[nzlug] Vaguely OT: Got DVD? Maybe not for long

[Matthew Poole]

As some of you are probably aware, there are secret negotiations underway 
to create multi-lateral "anti-counterfeiting" treaty (see 
http://tinyurl.com/6kxup7).

In it is a point about outlawing "circumvention devices". Potentially that 
would mean that all Linux players for DVD and other "protected" media 
would become illegal, since they work by bypassing CSS rather than through 
a licenced implementation.
Potentially it would also require that stand-alone DVD players enforce 
region encoding and other such monstrosities.

Is the NZOSS doing anything about this? Having just made it legal for us 
to bypass CSS and region coding, a treaty like this could well take that 
right away again. The US is not known for respecting fair-use rights in 
other jurisdictions when making treaty demands.

-- 
Matthew Poole
"Don't use force.  Get a bigger hammer."