nightflier
11-02-2005, 12:14 PM
Sorry for the questionable language in the article, but I thought it had a chilling enough message.
Paraphrased from:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/02/analog_hole/
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Hollywood is running another batch of ersatz legislation up the flagpole. These aren't bills destined for the floor of the House so much as discussion documents intended to gauge Congressional reaction at a copyright panel hosted by the House Judiciary Committee later this week. Of the three drafts circulated for review, two are predictable - seeking the re-introduction of the broadcast flag for digital TV broadcasts and its introduction into digital satellite radio broadcasts.
But the third is a spectacularly optimistic punt that seeks to restrict the import, sale or distribution of equipment that performs analog to digital conversions. Simple A to D, a crime? Yes, indeed - in some circumstances. Entitled the "Analog Hole Legislation Discussion Draft" the paper proposes the introduction of an "Analog Content Security Preservation Act Of 2005", amending Title 35 of the US Code. It would give the US Patent and Trademarks Office the job of enforcing the CGMS-A rights system used on PAL broadcasts (In the digital successor to analog, these are handled by our old friend CPRM.)
We have to wait until Thursday to guage the reaction of Congressmen, but we can already imagine the reaction of the USPTO, as it's unexpectedly invited into a new role as hardware inspector.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Let's hope those old white-haired ludite congressmen don't buy into this one...
Paraphrased from:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/02/analog_hole/
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Hollywood is running another batch of ersatz legislation up the flagpole. These aren't bills destined for the floor of the House so much as discussion documents intended to gauge Congressional reaction at a copyright panel hosted by the House Judiciary Committee later this week. Of the three drafts circulated for review, two are predictable - seeking the re-introduction of the broadcast flag for digital TV broadcasts and its introduction into digital satellite radio broadcasts.
But the third is a spectacularly optimistic punt that seeks to restrict the import, sale or distribution of equipment that performs analog to digital conversions. Simple A to D, a crime? Yes, indeed - in some circumstances. Entitled the "Analog Hole Legislation Discussion Draft" the paper proposes the introduction of an "Analog Content Security Preservation Act Of 2005", amending Title 35 of the US Code. It would give the US Patent and Trademarks Office the job of enforcing the CGMS-A rights system used on PAL broadcasts (In the digital successor to analog, these are handled by our old friend CPRM.)
We have to wait until Thursday to guage the reaction of Congressmen, but we can already imagine the reaction of the USPTO, as it's unexpectedly invited into a new role as hardware inspector.
__________________________________________________ ______________________
Let's hope those old white-haired ludite congressmen don't buy into this one...