[Gllug] Anti-DRM event in Central London tomorrow!

[Mike Brodbelt]

Martin A. Brooks wrote:

> There's
> nothing wrong, in principle, with copyright holders dictating how their 
> product is distributed and managed.

I think before you can say this you have to remember that copyright is
intended to be a *temporary* monopoly, granted to promote the creation
of content. When looked at like this, two things are clear to me:-

1/ Copyright holders have a clear right to dictate terms on which their
product is used, *where those terms do not prevent fair use*.

2/ Copyright protection is intended to expire, and on its expiration the
protected content becomes free for use.

DRM utterly fails on both points, and thus I think is wrong at a
fundamental level, Copyright holders have rights yes, but they also have
responsibilities. Blunt instrument style encryption such as used in DRM
schemes cannot play a part in this balance. DRM should be banned, unless
the copyright holder can demonstrate that the scheme they choose does
not impede fair use (which should include format shifting), and that
they have placed DRM free content in escrow such that it will be
released on the expiry of the copyright. The lack of sensible fair use
provisions in UK law is also a problem here, and if they talk about
harmonising copyright, they could start there....

Mike
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