[Patents] Copyright ... for a change

[Bernard Lang Bernard.Lang@inria.fr]

NewsScan Daily: February 6, 2001 
http://www.newsscan.com/newsscan/aacs/

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OKAYS PRIVATE COPYING OF DIGITAL WORKS

The European Parliament has issued a preliminary decision to extend,
with some limitations, the private copying permissible in the analog
world to digital media. New-media companies, consumer-electronics
makers and citizens' rights groups applauded the decision to reject
all but 16 of a record 197 proposed amendments to the EU's Copyright
Directive, which faces a full vote next week. Among the amendments
approved was a provision allowing copyright owners to employ technical
protection measures, such as encryption, to prevent their works from
being pirated.  Copies could, however, be made "by a natural person
for private use and for ends that are neither directly nor indirectly
commercial." Fair practice lobbyists said the final version
represented a reasonable compromise: "Everybody gained something and
everybody lost something," said the head of the European Digital Media
Association. The music industry, however, was more critical of the
decision: "Private copying really has to be fore the private circle,"
said the European regional director of the Federation of Phonographic
Industries. (Wall Street Journal 6 Feb 2001)
see http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB981401558502841316.htm

---

this is not too clear ... if it is copies of the encrypted data ... it
has little use (see DeCSS).

If on the other hand, private people can make unencrypted copies, then
it is good.

  But what if the software for decrypting is protected by a patent.


  If anyone has the full text of what was actually voted ... it would
be welcome.

Bernard

-- 
         Non aux Brevets Logiciels  -  No to Software Patents
           SIGNEZ    http://petition.eurolinux.org/    SIGN

Bernard.Lang@inria.fr             ,_  /\o    \o/    Tel  +33 1 3963 5644
http://pauillac.inria.fr/~lang/  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  Fax  +33 1 3963 5469
            INRIA / B.P. 105 / 78153 Le Chesnay CEDEX / France
         Je n'exprime que mon opinion - I express only my opinion
                 CAGED BEHIND WINDOWS or FREE WITH LINUX

_______________________________________________
Eurolinux Alliance maillist  -  Eurolinux@eurolinux.org
http://aful.org/mailman/listinfo/eurolinux