Author: Maëlys McArdle

The new Canadian Copyright Reforms Plan have been released. It has complied with some international treaties, and in doing so ammended this article:

It would not be legal to circumvent, without authorization, a TPM applied to a sound recording, notwithstanding the exception for private copying.

TPM being DRM. In other words, it would be illegal for you to use the music files you purchased from iTunes or whatever to make a CD out of it. Because that would involve “circumventing” copyright protection, even though you payed for the music files, and now own them.

I hate any law that says you cannot do with your property as you wish. I bought it, I own it, so why is it illegal to use it in anyway I see fit?

In conformity with the WPPT, performers would be provided with moral rights in their fixed and live performances, consistent with the moral rights already provided to authors in relation to their works.

I really don’t like the concept of “Moral Rights”. In essence it means that if the people who own the music (which isn’t the actual artist in 99% of the cases) can sue you if you use the music in a way that they don’t see fit. For example, even if I payed $5,000 to liscence an Operatic song for a movie, the company owning the music could still sue me if they didn’t like the movie.

Copyright would also be infringed by persons who … facilitate circumvention…

In other words, you can be sued if you make and distribute a tool that lets you modify your property (even legitimately).

ISPs would be exempt from copyright liability in relation to their activities as intermediaries, namely, their activities as mere conduits for information, their caching activities, their hosting activities, and their information location activities.

The only thing this act does right: internet providers are no longer liable for the acts of their users.

United States Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has been appointed chairman of the new Intellectual Property Subcommittee.

This is the man that has been bribed by the RIAA and MPAA:

The music and movie industries, who contributed $179,928 to Hatch in 2004, are most likely very enthused about his new position.

So in other words, a man in charge of a judicial committee has been payed approx. $180,000USD from the organizations representing a specific side to the issue he is overseeing. To me, that’s like the individual in charge of reforms in gun laws being payed $180,000 by a gun maker. Can anyone say “biased”?

Moral: Justice is only as strong as one’s wallet.

Maybe its because it was a spur of the moment, but some developers (including Warren Spector) gave a very good speech on the state of gaming at the GDC. What I enjoyed most was their view on piracy, as follows:

Q: I am one of the bad guys: I’m working on a big budget next generation console game. I want to ask about totally legalised piracy? Not Russia and grey market – I’m talking Blockbuster. 20 dollars a year you can borrow whatever you like then give it back. People are going to rent my game for 4 dollars. I won’t see any of that. They’re robbing me!

Chris: I’m pro-piracy. I want people to play the games I make. I do it because it’s art. I think DRM is a total fucking stupid mess. If the game industry collapses and can be reborn, I’m all for it. Pirate on!

Greg: they’re not pirating the game! Someone bought a legal copy! The world is not designed in such a way that money inherently funnels its way into your wallet!?

Warren: I never minded piracy. Anyone who minds about piracy is full of shit. Anyone who pirates your game wasn’t going to buy it anyway!

As you know I’m fundamentally divided when it comes to piracy. However, I despise the corporate view on the issue, which is to say that pirates cost the game industry $4 Billion a year (which would represent half of the total revenues in the gaming industry btw). It’s a black-and-white view that is completely innacurate. So its refreshing to see when those inside the network adopt a different perspective.

I realise that some of you may be here concerning information about the IE6 Vulnerability that was exposed a few months ago. Unfortunately, with my transition of blogging platforms, I’ve lost the original article + example. My apologies if this inconveniences you in any way. Anywho, you will be able to see a demo of the code in action in the EYNTO Show (as an example of why one should drop IE and switch to FireFox or Opera.)