Thursday, September 23, 2004
Schwarzenegger signs bill requiring email addresses for filesharing
"California governor Arnold Schwarzenneger -- a man who found considerable fame and fortune in Hollywood -- signed an MPAA-backed bill into law Tuesday that requires anyone sharing a file that goes to more than 10 people outside their immediate family to provide a valid email address and title of the work."
Yes, this is as ridiculous as it sounds. From now on, when I share a file - say, a summary of my tax class notes from law school- I will be sure to attach a valid e-mail address. How about hotline@mpaa.org?
So far, Canadian legislators have avoided such futile actions, but even if they didn't, this sort of law wouldn't survive a Charter challenge, I don't think.
LINK: from the Boing
"California governor Arnold Schwarzenneger -- a man who found considerable fame and fortune in Hollywood -- signed an MPAA-backed bill into law Tuesday that requires anyone sharing a file that goes to more than 10 people outside their immediate family to provide a valid email address and title of the work."
Yes, this is as ridiculous as it sounds. From now on, when I share a file - say, a summary of my tax class notes from law school- I will be sure to attach a valid e-mail address. How about hotline@mpaa.org?
So far, Canadian legislators have avoided such futile actions, but even if they didn't, this sort of law wouldn't survive a Charter challenge, I don't think.
LINK: from the Boing
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Visit WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT
I've been meaning to do this for awhile: Matthew Skala, a Canadian living in Waterloo, has been running an interesting blog for some time now. If the intersection of computer science, law and copyright policy is your thing, check this guy out.
LINK: Skala's Blog
http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/lebwog.html
I've been meaning to do this for awhile: Matthew Skala, a Canadian living in Waterloo, has been running an interesting blog for some time now. If the intersection of computer science, law and copyright policy is your thing, check this guy out.
LINK: Skala's Blog
http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/lebwog.html
Globe and Mail website locks content, shuts out public
Why any newspaper would make it more difficult for readers to read its stories, I do not know. Does anybody out there actually want to keep track of **another** password? It seems Canada's paper of record is taking a page from the recording industry's handbook, and treating their customers with little respect. And lest we forget, newspapers don't sell papers; they sell readers to advertisers. Seems to me that passwords and logging in make it less likely readers will read (myself as a case in point), and less reading would seem to lead to fewer eyeballs on advertisements. Well, to each his own...
LINK: Globe and Mail
Why any newspaper would make it more difficult for readers to read its stories, I do not know. Does anybody out there actually want to keep track of **another** password? It seems Canada's paper of record is taking a page from the recording industry's handbook, and treating their customers with little respect. And lest we forget, newspapers don't sell papers; they sell readers to advertisers. Seems to me that passwords and logging in make it less likely readers will read (myself as a case in point), and less reading would seem to lead to fewer eyeballs on advertisements. Well, to each his own...
LINK: Globe and Mail
