[olug] Fw: FC: Linus Torvalds on digital rights management in Linux kernel

William E. Kempf wekempf at cox.net
Fri May 2 16:13:11 UTC 2003


Brian Wiese said:
> On Thu, 1 May 2003 11:06:46 -0500 (CDT)
> "William E. Kempf" <wekempf at cox.net> wrote:
> I don't think it's flawed logic at all, it's a projection of what may
> happen ... not a certainty, but a strong likelihood considering the laws
> the way laws are being made.  I don't think the "Action A" is the
> creation of DRM technology... but the "way they wan't to apply it"
> (which is bad).

Then this part we're in agreement with.

> I don't have much of a problem with DRM, technology, information in
> general at all... it can all be used for good or evil purposes... but
> thats the catch, the way this DRM is being used, the laws that may make
> it mandatory[1] for every "computer" and the way the trust is laid out
> (computer actions must be trusted by M$[2], or the user?[3]), I just
> currently don't agree that it should be done 'this way'.

And we're in agreement here.  So attack how it's being used, and more
importantly, attack the laws and legislatures.  I believe Mr. Torvalds
said as much in his post as well.

> Just because something can be done, we need to question whether we
> should.

This is where our agreement starts to break down.  What's the "something"
that can be done?  Why do you question whether it should be?  How does
this relate in any way to the technology, or how it applies to Open Source
or GPL.

If the "something" is the laws... we're in violent agreement that we
shouldn't be passing/enforcing such non-democratic and arguably
unconstitutional laws.  If it's the use of the technology that some are
trying to put it to use for, at the least we should be discouraging this
as consumers, and at the most we should be trying to pass laws to enforce
this.  If it's the development of, or use of the technology in general...
then you and I are in violent disagreement.

I don't have a fatalistic view of things here.  I'm more than concerned
about the laws being passed... as they are removing my rights, and will be
difficult to overturn once passed.  For the rest of it, I expect "right"
will prevail.

-- 
William E. Kempf




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