RFC on letter to USCO
by blackhatgk on Oct.28, 2005, under Political Interests
Well, I’m working on typing up a letter to the USCO for the following:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Copyright Office
37 CFR Part 201
[Docket No. RM 2005-11]
Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies
AGENCY: Copyright Office, Library of Congress
ACTION: Notice of inquiry
More information at: http://www.copyright.gov/fedreg/2005/70fr57526.html
Take the time to review the letter and see if there is anything else I should include in there…
Throughout history feel good politics have constantly threatened our rights as citizens of the United States. They seek to protect ordinary citizens from themselves. This is not the stance that the government should take when it comes to legislation. Legislation should be passed to protect an individual from outside harm, not themselves. The DMCA, especially the anti-circumvention aspect of the DMCA, is one such legislation that has over stepped its bounds. United States Citizens do not need protection from themselves, but protection from the media companies that wish to keep these laws on the books. Being an Information Studies graduate of Florida State University I have had much exposure to copyright issues and have always believed in the right of Fair Use. The DRM, Digital Rights Management, systems in effect today take away our rights to Fair Use and the anti-circumvention tools are the only ones that allow us to fight back.
Being an earlier adopter of CD technology for music and data backup, I have witnessed countless examples of “BitRot” on these discs and I can only assume that this degeneration will present itself on all future media also. As such to protect my investments in such media, I must have the Right and Capability to make legal backups of the media. Under the current DMCA and copyright law we have the Right to make Fair Use copies and backups for our own personal use, but the Anti-Circumvention clause makes it impossible to do such legally.
If the USCO wishes to promote fair use and the ability of individuals to make personal backups of their investments then they must allow circumvention and even push for legislature that makes DRM technology that work against Fair Use in technology illegal. If the USCO can’t protect an individual’s right to copy their own personal property for personal use, then how will they ever protect or guarantee the Library Institutions that right.
