Re: [dvd-discuss] MovieMask - I'm sure the lawsuit is on itsway

["Jeremy A Erwin" <jerwin(at)gmu.edu>]

On Thursday, November 15, 2001, at 06:30  PM, Tom wrote:

> On Thu, Nov 15, 2001 at 12:08:56PM -0800, Michael A Rolenz wrote:
>> BTW - getting a law passed that says that an artist has the right to
>> dicated how a work is displayed AFTER sale violated first sale 
>> principles
>> as much as a hitech TPM does. Whether they like it or not, one is as 
>> evil
>> as the other whatever the motivation.
>
> that depends on what rights he sold. without accurate knowledge of this
> specific case, I'd suggest we all refrain from an opinion.
>
>
These laws only affect unique works of art (or very limited runs). Laws 
preventing the destruction of unique works of art are more defensible, 
in part because alteration of that "work" is essentially irrevocable. 
First sale usually is applied to non unique items-- audio recordings, 
books, etc.

To put in another way, re-editing a videocassette to remove profanity, 
while perhaps the act of the philistine, does not cause the original to 
disappear. The production of a child safe version of "Hard Boiled" does 
not remove the original from the market.

Jeremy Erwin