FC: Anti-SSSCA petition asks Congress not to pass draft bill

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Sat Sep 08 2001 - 19:33:33 PDT

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    John Young has put his amazing OCR software to work. He emailed me this 
    link to the HTML text of the entire bill:
    http://cryptome.org/sssca.htm
    
    It's even on the Mojo Nation anonymous publishing network:
    http://localhost:4004/id/gWvulP_HqA23QJgxGQdoMZgm_l8/
    
    An anti-SSSCA petition is here:
    http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SSSCA/petition.html
    
    Politech archive on SSSCA:
    http://www.politechbot.com/cgi-bin/politech.cgi?name=sssca
    
    **********
    
    >Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2001 15:59:58 -0700 (PDT)
    >From: Lauren Weinstein <laurenat_private>
    >To: daveat_private
    >Subject: DMCA, SSSCA, and the Copy Machine Control Act
    >
    >
    >Dave,
    >
    >I'm not being factitious with the Subject line above.  A couple of
    >years ago in the PRIVACY Forum, in the issue located within the archive at:
    >
    >    http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.08.18
    >
    >I reported on "invisible" IDs that are imprinted on a wide variety of
    >xerographic copier output, unknown to most users.  The ID is encoded using
    >digital watermarking techniques (more broadly an application of
    >"steganography").  Many modern digital copiers also contain systems to
    >detect attempts at copying currency and taking appropriate preventative
    >action.
    >
    >When I originally reported all of this (even though I had it all straight
    >from the mouth of a Xerox spokesman) many people simply refused to
    >believe it -- it seemed so far beyond the pale.
    >
    >Let's look a few years ahead and extrapolate from the current trend of
    >criminalizing any activity that attempts to "subvert" any "rights control"
    >systems, however defined.  If the "copyright lobby" continues to hit home
    >runs in the political system, there's no good reason why they won't move
    >onward to copiers and scanners in due course.  The technologies I described
    >above could easily be used to define a system that would refuse to copy any
    >document, book page, photo, or whatever that included hidden watermarking
    >information.  Hell, you could go all the way and even report the attempt to
    >a central authority in the case of Internet-connected equipment.  About a
    >thousand dollars for "research" and a few million for lobbying and you're
    >all set!
    >
    >Of course, this really is largely our own fault.  We technologists have had a
    >dandy time building our equipment, software, and systems, then handing them
    >over to the powers-that-be -- the folks who in the copyright arena are on
    >their way towards owning everything in the store, the store itself, and the
    >ground the store is sitting on.  We moan and complain to each other in
    >mailing lists, while the organized big boys chuckle all the way to the bank.
    >
    >Unless enough of us change our ways of approaching these issues and come down
    >from the ivory towers, we'll continue to be squashed like bugs.
    >
    >--Lauren--
    >Lauren Weinstein
    >laurenat_private or laurenat_private or laurenat_private
    >Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
    >Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
    >Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
    >Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
    
    **********
    
    Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2001 18:14:10 -0400
    Subject: anti-SSSCA petition online
    From: Don Pavlish <sssca@private>
    To: <declanat_private>
    
    Hi Declan,
    
    Thanks for getting word on the SSSCA out... I've put up a petition online
    opposing it.  If you see fit to share this URL with your audience, I'd
    appreciate it:
    
    http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SSSCA/petition.html
    
      all the best,
      - Don
    
    -- 
    Don Pavlish
    http://www.donpavlish.com
    aol IM: donpavlish
    
    **********
    
    Date: Sat, 08 Sep 2001 12:37:58 -0700
    To: declanat_private
    From: Michael Teetering <teeteringat_private>
    Subject: Sen. Hollings plans to introduce DMCA sequel: The SSSCA
    
    Declan,
        I remember.
        I remember the 60's and the movement we were all a part of.
        I remember well the meetings and the plans of the outraged members of 
    the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers and the Yippies and all the 
    other groups I knew intimately as a member.
        I remember most how often the same few of us were left alone when it 
    came time to implement the actions we all so assiduously planned. It was 
    always the same ones, and almost never enough to make a difference.
        There is a tool that will stop the DMCA/SSSCA and the TCPA and the 
    rest. It is one that can be utilized immediately and consistently. Stop 
    spending....period.
        Don't buy music, don't upgrade software, don't continue to feed the 
    frenzy for faster and better. Use the computer sitting before you now, for 
    as long as possible.
        If that forces them to be more restrictive, limiting support and 
    access; then and only then should we study the other steps needed to take 
    back what they are attempting to remove.
        Restrictions placed on CD's and computers we don't own (using the Royal 
    we) and WON'T buy are restrictions placed on nothing. We empower these 
    people with our programmed buying responses. Hit them in the bank accounts 
    and see how quickly they turn and reconsider. (Reference Adobe's stance 
    reversal.)
        It is time to restructure the paradigm... only then can we hope to 
    direct it and perhaps gain back what we never should have lost.
                             - - - Michael Teetering
                                    Teeteringat_private
    
    **********
    
    
    
    
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