www/philosophy correcting-france-mistake.html

[Jason Self]

CVSROOT:        /web/www
Module name:    www
Changes by:     Jason Self <jxself>     12/04/26 14:37:36

Added files:
        philosophy     : correcting-france-mistake.html 

Log message:
        Adding new RMS article; RT # 748660

CVSWeb URLs:
http://web.cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewcvs/www/philosophy/correcting-france-mistake.html?cvsroot=www&rev=1.1

Patches:
Index: correcting-france-mistake.html
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RCS file: correcting-france-mistake.html
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--- /dev/null   1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 -0000
+++ correcting-france-mistake.html      26 Apr 2012 14:36:59 -0000      1.1
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+<!--#include virtual="/server/header.html" -->
+<!-- Parent-Version: $Revision: 1.1 $ -->
+
+<title>Correcting My Mistake about French Law - GNU Project - Free Software 
Foundation</title>
+<!--#include virtual="/server/banner.html" -->
+<!--#set var="article_name" value="/server/standards/boilerplate" -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/gnun/initial-translations-list.html" -->
+<h2>Correcting My Mistake about French Law</h2>
+
+<p>For several years I've said in my speeches that it was a crime in
+France, punishable by imprisonment, to have a copy of the free
+software that can decrypt the video on a DVD. That encryption is an
+example of DRM (Digital Restrictions Management), the malicious
+features <a href="http://DefectiveByDesign.org/";>designed to restrict
+users</a>.</p>
+
+<p>That is what Sarkozy's DADVSI law said when it was adopted, but I
+recently learned that the Conseil d'Etat introduced some
+exceptions. In fact, free software to decrypt and play DVDs is
+legally distributed in France -- unlike the US, where it was censored
+by the infamous 1998 law, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.</p>
+
+<p>However, it's not clear whether this will apply to other DRM schemes.
+There is a danger that the complex conditions will specifically
+prohibit free software for playing Bluray disks and allow only
+proprietary software. Thus, it is not a crime in France to possess
+the free software that can play a DVD, but it is yet to be decided
+whether it is a crime to possess a free program to play a Bluray disk.</p>
+
+<p>It is certainly not <em>wrong</em> to have a copy of such a program.
+The software that's wrong is nonfree software; the only ethical
+program to play a video, or do anything else, is a free program. The
+wrong here is in the law itself. However, as long as it exists, if
+you are a dissident in France you should keep such programs hidden.</p>
+
+<p>When I first got a drive that handles DVDs, the reason I decided not
+to install free DVD-playing software was because of this French law.
+I go to France from time to time, and I was concerned there might be
+some who would wish to have me imprisoned for this so as to terrorize
+other netizens. I refuse to have any non-free software, and the only
+option that left me was to have no software for this job. Thus, I
+could not play encrypted DVDs at all.</p>
+
+<p>Knowing now that I won't be imprisoned for bringing libcss into
+France, I could consider having a copy, which would give me the option
+of playing DVDs that have DRM.</p>
+
+<p>However, I think I won't do it. I have got used to avoiding encrypted
+DVDs, and this has the bonus of giving Hollywood no money with which to
+lobby for nasty laws like SOPA. Why change?</p>
+
+
+</div><!-- for id="content", starts in the include above -->
+<!--#include virtual="/server/footer.html" -->
+<div id="footer">
+
+<p>
+
+Please send general FSF &amp; GNU inquiries to
+<a href="mailto:address@hidden";>&lt;address@hidden&gt;</a>.
+There are also <a href="/contact/">other ways to contact</a>
+the FSF.  Broken links and other corrections or suggestions can be sent
+to <a href="mailto:address@hidden";>&lt;address@hidden&gt;</a>.</p>
+
+<p><!-- TRANSLATORS: Ignore the original text in this paragraph,
+        replace it with the translation of these two:
+
+        We work hard and do our best to provide accurate, good quality
+        translations.  However, we are not exempt from imperfection.
+        Please send your comments and general suggestions in this regard
+        to <a href="mailto:address@hidden";>
+        &lt;address@hidden&gt;</a>.</p>
+
+        <p>For information on coordinating and submitting translations of
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+        href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations
+        README</a>. -->
+
+For information on coordinating and submitting translations of this
+article, see <a
+href="/server/standards/README.translations.html">Translations README</a>.
+</p>
+
+<p>Copyright &copy; 2012 Richard Stallman.</p>
+
+<p>This page is licensed under a <a rel="license"
+href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/us/";>Creative
+Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License</a>.</p>
+
+<p>Updated:
+<!-- timestamp start -->
+$Date: 2012/04/26 14:36:59 $
+<!-- timestamp end -->
+</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+</body>
+</html>