Hi,
Might Senator Alston's spokesperson like to emerge from the shadows and
own up to their comments in the following news report:
http://www.msnbc.com/news/448215.asp?0nm=T19M
"However, a spokesperson for minister responsible for IT, Senator
Richard Alston, told ZDNet Australia that the new legislation would
definitely mean that the [2600 Australia] Web site would be in breach of
Australian copyright laws now. It has specific provisions in the
legislation for anybody who promotes breach of copyright in.
manufacturing and/or commercial dealings in decoding devices, the
spokesperson said."
This person obviously didn't do their research very well...
2600 Australia links to the software on another site under the title "DVD
for all operating systems", linking to the code itself, the OpenDVD
project and the LiViD project (LiViD = Linux Video). 2600 Australia has
no connection with 2600 Magazine in the USA except in name and that we
hold open, public meetings each month in capital cities around the
country. 2600 Australia is not an incorporated organisation.
Wiretapped.net, the site hosting the code, is a small non-incorporated
group of people that carry out security and cryptography research
as well as host a 10Gb site of security, cryptography and
privacy-enhancing software. This site is accessible at www.wiretapped.net
I would advise Senator Alston's representative to visit it.
Neither site purports to be a manufacturer of such code nor is either site
a commercial operation (they both cost us money, in fact).
Last time I personally checked, there were no provisions in law preventing
linking to code assisting in the development of products made for the
purpose of interoperability nor hosting it when there is a legitimate
exemption for either security, cryptography or, as is additionally the
case here, purposes of interoperability.
Given it seems the Government through lack of research is on the side of
the US Motion Picture houses and those that seek to limit the reach of
free and open operating systems (Linux, BSD), might I ask that legal
representatives from any law firm experienced in such things and willing
to challenge a law that places itself at odds with the increasingly
popular open-source movement contact me by email at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I'd appreciate your thoughts on this matter and pro-bono assistance if
either of the sites I play a part in is asked to remove the code at some
point.
Grant Bayley
2600 Australia AND Wiretapped
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Grant Bayley [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-Admin @ AusMac Archive, Wiretapped.net, 2600 Australia
www.ausmac.net www.wiretapped.net www.2600.org.au
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