Does a Video Recorder That's "Too Good" Violate Copyright Laws?

From: Russell McOrmond <russell _-at-_ flora.ca>
To: No DMCA in Canada <canada-dmca-opponents (at) flora.org>
Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 09:33:28 -0500 (EST)

Here we go again...

  We need to establish once-and-for-all that Copyright law does not enable
copyright holders to restrict consumers ability to "time-shift, record,
share, or delete commercials from content".

  If the extreme-copyright-dependant companies can't make money other than
restricting these basic human rights, then lets just shut em down as
society would clearly be better off without them.  We as a society have
traded far too many rights already, with little to nothing of value in
return.

  This conversation is getting more and more frustrating as time goes on.

---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
 See http://weblog.flora.org/ for announcements, activities, and opinions
 Oppose DMCA in Canada! (C) reform process....  IP Counter Essay Contest!
 It is time to mourn and reflect, not anger.... Appeal 'No more violence!' 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Does a Video Recorder That's "Too Good" Violate Copyright Laws?

SONICblue, whose ReplayTV 4000 video recorder was so good 
that it won an Emmy for technological and engineering achievement, 
is now being sued by several major networks -- apparently because
its unit makes it too easy to skip over commercials (a feature
that consumers very much want). The plaintiffs are also concerned
because the unit allows users to send recorded programs to friends.
The sharing isn't Napster-like (i.e. there's no mechanism to
advertise to all and sundry that a recording is available and
allow them to download it). But it nonetheless alarms the networks
and studios, who are panicky about any technology which can
time-shift, record, share, or delete commercials from content.
This suit, which is likely to affect consumers' fair use rights
in the Digital Age, merits watching.

  Major Media Firms Sue SONICblue Over New Recorder
  http://extreme.ziffdavis.com/cgi-bin10/flo?y=eMEM0DBKoD0FBU0aqn0Ad

  Whatever Happened to Fair Use?
  http://extreme.ziffdavis.com/cgi-bin10/flo?y=eMEM0DBKoD0FBU0aqo0Ae

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