The Digital
Millennium
Copyright Act
An Example of Analogue Circumvention and Idiocy

I bought a GPS for a cross-country trip.

The GPS came with software.

But there was a sticker on the back.
What did it say?

“You, valued customer, are our bitch.”

“The license is on the CD. But you may
not see it until you agree to abide by it.”

Fortunately, there are tools to
circumvent weak locks.

Step 1:
Cut along the dotted lines.

Step 2:
Cut along the bottom of the paper case.
Be careful not to scratch the CD.

Step 3:
Enjoy your victory
over The Man.
Protection
circumvented, license
not agreed to.
However...

If the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act applied to
the physical world...

The manufacture of scissors would be
illegal.
The DMCA makes it illegal to make or
distribute devices that can be used to
break digital locks, no matter how flimsy.

Under the DMCA, circumventing any
digital lock, no matter the reason, is illegal.
If the DMCA applied to the physical world,
cutting out the CD to read the license before
agreeing to it would warrant fine of
$1,000,000 or 10 years in prison.

The End
For more information, go to Seven Years
under the DMCA:
(http://www.eff.org/wp/unintended-
consequences-seven-years-under-dmca)
and support the EFF: (http://www.eff.org)

Credits:
Presentation created by Wellington Grey
http://www.WellingtonGrey.net
And released under a creative commons license
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Photography by Wellington Grey
http://Wellingtongrey.Smugmug.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshstaiger/274386376/