[Free-sklyarov-uk] Bruce Perens

[Jim Peters]

David Harris wrote:
> > Bruce Perens is going to violate the DMCA on stage by playing a DVD on a
> > modded player and explain how it's done!
> 
> Brave man but civil disobedience is very dangerous game to
> play. Hope he gets away with it. Cant imagine the conference
> organisers will allow it though since they will be liable.

I'm not so sure.  I was very careful not to put anything on our site
that might tell people how to circumvent CD "copy-protection"
(e.g. black marker-pen tricks, or whatever).  Then it gets into the
media, and virtually every internet news site goes ahead and breaks
the law (the DMCA).

This whole law thing is a big joke really.  It only works if enough
people agree with it.

Getting freaked out about breaking the law is pretty meaningless when
loads of people are breaking it daily as a matter of course and
thinking nothing of it.  (This assuming that you believe you have a
valid moral position in taking those actions, and that the law is
inappropriate, ill-conceived or corrupt).

Doing it publically (as Bruce Perens appears to be doing) can act as a
perception-shifting exercise -- creating a new reality, believing it
to be valid, and making it solid.  Enough people holding that reality
makes the law invalid to some extent, no matter what the people in
money or power would have us believe.

Jim

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