Re: [Fsfe-uk] APIG Inquiry into DRM tech.

[MJ Ray]

Alex Hudson <address@hidden>
> http://www.apig.org.uk/current-activities/inquiry-into-digital-rights-management.html

Well announced!  I think this is worth getting several responses
into. If any readers are experienced at submitting consultation
responses, please help out, offer advice and/or submit one.

[...]
> An initial attempt at a response:
> http://www.alcoholicsunanimous.com/chod/apig.xhtml
[...]
>       * Heavy on rhetoric, light on examples: needs to be the other way
>         around, and probably stick closer to their points

If anything, I'd avoid spending too many words on examples of
problems and look for positive ideas of what they can do to
help us. I think I will be asking for:

 1. establishment of "fair circumvention" when DRM is being used
    to restrict what should be fair dealing or other vital acts
    - you can't make DRM systems "fail safe" but you can give some
    hope of recovering after they "fail closed";

 2. legislation to ensure that DRM system owners are held responsible
    for computer misuse (Sony?), privacy invasion and monopoly effects
    resulting from their DRM systems, which will help limit distortion;

 3. requiring collecting societies to allow members to leave, rather
    than reports like 
http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/fc-uk-discuss/2005-November/000512.html
    about why some artists aren't using liberal licensing yet;

and I offer them to this list as ideas. Please, I'd rather someone
here shot them down in flames before APIG sees them...

>       * Not sure whether I can raise "other issues" effectively; could
>         make them simply dismiss the entire thing for wandering OT

I suggest reducing that to headings only, to help you meet the word
limit and to reduce the risk of being bounced for going OT.

Thanks for any help,
-- 
MJ Ray - personal email, see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html
Work: http://www.ttllp.co.uk/  irc.oftc.net/slef  Jabber/SIP ask