Category: Uncategorized
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Fritz's Hit List #8
Today on Fritz’s Hit List: the TinkleToonz Musical Potty. This handy toilet training aid offers a “magical, musical land of potty training,” by playing a tune whenever liquid is deposited in it. Since it plays digital audio, it qualifies for regulation as a “digital media device” under the Hollings CBDTPA. If the CBDTPA passes, any…
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Technology: Unknown or Unknowable?
I’ve been reading what various Washington people are saying about the Berman-Coble peer-to-peer hacking bill. Many people agree that if the bill is passed, a sort of arms race will develop between the p2p-disrupters and the p2p-developers. The disrupters will deploy a new technology to foil p2p networks; the developers will cook up a countermeasure;…
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Fritz's Hit List #7
Today on Fritz’s Hit List: the Shop With Me Barbie toy cash register. This product, which plays digital audio, qualifies for regulation as a “digital media device” under the Hollings CBDTPA. If the CBDTPA passes, any newly manufactured Barbie cash registers will have to incorporate government-approved copy restriction technology. Fight piracy – regulate toy cash…
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Fritz's Hit List #6
Today on Fritz’s Hit List: digital answering machines (like this one). These products, which record and replay digital audio, qualify for regulation as “digital media devices” under the Hollings CBDTPA. If the CBDTPA passes, any newly manufactured digital answering machine will have to incorporate government-approved copy restriction technology. Fight piracy – regulate answering machines!
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What Hollywood Wants to Do To P2P Users
The written version of Randy Saaf’s testimony at yesterday’s Berman-Coble hearings is now available. It is longer than his oral statement and answers a key technical question. Saaf runs a company called Media Defender (MD) that tries to disrupt p2p networks on the behalf of copyright holders. All of the speakers at the hearings agree…
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Sprigman on Reverse Engineering and Licenses
Interesting legal commentary by Chris Sprigman at FindLaw, on the legal status of reverse engineering in relation to software licenses. [link credit: FurdLog]
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Fritz's Hit List #5
Today on Fritz’s Hit List: the Sony Aibo robot dog. This product, which sends, receives, and digitally processes audio, qualifies for regulation as a “digital media device” under the Hollings CBDTPA. If the CBDTPA passes, any newly manufactured Aibos will have to incorporate government-approved copy restriction technology. Fight piracy – regulate robot pets!
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NYT: Software Diverts Referral Commissions
Today’s NYT discusses software that horns in on referral commissions (like those from Amazon’s affiliates program) meant for others. Based on the article’s description, it looks like the software lurks quietly, waiting until the user’s browser is going to place an order that could generate a commission. Then the software inserts its distributor’s ID into…
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Godwin Article on the "Right to Tinker"
Mike Godwin has a new article at law.com on “the right to tinker.” He mentions my upcoming book on the topic. (Thanks, Mike.)
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Notes on Today's Berman-Coble Hearings
A House subcommittee held hearings this morning about the Berman-Coble peer-to-peer (p2p) hacking bill. I heard the first two hours, but then I had to go give a lecture. The bill would give copyright owners new powers to employ self-help “hacking” measures aimed to prevent infringing file-trading on p2p networks. Everybody agreed that the self-help…