The Politicians Are Getting Involved - Stop Them

onhwy61: excellent idea. i've been following this sorry saga for several months now. the proposed legislation is not only draconian but it could sound the death knell for high-quality digital software. the alternative to water-marked (or similarly copy-protected with an audible signal) redbook cd's is sacd. that's what sony is banking on. FWIW, sony no longer produces ANY cd only drives. all their drives are now dvd or sacd based. watch your back, friends. -cfb

Yes, thing are getting extreme -for no reason. It would be meaningless to make restricted digital hardware/software to prevent common piracy. What will happen is every geek on earth will acquire and A/D converter and rip the music from the analog outputs of their CD player right into their trusty PC. Most pirates only want access to music and don't give a hoot about fidelity (ever heard MP3?).
I could further state the obvious but it's supper time...

This goes back to the old, old saying. It rings truer today than when it was first uttered.

"No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while Congress is in session."

I wish I knew who said it. But it sounds like something Will Rogers might have come up with.

'61; I've been thinking about this all day. Do you, CFB or others who have a good grasp of the issue-- which as far as I know is proposed "watermarking" of all new digital music so that it can't be copied or manipulated in any way-- have some suggested language that could be used? Thanks. Craig

This is the link to the NYT article. (Note: you may have to register w/ NYT to access the article.) It gives a good overview of the situation.

The main issues to me are copy protection and recording quality. I want to ability to digitally copy any CD that I have purchased to my computer hard disk. My computer (yes, it's a Mac) hard drive is my primary digital playback source. I then use the computer to generate compilation CD-Rs for use in my car. My current practices are perfectly legal under the existing fair use doctrine. The record companies also insist that their anti-copy schemes do not degrade sound quality. This not a credible statement. It may be possible that an average listener on an average $500 system may not be able to hear the distortions introduced by anti-copy programs, but I doubt this applies to a discerning listener with a high-end system.

For more information on this subject visit

http://www.hrrc.org

It's the website for the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC). They are a lobbyist group concerned with recording issues.

Thanks '61. I think I can cobble together some verbiage to lobbby Oregon legislators. I too would hate to lose the right(s) to use "paid for" digital music to make GOOD sounding copies, and especially compilations, for my own use. And I'll check out HRRC. Craig

I say we all pitch in together and buy every one of those politicians a pair of Bose speakers. They will lose all interest in music and legislation surrounding same, or soon become deaf, whereupon they will be unable to conduct their dirty business.

Kinsekd, I believe that's generally credited to Mark Twain.

He's also credited with "Fleas can be taught nearly anything that a Congressman can."

KP

Killerpiglet, Do you know the difference between a Catfish and a Congressman?

One is a bottom dwelling scum sucker..........the other just a harmless fish.

how's this, from e.e. cummings (an entire poem):

a politician is an arse
upon which everything has sat,
except a man

-cfb