http://www.viahardware.com/
Read this
Its finally here. The renamed SSSCA has been sent to Congress, titled the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act. Wired < http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,51274,00.html > has a massive write-up on the story.
I'm just going to write this one straight. If you are a computer user in any sense, from Microsoft Word to an open-source coder, you care about this, and you care a lot.
The CBDTPA regulates everything. It regulates cell phones, fax machines, computers, TV's, stereos, in short--any kind of computer equipment that runs any kind of 'program', from your vehicle to your digital clock. If your piece of equipment uses a microprocessor, its targeted.
Furthermore, this piece of legislation directly targets open-source users. From Wired:
According to the CBDTPA, any software with the ability to reproduce "copyrighted works" may not be sold in the United States after the Federal Communications Commission's regulations take effect. Even programmers who distribute their code for free would be prohibited from releasing newer versions -- unless the application included federally approved technology.
The loophole? You can still create your own code, but only on a computer unconnected to a network. Again, from Wired:
could become unlawful for U.S. programmers to distribute any newly developed non-compliant code after the CBDTPA takes effect. Because the CBDTPA also regulates importing software, it could be illegal to download non-compliant code from overseas.
Those of you who think Open Source is free from this contagion...think again:
Free software developers could risk criminal charges -- even if no cash transactions are involved.
"The law has taken people who give it away for free to be sellers for some purposes," Wagner says. "If you give it away on a site that has ads, or if you're doing it for reputational value, you're probably still falling in the commercial category."
And last, but not least....a few words from the supporters of this bill:
"On Thursday, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America hailed the CBDTPA as the only way to prevent the continuing Napsterization of their businesses. MPAA's Jack Valenti said the measure will "serve the long-term interests of consumers," while RIAA's Hilary Rosen predicted that without it, "online piracy will continue to proliferate and spin further out of control."
Some of you will scoff and dismiss this bill as irrelevant, falsely assuming it won't pass. (keep it mind--its already passed committee hearings). But some of you actually care about such legislative events and want to do something about it.
Senator Fritz Hollings is the senator pushing this bill. If you care strongly about it, I recommend you call his ofice and lodge a complaint. His office can be reached at (202)224-6121.
Although he his a member of the House of Representatives, not the Senate, Representative Rich Boucher has taken a pro-consumer, anti-DMCA and anti-CBDTPA attitude. His office, should you choose to register a comment, is (202)225-3861.
Should you call? Depends on how much you care. This is serious, people. It isn't Mickey Mouse, and its not just a crackpot senator--its a senator backed by some of the most influential and powerful lobbyists in America.
Do you like your computer? Do you like Linux? Moreover, do you like the fact that Linux exists?
Its quite possible it won't anymore, if the passers of this bill get their way. Now you make a call--stand up and fight this, or lie down like cynics or sheep. Or, make plans to move out of the country. Its that simple.
[This message has been edited by RammStein (edited 03-23-2002).]
posted 03-23-2002 00:36
