IP: Sony uses DMCA against robot dog training Web site (!)

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date:         Thu, 01 Nov 2001 15:41:28 EST
> From: Rich Wiggins <wiggins () msu edu>
> Subject:      Sony uses DMCA against robot dog training Web site (!)
> To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
>
>
> Dave,
>
> This is utterly unbelievable: Sony has pursued a DMCA complaint
> against a Web site that provided tools to allow owners of the
> Sony Aibo robot to train the dog to do new tricks.
>
> Sony sells software to train the dog, and the site provided
> better software for free.
>
> http://www.latimes.com/business/la-000086726nov01.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines
>
> If you read the story, you'll see the author of the enhanced tools
> admits he co-mingled Sony code with his.  But his tools only work
> if the user has a registered copy of the Sony software, and of
> course it only works if the user has bought a Sony electronic dog
> that might have cost $3000.
>
> Unless the LA Times got some basic facts wrong, seems to me Sony
> is committing a huge PR mistake here.  Another sad tale in the
> DMCA chronicles.
>
> /rich


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