--- 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]