[ale] EFF Wins New Legal Protections for Video Artists, Cell Phone Jailbreakers, and Unlockers

[arxaaron at gmail.com (Aaron Ruscetta)]

<http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/07/26>

It is my view that this is much bigger news than just the headline.

Criminalizing the exercise of freedom of speech through fair use is
the cornerstone of the most extremist anti-constitutional provisions
the (corporate welfare state) DMCA legislation.  Allowing that the
circumvention of Destructive Restriction Mechanisms should
remain legally protected under Fair User would also mean that the
constitutional freedom to possess and distribute the hardware and
software tools for circumventing Destructive Restriction Mechanisms
(aka DRM) must also remain legally protected.

Here's the government report on the issue:
<http://www.copyright.gov/1201/>

And here's a take from academia on how this liberates free
speech.  Headline is wrong, though, since this isn't a NEW
right, it's a REAFFIRMED and RESTORED right:

<http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Letting-Us-Rip-Our-New-Right/25797/>

peace
aaron