Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

["Erik Sliman" <Erik.Sliman AT OpenStandards.net>]

The problem with this theory (homemade computer that can "circumvent") is
that they can felonize citizens for such activity.  It used to be in the
1970s that a felon was thought of as murderer, rapist, bank robber, or high
level violent criminal.   Does anyone remember those days?

Starting in the 1980s, they started to felonize everyday Americans for
anything that was popular, including grandmothers that wouldn't go over the
speed limit, but might get too close to a woman at an abortion clinic; or
Joe garage who used to always fill his car up with freon that he bought at
the corner store.  Now, we are moving to digital crimes, increasingly, more
and more and more, until we can't count all the ways one can become a felon
without every hurting another human being.  We have blindly come to accept
such felonization as normal, and good for the greater gain of economic
prosperity, environmentalism, and the "rights" of those that oppose the
groups being felonized.  Those of us espousing such values have heralded
these new laws, not realizing we were supporting a trend that could turn any
one of us into its victims.  What does it matter if you support 10 such laws
if it is the 11th one that turns you into a felon?

We forget that felons lose the right to vote, as well as other
constitutional protections, for the REST OF THEIR LIVES!  Thus, you can
isolate a populace from the democratic process by felonizing them.

Based on this, if current proposals become law, you can become a felon just
for building your own computer without new "protections" against copyright.
Besides facing potentially steep fines and jail time, you can lose the right
to vote along with other constitutional protections.  You will be, until the
day you die, exists as a second class citizen stripped of the ability to
influence your fate.

Certainly, since "fair use exceptions" were created to recognize basic human
nature, it should be permitted under federal law; otherwise, we felonize
humans for being human, doing what comes natural for us, without hurting
anyone, except maybe putting a minor dent in the profits of corporations.

Do you think that large groups of Americans should be classified as felons
to increase the GDP, or the campaign funds our congressmen so desperately
need?  Is this prosperity?  How many free lives is a few extra dollars
worth?  When do we stop?

One last note, all federal law is a FELONY!  Constitutionally, the federal
government is forbidden by the supreme court from passing misdemeanors
because the supreme court ruled that they should not be meddling in small
affairs better handled by local governments.  This is why the federal
government recently created the 5th degree felony.  It was becoming too
politically difficult to apply the 4th degree felony to "crimes" that were
clearly misdemeanors.  The 5th degree felony was a "workaround" solution.

However, the 5th degree felony is still a felony, so it still strips
Americans of basic constitutional freedoms.  In this scenario, a person
convicted of building a computer to circumvent will still be a FELON for the
rest of his natural life!

Research this.  Do some due diligence.  Then stop congress from felonizing
innocent Americans with a human nature just so foreign companies can make a
few more bucks through a treaty of the WTO!

Do not count on the supreme court to protect us, because they tend to trust
congress, and pretend like congress is usually acting on behalf of the
people.  The supreme court has not come to grips with the reality of
congress becoming an extension of international entities like the WTO, and
representative of foreign corporations with the funds to finance their
campaigns.

Just how much does it cost to purchase the US congress?

VOTE AND BOYCOTT!



-----Original Message-----
From: dmca_discuss-admin AT lists.microshaft.org
[mailto:dmca_discuss-admin AT lists.microshaft.org]On Behalf Of tom poe
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 6:02 PM
To: DMCA_discuss AT lists.microshaft.org
Cc: CommStudios; Ram
Subject: Re: [DMCA_Discuss] BBC E-mail: Amnesty for Russia's net pirates


On Saturday 25 May 2002 14:19, Richard Stallman wrote:
- - -snip - - -
> Meanwhile, I have heard that Russia is passing a law like the DMCA.
> Is that true?  That would probably wipe out the Elcomsoft software
> product that Sklyarov was arrested for, as a commercial product.
> Before that happens, Elcomsoft might think about releasing that as
> free software under the GPL.  Then the source code can be kept
> available in such countries that do not allow the publishers to
> restrict technology, and other people can maintain it and port it to
> other systems.

Hi:  Richard points out something that should formally be presented to each
"target" of the DMCA.  If they're going to take them down, release the
software by GPL'ing it.  It will shorten the curve for the next generation.
Even when/if they take the Internet away, and censor who might have access,
there will be other such communications networks established to replace.
And, as one Slashdotter commented, building a computer from scratch needs
only access to "Radio Shack" level resources.  I thought that was an
interesting point.
Thanks,
Tom
http://www.studioforrecording.org/
http://www.ibiblio.org/studioforrecording/
http://renotahoe.pm.org/



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