Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.
Re: Linux and CSS
Author: Eric Kidd Posted: 8/18/2000; 5:51:26 PM Topic: Linux and CSS Msg #: 19837 (In response to 19823) Prev/Next: 19836 / 19838
The MPAA will gladly sell a license for CSS to any company that is willing to abide by their license restrictions.Yes. This is the heart of the fight.
The Linux community wants to play DVDs, but not by asking for help from the DVD-CCA. The DVD-CCA, on the other hand, doesn't want anyone to write a DVD player without signing a contract first.
To pirate a DVD, you can just copy the bits onto a new DVD. This is dead easy, and doesn't require anybody to break CSS.
But if you want to play a DVD, you need to decode some header blocks on the CD. These blocks are quite easy to decode. People have figured out how to read these header blocks; I even have the necessary code on a T-shirt.
Essentially, the DVD-CCA is fighting to keep their file format proprietary.
This fight isn't about piracy (which I abhore); it's about whether programmers can decode proprietary file formats on behalf of their users. To quote the EFF:
An equally important category of use is ordinary, straightforward use. By this we mean the legal right to read a book that is in one's legal possession; to watch such a movie; to listen to such a song. The traditional copyright statute does not grant the copyright holder exclusive control over ordinary use (e.g., private viewing is not controlled under the exclusive right of public performance.) The right of a purchaser to merely use the purchased work has been so obvious that it has never been challenged -- until this case.I've been very disappointed with the current judge's understanding of the legal issues involved. If you're into this sort of thing, I highly recommend reading the EFF brief.
Cheers,
Eric
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