--- Forwarded Message from Jonathan Perkins <[log in to unmask]> ---

>User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.1.2418
>Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 10:56:34 -0600
>Subject: Legality of multistandard VCRs/DVD players
>From: Jonathan Perkins <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information    Forum   <[log in to unmask]>

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In response to a specific question about software that allows a computer to
play DVDs from all encoding regions in the world, our general counsel's
office has asserted that such software is illegal because it violates the
Digital Millenium Copyright Act's (DMCA) prohibition against technology that
allows a user to "circumvent a technological measure that effectively
controls access to a protected work."  Although the opinion makes no
specific mention of multistandard equipment, its assertion that any attempt
to bypass region encoding is illegal would also seem to preclude the use of
multistandard (region-free) DVD players and VCRs.

What kind of policies are your colleges/universities espousing with regard
to software and hardware that enables viewing of DVDs and VHS tapes in
foreign standards/regions?  Do we all really need to buy a VCR for each
standard (NTSC, PAL, SECAM, etc.) and a DVD for each region to be safe
within the provisions of the DMCA ... or have we ceded too many rights
already?  Feel free to respond on or off list.

Jonathan


****************************************************
Jonathan Perkins
Associate Director
Ermal Garinger Academic Resource Center
University of Kansas
4069 Wescoe Hall
1445 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence KS 66045-7590

Phone:  (785) 864-4782
Fax: (785) 864-1256

www.ku.edu/~egarc
www.ku.edu/~language