Thursday, October 4, 2001

Sub-Zero

ZeroKnowledge is shutting down its Freedom Network, which offered anonymous Web browsing and encrypted email. Thanks to Declan McCullagh for the link.

We might remember ZeroKnowledge as a company that ran Cluetrain-like advertising back when every startup had lots of money.

Norlin's corollary

Nice short piece by Eric Norlin this afternoon the gravity of killing. For some reason this makes me think of Einstein's relativity theory, rendered as a pun, substituting life for light.

Roar at the mouse and its running dogs

My pal Jeff Gerhardt at The Linux Show has bravely gone balls-to-the-walls against the SSSCA — a new act that would require digital rights management software burned into every consumer electronic device capable of transporting "content." Here's the opening phrase, Sec. 101 (a):

It is unlawful to manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic in any interactive digital device that does not include and utilize certified security technologies that adhere to the security system standards adopted under section 104.

Here's Declan McCullagh's summary of that section:

The private sector has 12 months to agree on a standard, or the Secretary of Commerce will step in. Industry groups that can participate: "representatives of interactive digital device manufacturers and representatives of copyright owners." If industry can agree, the secretary will turn their standard into a regulation; if not, normal government processes apply and NTIA takes the lead. The standard can be later modified. The secretary must certify technologies that adhere to those standards. Also: "The secretary shall certify only those conforming technologies that are available for licensing on reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms." FACA, a federal sunshine law, does not apply, and an antitrust exemption is included.

He adds:

Note: According to 47 U.S.C. 230(f), an "interactive computer service" means "any information service, system, or access software provider that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server, including specifically a service or system that provides access to the Internet and such systems operated or services offered by libraries or educational institutions."

All of which makes the SSSCA the most user- and Net-hostile legislation mounted yet by the entertainment industry. Not surprisingly, it was reportedly authored largely by Disney.

Given the pro-security mood of Congress at the moment, there is a serious risk that the SSSCA will get rubber-stamped just like the DMCA was, along with UCITA and the silly Decency Act a few years back. That piece of tripe passed Congress almost unanimously, was later struck down by the Supreme Court, but in the meantime caused an upswelling of anger and good sense that included the Blue Ribbon Campaign, 24 Hours of Democracy and the best letter ever written on the subject, by retired Judge Steve Russell of Texas.

The SSSCA is worse than the Decency Act, because it's enforceable at the manufacturing level. If I read it right, it lets Disney and Sony tell Compaq and Dell what they can put in their PCs and makes it a civil offense for anyboy to make or sell any kind of computer equipment that "does not include and utilize certified security technologies."

In effect it legislates the re-cartelization of the consumer electronics industry to comply with the increasingly verticalized content creation and distribution business. It's a backlash against Napster taken to an obscene extreme.

Worst of all it trashes the Net as we know it by turning its enabling technologies into a copyright enforcement system at the very point where content is being "consumed": on your desktop, phone or PDA.

Jeff is calling for a boycott of Disney, and for supporting the EFF's efforts to influence legislation before it's too late. I say go for it.

And if you need more persuading, read Don Marti's open letter to Michael Eisner. The man can write.

Peace out

Nice piece on pacifist bashing by J.D. Tonight I listened to some talk radio on the way to the grocery store, and I sensed that things were calming down a bit. Why? I dunno. Maybe it's because the war so far has been a quiet affair. Maybe it's because God clarified the 6th Commandment in a recent press conference. Maybe it's that our unhappy country really does long to care about stupid bullshit again. In fact there is a progress report on that matter in the New York Times. So maybe there's hope.

Meanwhile the Taliban's war on Women (and the rest of civilization) proceeds.

Pig on

Nice piece about KPIG right here. Does a nice job with RadioParadise too. The station was recently sold, but apparently that isn't bad news. Stay tuned.