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www/philosophy right-to-read.html
|
From: |
Richard M. Stallman |
|
Subject: |
www/philosophy right-to-read.html |
|
Date: |
Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:43:41 +0000 |
CVSROOT: /webcvs/www
Module name: www
Changes by: Richard M. Stallman <rms> 09/10/27 11:43:41
Modified files:
philosophy : right-to-read.html
Log message:
Style changes.
Discard ref to Ecuador's new constitution.
Improve defn of treacherous computing.
Mention DefectiveByDesign.
Bigger rewrite (but still minor) in SPA section of notes.
CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/right-to-read.html?cvsroot=www&r1=1.39&r2=1.40
Patches:
Index: right-to-read.html
===================================================================
RCS file: /webcvs/www/www/philosophy/right-to-read.html,v
retrieving revision 1.39
retrieving revision 1.40
diff -u -b -r1.39 -r1.40
--- right-to-read.html 20 Oct 2009 11:15:23 -0000 1.39
+++ right-to-read.html 27 Oct 2009 11:43:37 -0000 1.40
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
2).</em></p>
<blockquote><p>
- (from “The Road To Tycho”, a collection of
+ From <cite>The Road To Tycho</cite>, a collection of
articles about the antecedents of the Lunarian
- Revolution, published in Luna City in 2096)
+ Revolution, published in Luna City in 2096.
</p></blockquote>
<p>
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
came from a middle-class family and could hardly afford the tuition,
let alone her reading fees. Reading his books might be the only way
she could graduate. He understood this situation; he himself had had
-to borrow to pay for all the research papers he read. (10% of those
+to borrow to pay for all the research papers he read. (Ten percent of those
fees went to the researchers who wrote the papers; since Dan aimed for
an academic career, he could hope that his own research papers, if
frequently referenced, would bring in enough to repay this loan.)</p>
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@
take 50 years for our present way of life to fade into obscurity, most
of the specific laws and practices described above have already been
proposed; many have been enacted into law in the US and elsewhere. In
-the US, the 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act established the legal
+the US, the 1998 Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) established the legal
basis to restrict the reading and lending of computerized books (and
other works as well). The European Union imposed similar restrictions
in a 2001 copyright directive. In France, under the DADVSI law
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
<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 Americas (FTAA) 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, which are actually designed to give business
increased power over democratic governments; imposing laws like the
@@ -192,11 +192,10 @@
<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>
+agreements, and on countries such as Costa Rica through another
+treaty, CAFTA. Ecuador's President Correa refused to sign a
+“free trade” agreement with the US, but I've heard Ecuador
+had adopted something like the DMCA in 2003.</p>
<p>
One of the ideas in the story was not proposed in reality until 2002.
@@ -206,14 +205,14 @@
<p>
The proponents of this scheme have given it names such as
-“trusted computing” and “palladium”. We call
+“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 <abbr>FBI</abbr> would have little
-trouble getting it.</p>
+computing”</a> because the effect is to make your computer obey
+companies even to the extent of disobeying and defying 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 <abbr>FBI</abbr> would have little trouble getting it.</p>
<p>
What Microsoft keeps is not exactly a password in the traditional
@@ -227,30 +226,33 @@
Vista also gives Microsoft additional powers; for instance, Microsoft
can forcibly install upgrades, and it can order all machines running
Vista to refuse to run a certain device driver. The main purpose of
-Vista's many restrictions is to make DRM that users can't overcome.</p>
+Vista's many restrictions is to impose DRM (Digital Restrictions
+Management) that users can't overcome. The threat of DRM is why we
+have established the <a href="http://DefectiveByDesign.org";>
+DefectiveByDesign.org</a> campaign.</p>
+
+<p>
+When this story was first 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. One ISP, Community ConneXion in
+Oakland, California, 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 SPA, which actually stands for Software Publisher's Association,
-has been replaced in this police-like role by the BSA or Business
-Software Alliance. It is not, today, an official police force;
+has been replaced in its police-like role by the Business
+Software Alliance. The BSA 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
-slightly-veiled threats that people sharing software would be raped.</p>
-
-<p>
-When this story was first 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>
+slightly veiled threats that people sharing software would be raped.</p>
<p>
The university security policies described above are not imaginary.
-For example, a computer at one Chicago-area university prints this
-message when you log in (quotation marks are in the original):</p>
+For example, a computer at one Chicago-area university displayed this
+message upon login:</p>
<blockquote><p>
This system is for the use of authorized users only. Individuals using
@@ -358,7 +360,7 @@
<p>
Updated:
<!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2009/10/20 11:15:23 $
+$Date: 2009/10/27 11:43:37 $
<!-- timestamp end -->
</p>
</div>