www/philosophy right-to-read.html

[Richard M. Stallman]

CVSROOT:        /webcvs/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Richard M. Stallman <rms>       07/06/08 09:36:05

Modified files:
        philosophy     : right-to-read.html 

Log message:
        Update author's note to talk about Vista, and other developments since
        2002.

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/right-to-read.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.25&r2=1.26

Patches:
Index: right-to-read.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/philosophy/right-to-read.html,v
retrieving revision 1.25
retrieving revision 1.26
diff -u -b -r1.25 -r1.26
--- right-to-read.html  29 Nov 2006 17:11:42 -0000      1.25
+++ right-to-read.html  8 Jun 2007 09:35:42 -0000       1.26
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@
 <h4><a href="/philosophy/right-to-read.html#TOCAuthorsNote"
        id="AuthorsNote">Author's Note</a></h4>
 
-<p>This note was updated in 2002.</p>
+<p>This note was updated in 2007.</p>
 
 <p>
 The right to read is a battle being fought today.  Although it may
@@ -192,14 +192,37 @@
 proposed; many have been enacted into law in the US and elsewhere.  In
 the US, the 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act established the legal
 basis to restrict the reading and lending of computerized books (and
-other data too).  The European Union imposed similar restrictions in a
-2001 copyright directive.</p>
+other works as well).  The European Union imposed similar restrictions
+in a 2001 copyright directive.</p>
 
 <p>
-Until recently, there was one exception: the idea that the FBI and
-Microsoft will keep the root passwords for personal computers, and not
-let you have them, was not proposed until 2002.  It is called "trusted
-computing" or "palladium".</p>
+One of the ideas in the story was not proposed in reality until 2002.
+This is the idea that the FBI and Microsoft will keep the root
+passwords for your personal computers, and not let you have them.</p>
+
+<p>
+The proponents of this scheme have given it names such as "trusted
+computing" and "palladium".  We call
+it <a href="/philosophy/can-you-trust.html"> "treacherous
+computing"</a>, because the effect is to make your computer obey
+companies instead of you.  This was implemented in 2007 as part
+of <a href="http://badvista.org/";>Windows Vista</a>; we expect Apple
+to do something similar.  In this scheme, it is the manufacturer that
+keeps the secret code, but the FBI would have little trouble getting
+it.
+</p>
+
+<p>
+What Microsoft keeps is not exactly a password in the traditional
+sense; no person ever types it on a terminal.  Rather, it is a
+signature and encryption key that corresponds to a second key stored
+in your computer in a place that you can't read.  This enables
+Microsoft and your computer to exchange secret messages&mdash;secret
+from you, that is.  Vista does not allow you to install any code in
+the system that was not approved by Microsoft.  The purpose of this,
+and many other restrictions, is to make DRM that can't be overcome by
+programming your computer.
+</p>
 
 <p>
 In 2001, Disney-funded Senator Hollings proposed a bill called the
@@ -208,18 +231,33 @@
 the Clipper chip and similar US government key-escrow proposals, this
 shows a long-term trend: computer systems are increasingly set up to
 give absentees with clout control over the people actually using the
-computer system.  The SSSCA has since been renamed to the CBDTPA
-(think of it as the "Consume But Don't Try Programming Act").</p>
+computer system.  The SSSCA was later renamed to the unpronouncable
+CBDTPA, which was glossed as the "Consume But Don't Try Programming
+Act".
+</p>
+
+<p>
+The Republicans took control of the US senate shortly thereafter.
+They are less tied to Hollywood than the Democrats, so they did not
+press these proposals.  Now that the Democrats are back in control,
+the danger is once again higher.</p>
 
 <p>
 In 2001 the US began attempting to use the proposed Free Trade Area of
 the Americas treaty to impose the same rules on all the countries in
 the Western Hemisphere.  The FTAA is one of the so-called "free trade"
-treaties, actually designed to give business increased power over
-democratic governments; imposing laws like the DMCA is typical of this
-spirit.  The <a href="http://www.eff.org";>Electronic Frontier
-Foundation</a> asks people to explain to the other governments why
-they should oppose this plan.</p>
+treaties, which are actually designed to give business increased power
+over democratic governments; imposing laws like the DMCA is typical of
+this spirit.  The FTAA was effectively killed by Lula, President of
+Brazil, who rejected the DMCA requirement and others.</p>
+
+<p>
+Since then, the US has imposed similar requirements on countries such
+as Australia and Mexico through bilateral "free trade" agreements, and
+on countries such as Costa Rica through CAFTA.  Ecuador's President
+Correa refused to sign the "free trade" agreement, but Ecuador had
+adopted something like the DMCA in 2003.  Ecuador's new constitution
+may provide an opportunity to get rid of it.</p>
 
 <p>
 The SPA, which actually stands for Software Publisher's Association,
@@ -227,17 +265,17 @@
 Software Alliance.  It is not, today, an official police force;
 unofficially, it acts like one.  Using methods reminiscent of the
 erstwhile Soviet Union, it invites people to inform on their coworkers
-and friends.  A BSA terror campaign in Argentina in 2001 made veiled
-threats that people sharing software would be raped in prison.</p>
+and friends.  A BSA terror campaign in Argentina in 2001 made
+slightly-veiled threats that people sharing software would be raped.</p>
 
 <p>
-When this story was written, the SPA was threatening small
-Internet service providers, demanding they permit the SPA to monitor
-all users.  Most ISPs surrender when threatened, because they cannot
-afford to fight back in court.  (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1 Oct
-96, D3.)  At least one ISP, Community ConneXion in Oakland CA, refused
-the demand and was actually sued.  The SPA later dropped the suit,
-but obtained the DMCA which gave them the power they sought.</p>
+When this story was written, the SPA was threatening small Internet
+service providers, demanding they permit the SPA to monitor all users.
+Most ISPs surrendered when threatened, because they cannot afford to
+fight back in court.  (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1 Oct 96, D3.)
+At least one ISP, Community ConneXion in Oakland CA, refused the
+demand and was actually sued.  The SPA later dropped the suit, but
+obtained the DMCA which gave them the power they sought.</p>
 
 <p>
 The university security policies described above are not imaginary.
@@ -355,7 +393,7 @@
 <p>
 Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2006/11/29 17:11:42 $ $Author: solarius $
+$Date: 2007/06/08 09:35:42 $ $Author: rms $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>
 </div>