Comments on: Access Copyright farce reaches America

By: wvhillbilly

wvhillbilly — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:32:26 +0000

I still have my old Columbia wind up phonograph and a large collection of 78 RPM records. They can’t monitor that!

Now if I could just find some needles for it…

By: Mostly Harmless

Mostly Harmless — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:44:03 +0000

“…this saber rattling by a licensing agency should tell us quite clearly that content owners intend to move toward a pay-per-use model.”

Pay to play (or read, or photocopy, etc…). Every time.

That’s all they want. A virtual coin slot on very piece of media you ever come across. They will make it happen, if we let them.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:59:33 +0000

Regarding The Right to Read, I would add two more distinct events:

* A Canadian company called Remote Approach is working on executable scripts embedded in PDF files that will report back to their creators whenever the files are opened, even after they have been copied and redistributed. That would help publishers keep accurate traffic data, whether the copies in circulation were authorized or unauthorized. You can tell what demand Remote Approach is trying to meet. […] The Associated Press reported on March 31 that “Remote Approach is also working on a feature that would let a company block a document from being read if there’s no Internet connection.”

* Mandatory Ethernet connection on HD-DVD (will become mandatory on Blu-ray players after October 31 2007). Toshiba website says, “A mandatory Ethernet port in all HD DVD players ensures that consumers can receive updates to their units to support the latest offerings from the studios and maximizing their investment in the format.”. To this, I would add “This mandatory feature also ensures that discs you paid for can be remotely revoked in the future - studios learned that they must become nasty in small steps to avoid customer backlash”. And, for those of you, who read FBI warnings and the like - note that they call DVD media a “device” (anyone can confirm which law are they trying to use by using “device” in the warning?)

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 20:49:22 +0000

“If such suits are successful, every consumer-made copy logged at a store or even at a library photocopier could be subject to small payments, which would be administered through an online licensing agency.”

We are one step closer to monitoring when books are read!

“In his software class, Dan had learned that each book had a copyright monitor that reported when and where it was read, and by whom, to Central Licensing. (They used this information to catch reading pirates, but also to sell personal interest profiles to retailers.) The next time his computer was networked, Central Licensing would find out.”

(from The Right to Read by Richard Stallman).

As we can see, more and more points from The Right to Read are implemented as the time progresses.