FC: Why fathers of PC revolution are wary of digital rights management

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 15:40:12 +1000
From: Nathan Cochrane <ncochrane () theage fairfax com au>
Organization: The Age newspaper
To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
Subject: Why three fathers of the PC revolution are wary of DRM


Hi Declan

While doing research for a yarn I found these observations on Digital 
Restrictions Management (DRM) from three gentlemen -- David Reed, Dan 
Bricklin and Ray Ozzie -- who can legitimately claim to have collectively 
done more than most to kick-start the PC revolution.


David Reed was chief scientist and VP R&D at Lotus
"This is what is wrong with Berman-Coble, with DRM, with TCPA, and with 
Gator. It's my computer, dammit. If I don't give informed consent, you 
can't use it."
http://www.satn.org/archive/2002_09_29_archive.html

Dan Bricklin, co-inventor of Visicalc, the first killer app for the PC
"If you are an artist or author who cares more than about the near-term 
value of your work, you should be worried and be careful about releasing 
your work only in copy protected form. Like the days when "art" was only 
accessible to the rich, two classes will probably develop: Copy protected 
and not copy protected, the "high art" and "folk art" of tomorrow."
http://www.bricklin.com/robfuture.htm

Ray Ozzie, inventor of what became Lotus Notes, the world's first groupware 
collaborative software for PCs, a killer app.
"With rich and open access, will contractual controls on use of Web 
Services data be sufficient, or will we need technical means of use 
enforcement?  How far will Digital Restrictions Management creep its way 
into the system-to-system realm?"
http://www.ozzie.net/blog/stories/2002/08/22/nondiscretionaryControlsCantLiveWithemCant.html

--

Nathan Cochrane
Deputy IT Editor
:Next:
The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.next.theage.com.au




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