Re: [dvd-discuss] IDSA Forces Arcade Game Manual Archive Offline

[Jeme A Brelin <jeme(at)brelin.net>]

On Tue, 24 Jun 2003, John Galt wrote:
> On Mon, 23 Jun 2003, Jeme A Brelin wrote:
> >On Mon, 23 Jun 2003, Steve Stearns wrote:
> >> What I can't fathom here is why this DMCA action was launched.  It's not
> >> clear to me that the IDSA has any authority to bring action in this
> >> case.  Who is the copyright holder, and what interest do they have in
> >> protecting these manuals?  Clearly the commercial value of these
> >> documents is quite limited given that your friend couldn't find anybody
> >> willing to sell him a copy.
> >
> >The maker of new equipment has a vested interest in keeping repair manuals
> >for old equipment out of the hands of the public.  If you can't fix it,
> >you have to buy a new one.
>
> What does this have to do with standing in a copyright suit for the old
> manuals?  That'd qualify the IDSA as an _Amicus Curiae_ certainly, but not
> as a Plaintiff.

Perhaps I should have trimmed more of the original post before sending my
reply.  I simply meant to note that the commercial value of the documents
doesn't have to be at all related to their availability, but rather to
their "unavailability".  This applies to only the last sentence I quoted.

J.
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     Jeme A Brelin
    jeme@brelin.net
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