DVD Copyright Case Mulled over by Judge

howhardcanitbetocrea writes "news.com is reporting that the judge in a closely watched lawsuit challenging the legality of DVD-copying software said she was 'substantially persuaded' by past court rulings that favored copyright holders, but closed a hearing Thursday without issuing a ruling in the case." This is a case that could very well determine the future of the DMCA, and the article does a good job of summarizing the arguments from both sides.

Let the hybrid robot with the rat brain decide

[corebreech]

Probaby get a better decision that way.

Can't be!

[nightcrawler77]

"A copyright holder has no right to prevent someone from engaging in fair use," Durie said, noting that the studios' position would prevent students from excerpting film clips for school projects or parents making backups of their work. "That, I would suggest, can't be right. That can't be what the drafters of the DMCA intended."

Yeah. There's no way that's what they intended...what's that? The MPAA wrote what?? Ahhhhh!!!

Re:Let the hybrid robot with the rat brain decide

[Timesprout]

Ah yes but unfortunatly the 'memories' of the rat constitute a mental image, or copy of its programming (copyrighted of course) and so its actually illegal for the rat to think.

In view of this the DMCA plan to force the rats to listen to Michael Jackson singing Ben repeatedly until they die of depression (The researchers will of course be required to pay royalties for each playing).

Re:Looking Ahead...

[Anonymous Coward]

comic book guy voice

Worst analogy ever

Intelligent Attorney

[Duckman5]

"They just can't traffic in anticircumvention devices," Russell Frackman, a partner with Los Angeles-based Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp who's representing the studios, told the judge.

The studios seem to have some real bright cookies representing them. Isn't 321 Studios selling circumvention devices. You know, something used to get around the encryption. This may be a bit nit-picky, but i thought you were supposed to have a firm grasp of the English language before going to law school.

Re:Intelligent Attorney

[petecarlson]

i thought you were supposed to have a firm grasp of the English language before going to law school.
And after going to law school you are supposed to be able to twist the English language any way you want.

Re:hmm

[Guppy06]

Nah. If she had a clue, she'd know that copyrights never expire. It's heresy to even say such a thing, and I'm sure men with black helicopters and black mouse ears will be showing up soon to take her away for "questioning."

Re:Let the hybrid robot with the rat brain decide

[DataPath]

Where do you think they get the rat brains from?

You have been lured to the SIDESHOW!

[Tiger Smile]

Welcome to the sideshow! Here you are argue that the DMCA does, or does not allow fair use as it existed before the DMCA.

Avoid the Sideshow. Vote. Forget this arguement. The people who passed the DMCA need to go. Do something other than letting your butt get bigger reading postings and eating hohos. Write a letter.

If you don't like it like I do, take action. Don't wait for someone to save your rights like the EFF. Help them, by donating money, time, and help yourself by writing and calling.

For God's sake please don't complain unless you are willing to do something. I hope that everyone here who cliams to have some passion about this issue is willing to do something. If that is so we'll have no trouble making our opinions known.

PS: Sorry, about the butt...errr...crack earilier in my post. :)

-- James Dornan

Re:Copyright never expires now

[eyegone]

I think this is taking things beyond the realm of rationality, if not the law. Encryption without some means of decryption just doesn't make too much sense. Otherwise I could just write some random characters down, and say it the encrypted version of Moby Dick.

Sorry. I just patented that business model.