One of the biggest problems with copyprotections nowadays, is that people who buy an original cd/dvd have the right to make a backup copy. As every copyprotection right now is trying to prevent any copying (no backupping either) this customer right is violated.
The U.S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress issued a report last month that advised changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to allow consumers to have the right to make backup copies of digital music. |
The Copyright Office did not recommend the so-called first-sale doctrine, which enabled the rental of videocassettes, be extended to digital copies, due to the impossibility of ensuring that the original work is deleted. The report seems to have delicately balanced the interests of competing trade groups such as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Consumer Electronics Association, while keeping in mind the needs of consumers. Separately, the Copyright Office announced it is seeking comment on whether a compulsory license should be established governing the digital delivery of musical works, such as Webcasts. Comments are due no later than Sept. 27, 2001.
I think changing the DMCA in this way is a good thing; it's really ridiculous that it's impossible to backup a disc you just bought.
Imagine this... I buy a game like Freddie Fish on CDRom for my little son (who I don't have, at least I hope so ), costing $40. He plays it several times but doesn't know how to handle cd's. After some throwing etc the disc will be full of scratches and be unuseable. With making of backup, this wouldn't be any problem...
Even worse is, is that some recent audio CD's can't be played in a CDRom player... this really violates customer rights (besides of the backup thingy, it also is kinda "illegal" to sell a product for the full price that ain't function for the full 100%...).
All together: I think this proposal is a good thing!
Source: Medialine News
