Re: [Boston.pm] Obfuscated Perl Script to Decrypt CSS

[Greg London]

Elaine -HFB- Ashton wrote:
> Artists and authors have a right to expect to get paid for their creations
> and I'm no champion or user of napster but the medium that makes it easy
> and convenient to access books and music and other forms of art is of
> interest. It's a pity that both sides can't find their quid pro quo
> instead of antagonising each other.

The problem I see is that we're dealing with what falls into
the category of a "santa claus machine" (SCM).  You push a button,
and the object of your desire pops out of nowhere.
Star Trek calls them "replicators", but the idea is the same.

the problem is how patent/copyright/tradesecret law applies to a SCM. 
what happens when Santa Corporation starts selling SCM's?
A kid gets one for christmas and starts cranking out
Sony Playstations.  Sony doesn't get any money for said playstation,
and so Sony sues Santa Corp for patent infringement.

Napster is a musical version of a SCM. You do a search,
push a button, drop in a blank disc, and blammo, you've
got the object of your desire. Sony and friends are going
through the roof.

Greg