on CDs for any possible computer security vulnerabilities. This follows the widespread use of two such technologies by Sony BMG which opened a significant security hole in Windows. The Electronic Frontier Foundation said it was disappointed that calls for an exemption that would have allowed the copying of DVD content so that it could be transferred to devices such as an iPod were rejected, but nonetheless welcomed the changes. 'I am very encouraged by the fact that the Copyright Office is willing to recognise exemptions for archivists, cell phone recyclers and computer security experts,' said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney for the digital rights campaign group. 'Frankly I'm surprised and pleased they were granted.' Billington stressed that his ruling is not an indictment of the DMCA. 'This is not a broad evaluation of the successes or failures of the DMCA,' he said. 'The purpose of the proceeding is to determine whether current technologies that control access to copyrighted works are diminishing the ability of individuals to use works in lawful, non-infringing ways.' Full details of the six exemptions are listed in the Determination of the Librarian of Congress and Text of the Regulation [PDF] while a summary is online at copyright.gov/1201. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/98556/us-permits-phonecracking-and-dvd-copying-e xemptions-to-copyright-law.html --- Respectfully submitted by: Dr. Sidney Ordway JD, Ph.D MailTo:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone & FAX: 210-657-0059 To be removed from this list, please send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________ Blindphones mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mosenexplosion.com/mailman/listinfo/blindphones_mosenexplosion.com To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
