RE: [dvd-discuss] Postage Meters and the "Right to Tinker"

[johnzu(at)ia.nsc.com]

>Of course the copyright holder does NOT consider it a gift but the law 
>DOES (or DID before DMCA something for the courts and legislatures to 
>reconsider now that the DMCA has altered that balance). The point is that 
>if Keyware is to get the protection it should, then it should not also be 
>allowed to clutter up the public mails and resources.

THAT is a separate topic.  I fear that keyware will become a more common
form of p-spam, given the rapidly decreasing cost of individually 
encrypted CD's, DVD's and the like (see eariler post).

>
>What public interest is that? The only benefit is to the distributer of 
>the software and the public has little if any. A new form of hightech 
>junkmail and/or spam does not seem to be in the public interest . Nor is 
>this form of distribution the "least restrictive". Purchase in the 
>marketplace, through the mails, or even downloading off the Internet are 
>as convenient and commonplace. 
>

I think keyware is a critical decentralizing, disintermediating force. Even
today, Microsoft ships nothing with XP that rivals WinZip. P2P, download, 
demoware, installerware, and the like have allow many smaller players
into the software market.  Some would say -- "it should be free," but
it's not me (or our) place to decide that for another just because we are
smart enough to crack the password.

It is a good question, certainly.

Best Regards,

.002