Comments on: TV-Links: RIP

by: Luke Maciak

Wed, 28 May 2008 17:55:46 +0000

Yeah, I think you are right about libdvdcss2. Thanks for the clarification!

by: arparp

Wed, 28 May 2008 17:08:32 +0000

All kindsa mixed up here dogg.

DeCSS and libdvdcss2 are different and in my opinion under statute should be treated differently. DeCSS was purely a circumvention tool and contained no other functionality, and distribution that 2600 did was clearly illegal according to the (admittedly kinda whack) DMCA statutes. On the other hand, libdvdcss2 has a few hurdles to jump (notably 1201(a)(2)(B)) but overall could pass muster in 1201(a)(2). The current Wikipedia article on libdvdcss2 posits the interoperability exception.

Linking to copyrighted works however isn’t about the DMCA or circumvention. It’s about infringement and liability. Fair use applies, if that was your motivation, but linking to a page whose primary purpose is infringement or a direct link to infringement is clearly contributory to that infringement. Trying to play technical games and saying the page isn’t taking the user there, the user is taking himself etc, doesn’t pass muster in any reasonable system.

P.S. IANAL.

by: Luke Maciak

Thu, 08 May 2008 19:47:59 +0000

In Finland it is against the law to talk about breaking copyright protections. One person is waiting for the decision of high-court for using libdvdcss2.

Well, it’s technically illegal here in US too. Libdvdcss2 is illegal under US DMCA. It’s legal to talk about it - it’s just not legal for me to tell you where to find it, post source code, or tell you in detail how to re-create it.

by: Mats Rauhala

Thu, 08 May 2008 17:27:35 +0000

In Finland it is against the law to talk about breaking copyright protections. One person is waiting for the decision of high-court for using libdvdcss2.
It is also basically illegal to own a mp3 player in here since you cant make copies for even personal use.

It is getting even more retarded than the US system.

by: Yoda

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:01:53 +0000

Another cool spot that popped up: http://www.vidictive.com

by: Errant

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:16:46 +0000

Lol, yeh so now you know why we call it that! Makes the whole country look wickedly macho… when the truth is he probably sat in a nice comfy room for 1/2 an hr eating donuts and drinking crap coffee

by: Luke Maciak

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:14:04 +0000

Oh, hmm… Good to know. We are people divided by a common language I guess. When I read arrested I think handcuffed, taken down town and held in a jail cell for few hours till someone posts bail.

by: Errant

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:23:14 +0000

BTW ‘arrested’ in the UK simply means charged - otherwise they can’t take him to court, if that makes sense. Probability is he will just get a fine (I’m pretty sure that the criminal sentence for copyright infringement of this sort is a maximum fine).

Oh and also BTW the law is the same in the US as well so the same would have happened to him there

See were not totally screwy (uh then again…)

by: discostoo

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:42:54 +0000

It has shown though that the TV companies over here are not meeting the demand of your average internet user. TV links had 0.4% share of the entire internet “audience”. BBC, ITV etc seriously need to justify my licence fee and all that advertising and introduce some proper on demand services.

To arrest some one for linking to videos has set a dangerous precedent though, even if he was released without charge.

by: Mr. C

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:42:01 +0000

oh, well, that’s all right then. Comments revoked.