Re: [Fsfe-uk] EC Copyright Directive consultation paper - a review

[Simon Waters]

Paul Mobbs wrote:
> 
> GreenNet have agreed to fund me to do a very small amount of work on the
> DTI/Patent Office consultation paper on implementing the new EC Directive on
> copyright.

Good

> I've put my initial thoughts online, in HTML and PS/PDF, at:
> http://www.fraw.org.uk/docs/consultation_review.html
> http://www.fraw.org.uk/docs/consultation_review.pdf

One aspects I'm not clear on, what happens when the publisher
using such tracking systems for their copyrighted materials is
not covered by EC safeguards on privacy.

Say a publisher, yensid corporation, releases an eMovie which
tracks the viewer, and perhaps even extracts payment
electronically, monitors which bits are viewed multiple times,
perhaps even tracks where the viewers eyes are pointing whilst
the movie is playing. If the rights software servers are
operated from the Fascist Republic of Mars, am I prevented from
by passing this "electronic rights" software? Even if that same
"rights software" is in use by groups operating entirely inside
Europe/UK.

I guess this comes under the more general legal topic of
applicable law, and jurisdiction, but if they don't respect my
privacy as define under local law, must I still respect their
rights?

In principal you can argue it is an end users choice to use a
particular copyrightable work, but in reality this is not always
the case, take suggested or compulsory reading for Univeristy
degrees.