Archive | Dezember, 2003

Owning ideas

Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | Owning ideas

�The companies that make most fuss about �software piracy� know perfectly well that if it were entirely abolished, they would be less well off.�

We Can Put an End to Word Attachments – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (FSF)

We Can Put an End to Word Attachments – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (FSF)

�For us users of free operating systems, receiving Word documents is an inconvenience. But the worst impact of sending Word format is on people who might switch to free systems: they hesitate because they feel they must have Word available to read the Word files they receive. The practice of using the secret Word format for interchange impedes the growth of our community and the spread of freedom. While we notice the occasional annoyance of receiving a Word document, this steady and persistent harm to our community usually doesn�t come to our attention. But it is happening all the time.�

Can you trust your computer? – GNU Project – Free Software Foundation (FSF)

Can you trust your computer?

��Treacherous computing� is a more appropriate name, because the plan is designed to make sure your computer will systematically disobey you. In fact, it is designed to stop your computer from functioning as a general-purpose computer. Every operation may require explicit permission.�

Consumers Digital Rights

CDR – Welcom page

�[�] companies publish guides telling consumers what they cannot do in the digital world. For these companies, consumers have no rights in buying CDs, DVDs or other digital material – apart from a few generously bestowed exceptions!
[�]
The time has come to guarantee consumers certain basic rights in the digital world, and to tell them what they can do with their digital hardware/content.�

Tim O’Reilly: Evolution of Online Distribution

OpenP2P.com: Piracy is Progressive Taxation, and Other Thoughts on the Evolution of Online Distribution

�We don�t have a substantial piracy problem in the US and Europe.�

Home Taping Saves Music

TP: Home Taping Saves Music

�In einem Kommentar dazu berichten die Erben eines puertoricanischen Musikers davon, dass sie �ber 100 Werke ihres Vaters nur �ber Sammler wieder fanden, da die zugeh�rigen Plattenfirmen l�ngst nicht mehr existierten. Die nach Ansicht der Plattenbranche illegalen Sammler und Tauscher erhalten also kulturelle Werte, die sich mit modernem DRM und Kopierschutz l�ngst selbst zerst�rt h�tten��

10 Big Myths about copyright explained

10 Big Myths about copyright explained

�This document is still protected by you-know-what even though it has no copyright notice.�

A brief intro to copyright

A brief intro to copyright

�Copyright law secures for the creator of a creative effort the exclusive right to control who can make copies, or make works derived from the original work. There are a lot of subtleties and international variations but that�s the gist of it. If you create something, and it fits the definition of a creative work, you get to control who can make copies of it and how they make copies, with some important exceptions.�

Secure Deletion of Data

Papers – Sixth USENIX Security Symposium

Perl Meets COBOL

perl.com: Perl Meets COBOL