--- Forwarded Message from Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 16:40:11 -0600
>From: Derek Roff <[log in to unmask]>
>To: LLTI-Editor <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: DVD, Region codes and Copyright (was: Quick Question on DVD on Mac Powerbook)
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
Thanks to Gary for his comments. It is proper for Apple not to
encourage the violation of copyright laws. I have no criticsm for
Apple or other computer manufacturers on this topic.
However, let's recognize that an individual playing a commercially
produced, retail purchased DVD from a different region does not
violate any copyright law. The entertainment industry has invented
the region code, in order to secure rights for themselves that they
have not been able to get from governments, and have succeeded in
eliminating the rights of others, which are (supposedly) guaranteed
by law and international treaties.
Over the last 50 years, commercial interests have attacked copyright
on many fronts, and have succeeded in appropriating many rights
previously held by individuals and educational institutions. At the
same time, they have decreased the protection and compensation for
content creators, and increasingly enforced surrendering of creation
rights to the company. Not satisfied with this unwarranted success,
they now routinely prevent, through technology, the exercise of our
rights guaranteed by law. I think a case can be made that these
companies are violating copyright law, when they invent and enforce
arbitrary standards like the region code.
At a miminum, I think all educators should be concerned about the
destruction of copyright protections for education. I think we are
heading for increasingly polarized times, in which education will be
hog-tied. Many individuals want to end all copyrights, and they use
the internet to break and distribute copyrighted works as quickly and
as widely as possible. Many corporations work to extend copyright
laws into new areas and for increasing time periods, eliminating
rights and protections for both authors/creators and consumers.
A balance between public access and intellectual property protection
was arrived at during 400 years of adjustment, following the European
adoption of large-scale printing. Early in the 20th Century,
international treaties established consistent copyright laws across
much of the world. I think those agreements were pretty good.
Commercial interests have now gutted that balance. I regret that we
are unlikely to see anything as even-handed and effective in our
lifetimes.
Derek
> 2) There are some hacks floating around the internet that allow you
> to get around the region codes. No, I do not have them to send,
> Apple does not officially support them, but I am told that they are
> out there and they may work. We do not encourage you to violate
> any copyright laws.
>
> 3) Some users have reported that removing the DVD Region Manager
> extension from their system folder has stopped this from happening.
> No, this is not officially supported by Apple, and no it does not
> work on all machines. We do not encourage you to violate any
> copyright laws.
Derek Roff
Language Learning Center, Ortega Hall Rm 129, University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131 505/277-7368 fax 505/277-3885
Internet: [log in to unmask]
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