Forwarded From: "Jay D. Dyson" <jdysont_private> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hi folks, I recall we briefly discussed this issue earlier, but the following message off gnu-misc-discuss (which only now have I been able to get around to forwarding) is even more alarming than I originally presumed. Recommended reading for _anyone_ who works in computers. I find the trend particularly alarming since it would afford some "security" programs the opportunity to make outrageous claims...and there would be little recourse for people to publicly expose them via highly-detailed technical papers. Of course, many portions basically criminalize reverse engineering. That too is a wee bit alarming. My apologies if anyone thinks I'm beating a dead horse. - -----Begin Forwarded Message----- Date: Sat, 25 Apr 1998 01:24:33 -0600 From: Richard Stallman <gnut_private> Subject: New danger of shrink-wrap licenses Reply-To: gnu-misc-discusst_private [The GNU project is re-posting this message because we oppose the planned anti-user changes in the Uniform Commercial Code. Please forward this to other newsgroups and mailing lists, where appropriate.] Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 10:44:30 -0400 From: "Matt Samsonoff" <mattt_private> To: gnut_private Subject: Freedom for software consumers. Hello, Your organization supports the freedom of programmers to write programs, but what about freedom for software consumers? The Uniform Commercial Code Article 2B, which has been in the drafting stage for several years, gives software companies the ability to screw over their customers. The current UCC prevents companies from taking consumer rights away in the fine print of contracts but article 2B will allow them to write anything they want into the contract.. and they will be able to enforce it. Software companies will take away as many consumer rights as they can. Here's a brief list of items that publishers will be able to put in their licenses (this list is taken from Cem Kaner's web site, http://www.badsoftware.com/ali.html): - - Prohibition against publishing detailed criticisms of the software. - - Prohibition against reverse engineering. - - Prohibition against decompiling the software. - - Prohibition (via the ban of reverse engineering) against developing products that are interoperable with this one. - - Restrictions on the nature or purposes of use of the product. - - Restrictions against competition. - - Publisher has choice of law (entirely unrestricted to whatever state or country the publisher chooses) - - Publisher has choice of forum (the publisher can choose that you have to sue them in Nigeria). Cem Kaner has a web site with several papers that he has written on the subject: http://www.badsoftware.com/. ZDNet has written a few articles on this subject: http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_1992.html http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/inwk/0435/161310.html Article 2B is a threat to anyone who uses a computer. I just wanted to make sure your organization is aware of it. Thanks, Matt - ----- End Forwarded Message ----- ( .--- "There's always time for a good cup of coffee" ---. ______ )) | Jay D. Dyson, ICIS - jdysont_private | >===<--. C|~~| | CF BA 5A 67 89 83 67 A7 CA E0 D9 C0 1A 19 8E 58 | | = |-' `--' `---------------- Nemo impune lacessit ----------------' `-----' -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBNUiisue1NzV7EsRFAQHC2wQAhRaJOYZrOZ/C3nlbZ+D85DXmPUA9oNW/ EQVXb5Y85OUcLeRFXrSseLdQtVPhhj19/Xm4CffpScXtJcwAcgeZ0qGZtzJ4lH3p WvtDaN4++z2x1r0Id0j7xllMgJJ06v3Zx1unu6OLzjE80BVk3ENNGCrtPF0MomYv A1Gg1CsWYxU= =8AMr -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -o- Subscribe: mail majordomot_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: Dimensional Communications (www.dim.com)
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