Copyright Issues (Was: Re: Why we can't record our TV shows

Ted Roche tedroche at tedroche.com
Mon Mar 26 17:26:15 EDT 2007


Travis Roy wrote:

>> Let's focus our discussions on Linux and Free/Open Source Software and
>> not on proprietary multimedia. There are plenty of other forums for that.
> 
> To be fair, I do think copyright issues are something that is up for
> discussion. After all, it does effect Free/Open Source Software quite a
> bit.

Absolutely! I'm an armchair lawyer myself when it comes to discussions
of software licenses, copyright, contracts and the other stuff I have to
deal with every day as a software development and consultant. (And as
always encourage the advice of a real lawyer when there's serious money,
property or reputation on the line.) I don't oppose discussions on the
topic of Free/Open Source Software as it relates to the copyright. GNU
GPL and OSI and so on are on topic.

Expressions of your opinion on the DMCA, the Sonny Bono Copyright Act,
your interpretation of Sony/Betamax and so forth are political and just
lead to a lot of wasted air, imo. If you want to express those opinions,
and I do regularly, I aim at my congresspeople and at funding the
organizations (EFF, ACLU, etc.) that advocate for my point of view. Or
over a beer at Martha's. But here, such discussions are divisive, rarely
if ever change any minds, and make the forum a more hostile place to
hang out on. Let's leave those topics OFF-TOPIC, where they belong.

-- 
Ted Roche
Ted Roche & Associates, LLC
http://www.tedroche.com


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