Bug#156287: Advice on Drip (ITP #156287)

[Robert Millan <zeratul2@wanadoo.es>]

This seems like a big can of worms. I think i'll just fix the
bogus direct dependency on libdvdcss for Drip and bring Drip
into Debian for now..

thanks all for your help.

On Tue, Jul 29, 2003 at 08:01:21PM -0500, Steve Langasek wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 30, 2003 at 01:49:48AM +0000, Robert Millan wrote:
> > On Tue, Jul 29, 2003 at 06:14:53PM -0500, Steve Langasek wrote:
> > > On Wed, Jul 30, 2003 at 01:02:36AM +0000, Robert Millan wrote:
> > > > Whatever. The fact is that when we put Drip, libdvdread and libdvdcss
> > > > together we obtain what what the DMCA calls a "circumvention device for
> > > > copyright protection technology". This may happen in non-us, but must not
> > > > happen in main.
> 
> > > I don't see any bright line that would be used here to legally
> > > distinguish between (Drip+libdvdread+libdvdcss) and libdvdcss by itself.
> > > It seems to me that if we're allowed to ship libdvdcss, we're also
> > > allowed to ship applications that use it.
> 
> > This is what the DMCA reads:
> 
> > "(2) No person shall manufacturate, import, offer to the public, provide,
> > or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component
> > or part thereof, that--
> 
> > (A) is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a
> > technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected
> > under this title;"
> 
> > The libdvdcss has the primary purpose of allowing DVD players to reproduce
> > CSS-encoded movies, and not that of circumventing CSS. Any DVD player has
> > the primary purpose of reproducing CSS-encoded movies, so the same applies.
> 
> > Drip is a DVD ripper. Without CSS support, it rips DVDs but doesn't break
> > the CSS protection so it is not put in question. When CSS-enabled, its
> > primary purpose is argueably the circumvention of CSS, which is "a
> > technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected
> > under this title".
> 
> This is an arbitrary distinction that has no clear basis in the law.
> You are also circumventing CSS by playing the DVD in question (viewing
> is also a form of "access").  Remember that CSS is a standard developed
> by a consortium of DVD *player manufacturers*, to maintain their
> hardware profits.
> 
> > Anyway I find this discussion much useless, since the DMCA can't be applied
> > to non-us.
> 
> SPI is a US corporation, and its assets could be seized as the result of
> a court settlement against us.  AIUI, this is the main reason why
> CSS-aware software is not already commonplace in non-US.
> 
> -- 
> Steve Langasek
> postmodern programmer



-- 
Robert Millan

"[..] but the delight and pride of Aule is in the deed of making, and in the
thing made, and neither in possession nor in his own mastery; wherefore he
gives and hoards not, and is free from care, passing ever on to some new work."

 -- J.R.R.T, Ainulindale (Silmarillion)