[plug] tonights meeting

[Bret Busby]

Matt Kemner wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 14 Nov 2000, Oliver White wrote:
> 
> > ITYM? That's a new one.
> 
> Only if you haven't been paying attention
> 
> http://www.cantech.net.au/cgi-bin/PLUGsearch.pl?search1=itym&max=&year=all
> 
> Number matching files: 5
> 
> (Most of which in the previous thread discusssing this same topic - UCITA,
>  and even with an explanation of this, and other, acronyms)
> 
>  - Matt

"UCITA" - I don't know.

DMCA was the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, according to an email to
which I previously responded, referring to the conference of the USA
attorneys-general. I searched the archives,for the attorneys-general, to
see whether I had cited a link, which I found that I had not. However, I
found the reference to the DMCA, but, from memory, in the search
results, did not see a refereence to UCITA.

I am not sure whether anything had resulted from the conference (any
bills presented, or, legislation passed), so I do not know whether the
USA software companies can yet remotely disable software, and, how this
would impact on software that is used in Australia, under such licensing
as the GPL, etc.

Also, similarly, I do not know, what the copyright implications are,
when using code or images, that have been freely available, if they can
similarly be repossessed.

Also, I believe that I have previously referred, on the mailing list, to
the DMCA, and, the supposed authorising, under Australian legislation,
of reverse engineering; if the Australian legislation has been
implemented, authorising reverse engineering, and, this conflicts with
overseas copyright laws, in the country of origin of the software that
is being reverse engineered, and, the ported product is made  freely
available on the Internet, for example, what are the legal implications.

These are some of the points that I was (and, am,) wondering, will be
addressed, or, able to be raised, at the meeting tonight.

-- 

Bret Busby

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