[Linux-aus] Re: Never mind the MyDoom crap, make some noise about this!

[Cameron Simpson]

On 00:19 10 Feb 2004, Paul Shirren <shirro at shirro.com> wrote:
| Darl hasn't done that in the US.

I believe that's because his strategy is different. The DMCA (US) lets
the alleged infringer respond, and the turnaround is fairly fast. I
forget whether the ISP has to act on a "no, we're not infringing" -
it may, because that exchange would seem to alleviate the ISP's liability.

That's too fast for Darl, who's apparently doing a stock pump and dump;
SCO's methods seem to involve a lot of innuendo, PR and stalling, and
little credible evidence.

| Is it wise for us to be seen to oppose any legislation that seeks to 
| protect copyright from infringement given that our right to distribute 
| open source software relies on that protection.

Someone else asserted this point, and it seems a common thread.

Yes, IP law is what allows you to issue the GPL.  But conversely, without
IP law you'd broadly not _need_ the GPL. I do take the point that the GPL
is meant to enforce redistribution in full with reuse+mod rights versus
in part, but a lot of IP enforcement seems aimed at blocking reuse,
not hiding stuff, so without IP at all thoings would be pretty good.

| We could just as easily 
| ring a router manufacturers ISP and complain that they are distributing 
| Linux kernal binaries in their router firmware flash updates without 
| releasing source in violation of the GPL.

And you probably should be, shouldn't you?

Cheers,
--
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

Well, it's one louder, isn't it?  It's not ten.  You see, most blokes are
gonna be playing at ten, you're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up,
all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar, where can you go from there?
Where?  Nowhere, exactly.  What we do is, if we need that extra push over the
cliff, you know what we do?  Eleven.  Exactly.  One louder.
        - Nigel Tufnel, _This Is Spinal Tap_