Keying and protecting software may be easier (or harder) in a few years in the US.
Senate bill S.2048 (a suspicious looking number) might force changes in hardware and operating systems that can be used for protecting software. There is a bill pending (S.2048) that is intended to protect copyrighted material in digital form. The law requires all new software and hardware that stores, plays, executes, backs-up, copies or transmits that material to comply with yet-to-be-determined FCC rules. The original intent was to control activities like copying CDs and DVDs, and transmitting online movies. It has some interesting consequences and expanded applications. Files of copyrighted material may use the security protection approved by the FCC. If so, they may not be stored unprotected. They may not be stored or transmitted encrypted by some other way. Also, you cannot legally encrypt _any_ copyrighted files except by the approved method, whether they have the FCC wrapper or not. (This does not apply to trade secret files that happen to have copyright notices on them, or software or art that has not been released to the public.) The law intends for end users to be able to make backups and otherwise enjoy copyrighted material. All new software, hardware or combination that processes, copies or transmits files must check whether each file is marked as copyrighted and check for rights. Some rights will require keys. (The FCC will set up a way mark files and show rights.) I think this means a change in computer operating systems and Internet clients. I don't like this bill. First, it requires me to protect my software the government approved way. Second, as a consumer, I don't want road blocks or expenses just because I might want to misuse copyrighted material. Third, it is a great expansion of Commerce Clause interpretation of the Constitution that can only get worse. Whatever we come up with for protecting Revolution apps might be temporary. Dar Scott _______________________________________________ use-revolution mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
