bucy wrote:
] ] On Tuesday, The LOC announced four classes of work that
] ] will be exempt from the DMCA's specific prohibition
] ] against circumvention of technological measures that
] ] control access to copyrighted works. The exemptions did
] ] not include making back-up copies of DVDs.
] ]
] ] Under the LOC's triennial review of DMCA non-infringing
] ] uses, exemptions were granted for (1.) decoding lists of
] ] Web pages or directories blocked by Internet filtering
] ] software, also known as censorware; (2.) circumventing
] ] obsolete digital rights management devices called
] ] "dongles" that prevent access due to malfunction or
] ] damage; (3.) accessing computer programs and video games
] ] distributed in obsolete formats; and (4.) accessing
] ] ebooks for which the publisher has disabled the
] ] read-aloud function or the ability to use screen readers
] ] to render the text into a specialized format, such as
] ] Braille for access by the blind.
]
] Interesting what got exempted ... and that academic research
] *didn't* get exempted...

isn't that's because, at least technically, legal research activities are already exempted by the text of the law. my inexpert reading of the section seems to indicate that the review is to add exemptions, rather than to review those that already exist. i could be 100% wrong, of course.

i think number 3 is particularly interesting. makes me think that getting at my old original Ninja Gaiden game, only available on NES cart, just got exempted officially. This, of course, doesn't mean i can distribute the image all over the place, but it appears to mean that ppl who sell cart readers can't get hit with a dmca action for circumvention.

RE: DVD Back-up Software Developer Vows Fair Use Fight