Re: Defeating the chips.

[David Ross <d_ross@bellsouth.net>]

You're talking the past. The MDCA was written by lobbyists to over turn
the past. It's done all the time. Only this time the implications are
huge and largely unknown.

Here's two articles about how copyright is protected.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2547756.html?tag=st.ne.1002.srchres.ni
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-1526547.html?tag=st.ne.1002.srchres.ni

But this is more on point. It's about distributing code (or a device) to
break a copyright. Which Epson may claim in the cartridges. I'm sure
their lawyers will.

http://www.zdnet.com/intweek/stories/news/0,4164,2618696,00.html

Some links on the actual bill.

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

I've done some skimming and to be honest it doesn't mater what you think
you "bought" if it has code in it this bill can impact you. And in my
brief look it it murky at best as to what you can and can't do with
regards to the "chip". If the chip has bits in it that can be called
code and Epson has some something at some level to encrypt the
information flowing between the chip and the printer then they may be
protected. IANAL and would want to read the entire bill with more sleep
under my belt.


Austin Franklin wrote:
> 
> > The MDCA seems to give the maker of any product that
> > includes software a LOT of rights over how that product can be used and
> > what the "owner" is allowed to change. In many cases it states that
> > ATTEMPTS to reverse engineer or disseminate information that might help
> > someone reverse engineer protection schemes are a violation of law. This
> > is expected to hit the fan big time in the courts over the next few
> > years.
> 
> Reverse engineering, in general, is completely legal, as clearly decided in
> the Sega v Accolade case.  It is what you do with the reverse engineered
> material that is the issue.  You can not sell it, publish it etc.  That
> would be illegal.
> 
> You are correct if the reverse engineering pertains to copyright protection
> schemes and you disseminate that information such that it allows people to
> defeat the protection scheme.  That actually has already been law before
> the silly MDCA, any publishing of reverse engineered material is a
> copyright violation anyway.  Modifying the printer so it allows you to user
> re-filled cartridges does not violate any copyright laws, therefore is
> completely legal.
> 
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