RE: [dvd-discuss] EFF: Security Researchers Drop Scientific Censorship Case

[Richard Hartman <hartman(at)onetouch.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wendy Seltzer [mailto:wendy@seltzer.com]
...
> >From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
...
> >From: Will Doherty <wild@eff.org>
...
> >Security Researchers Drop Scientific Censorship Case
> >
> >Government, Industry Claim DMCA Not a Threat to Science
> >
> >San Francisco - Citing assurances from the government, the
> >recording industry, and a federal court that the threats
> >against his research team were ill-conceived and will not
> >be repeated, Professor Edward Felten and his research team
> >decided not to appeal the November dismissal of their case
> >by a New Jersey Federal Court.

They _believed_ them !??!? 


> >
> >The government stated in documents filed with the court in
> >November 2001 that "scientists attempting to study access
> >control technologies" are not subject to the Digital
> >Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). 

Oooh.  Scientists.

What about the rest of the populace, who might just be
doing it as a hobby?  What happens if they manage to break 
some fancy-pants encryption algorithm?  Do they get to publish
their results, or do they get their asses tossed in prison
because they aren't "scientists"?


> >"Based on these and other statements from the government
> >and the recording industry, the judge dismissed our case,"
> >noted Princeton Professor Ed Felten. "Although we would
> >have preferred an enforceable court ruling, our research
> >team decided to take the government and industry at their
> >word 

never a good idea ...  ya gotta get it in writing (or a 
judgement in this case).


Although I have sympathy for all that Felten et al. have
been through, you'd think that if they'd come this far
they could've held out a little longer.

This a black day for the forces of all that is good and
light .......



-- 
-Richard M. Hartman
hartman@onetouch.com

186,000 mi./sec ... not just a good idea, it's the LAW!