[bizzybody]

Hit the link to read the whole thing (it's not too long).  Now what needs done is to make these limitations on the DMCA *permanent*, and add more to further gut the stupid thing.

http://www.copyright.gov/1201/

Rulemaking on Exemptions from Prohibition on Circumvention of Technological Measures that Control Access to Copyrighted Works

The Librarian of Congress, on the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, has announced the classes of works subject to the exemption from the prohibition against circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. Persons making noninfringing uses of the following six classes of works will not be subject to the prohibition against circumventing access controls (17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1)) during the next three years.

....

These exemptions went into effect upon publication in the Federal Register on November 27, 2006, and will remain in effect through October 27, 2009.

[Bobboau]

"2. Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and that require the original media or hardware as a condition of access, when circumvention is accomplished for the purpose of preservation or archival reproduction of published digital works by a library or archive. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace."

ROMs just became legal!

[Goober5000]

Yays!

[Ghostavo]

Computer programs protected by dongles that prevent access due to malfunction or damage and which are obsolete. A dongle shall be considered obsolete if it is no longer manufactured or if a replacement or repair is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace.

Can someone explain this one to me? What exactly is a dongle?

[redsniper]

not a penis
rather, one of those little USB bluetooth adapters or something similar.

[Turey]

It's a thing that used to be required for some programs. You had to plug it into the computer before the program would work, and you only got 1 per box, so it was pretty effective. They don't do it anymore.

EDIT:

"2. Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and that require the original media or hardware as a condition of access, when circumvention is accomplished for the purpose of preservation or archival reproduction of published digital works by a library or archive. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace."

ROMs just became legal!

Not the ones on Nintendo's Virtual Console! The machine necessary to render the work IS available (the Wii)

[Bobboau]

well that's fine I was always a sega fanboy anyway.

[Turey]

well that's fine I was always a sega fanboy anyway.

Sega Genesis games are on Virtual Console!

[Bobboau]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nuke]

at least it enforces reverse compatability to a degree. nice if the wii could run every nintendo rom out there, even the nes version of elite

as for dongles, i remember 3dsmax used to require one. it was a parallel port dongle had a pass-through connector for your printer. max wouldnt run without it. seems they went for for a software license solution in current releases.

generally i like this, seems the politicians are understanding that obsolete technology is causing of works to be legally lost. with theese exemptions, we can perserve our digital history

[Sandwich]

as for dongles, i remember 3dsmax used to require one. it was a parallel port dongle had a pass-through connector for your printer. max wouldnt run without it.

...yes it did...

[IceFire]

Finally a glimmer of hope after years of utter stupidity and reactionary legislative fearmongering.

[bizzybody]

This is probably why  things like Wii's virtual console, gametap and other commercial emulation projects have happened. It circumvents the rules on

"A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace."

Nevermind that it's a VIRTUAL machine, but it is commercially available, therefore the copyright holder can claim it's not obsolete.

What this has done is pushed copyright holders on these old games into a "Use it or lose it!" position, where before they could just sit on old software, doing nothing with it other than swinging it like a club to beat up on people running sites with it to download.

[redsniper]

in b4 necrothreadaged.

[karajorma]

Wrong

[Flipside]

Ironic how it has been necroed by almost exactly a year, to within 12 hours....

[karajorma]

I didn't notice the necro the first time actually. I scrolled up to the top noticed the date (but not the year) and assumed I'd somehow missed it.