IP: Where will it end : Sklyarov and AAP, etc.

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 13:07:38 -0400
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> From: Mikki Barry <ooblick () netpolicy com>
> Subject: Re: IP: Fwd: Sklyarov and AAP, etc.
>
> Lauren's mention of the restrictions regarding fair use rights to record 
> digital content are right on the mark.  I recently began investigating how 
> I could record digital (or for that matter analog) content directly from 
> satellite transmissions, or even from my own antenna.
>
> The equipment to do this USED to be available in the US, but apparently 
> pressure brought by the MPAA and others resulted in its being pulled from 
> the market.  Panasonic made a high definition decoder that connected via 
> firewire to a D-VHC VCR.  This setup would allow for recording in HD (or 
> analog) from your home antenna.  In combination with a now also 
> discontinued Dish Network receiver, recording of satellite signals was 
> possible.  Dish was pressured to encode the output of their HD receiver in 
> order to make this practice difficult if not impossible.
>
> The combination of the DMCA, the negation of our fair use rights to make 
> non commercial archival copies, and the stomping of our first amendment 
> rights to even SPEAK about how to circumvent the artificial barriers for 
> fair use purposes, is a serious threat to much of what we currently take 
> for granted.
>
> Tivos and Ultimate TV boxes let you record digitally, but notice there's 
> no firewire output available any longer.  They're wonderful machines, but 
> when you get to the end of your 30 or 60 hours, you have to start deleting 
> content or hack the machine to add more space. Why, when it would be so 
> simple to allow you to digitally archive your favorite programs not 
> available on DVD to digital VHS or miniDV or even DVD-R (which of course, 
> you can't encrypt the way the "big boys" do unless you buy an expensive 
> "authoring" unit).
>
> Where will this stop?  I used to laugh about something that we were told 
> by an attorney for MPAA at a CPSR forum.  He said to the group that UDRPs 
> and the "anti cybersquatting consumer protection act" against domain names 
> were only the beginning.  He said that they would not stop until they 
> could control Internet content as well. I'm not laughing anymore.



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