[Fsfe-ie] DRM letter (quick reply, deadline today)

[Justin Mason]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1


Ciaran O'Riordan writes:
> Nitpicking allowed, spelling included.

you got it ;)

> --------------------8<------------
> 
> Dear recipient,
> 
> Regarding DRM, Irish Free Software Organisation (IFSO) is concerned that
> recent EU Directives have given far too much power to content owners and
> distributors, and that our representatives are not able to understand the
> implications of these Directives at current pace at which they're being
                                   ----------
                                   replace: given the
> produced.
> 
> Copyright law used to prohibit the public from certain acts without a
> license, non-prohibited acts were deemed "fair dealing".  With DRM
                                                                 ---
                        replace: "a Digital Rights Management (DRM)"

> restricted software system, the public can be blocked from making use of
> fair dealing, and the law protects the content owners ability to do this.
> In this way, DRM allows technology and to trump law.
                                     ^^^
                                     delete

> When only one company is permitted to make software that is authorised to
> display a work, DRM can also be used to secure legal monopoly status.  A
> false, cartel-like competition may exist within the oligarchy of technology
> Mega Companies (few or none of which are European), but real competition -
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  a bit "casual", possibly paranoid sounding imo ;)   can't think of a
  good replacement though.

> the sort that benefits consumers and new entrants to the market - will not
> exist.
> 
> The added coplexity of getting permission for what used to be fair dealing
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
            complexity of obtaining

> will also slow commerce and technical progress.  Adding legal encumbrances
> to product development in the EU will push more jobs toward the low cost
> economies.  Some DRM advocates say that legal protection of DRM is required
> to prevent widespread crime, but DRM systems can already be implemented
> without legal protection.  Legal protection allows companies to shift the
> responsibility and cost of enforcement from themselves to the national
> authorities.
> 
> The market dangers of legal protection for DRM may not be visable today
                                                            ^^^^^^^
                                                            visible

> since DRM restricted content and software systems are not yet ubiquitous,
> but as books, communication, education, and communication transition to
> digital form, a complex entanglement of law and technology will be hard to
> undo.
> 
> In the recent batch of technology related Directives, IFSO has been
> repeatedly disappointed with the bias toward aiding the wealthy corporations
> at the expense of European consumers and enterprises.  Even when our MEPs or
> Council members push for an amendment at our request, the final wording of
> the amendent is usually altered so that it looks similar but it's effect is
> null.  Given that the vast majority of the wealthy companies recieving the
                                                               ^^^^^^^^^
                                                               receiving

> aid are not European, and given that many MEPs have expressed sympathy and a
> lack of understanding of the real world implications of the directives, IFSO
> requests the legislative procedure for technical Directives be audited to
> find where the wealthy companies are gaining almost complete control, and
> where European consumers and enterprises of all sizes could have more input
> to produce balanced, productive Directives.

Hope that helps ;)

- --j.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Exmh CVS

iD8DBQFBSHmoQTcbUG5Y7woRAqfgAKCvXjrM8MokREdgskx9Z4O/vTOOyQCgsRqh
+iHC5Qk7uia0TJVkpzLfQHQ=
=Ijh6
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----