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Hour Two: Copyright in the Digital
World At the same time as Napster struggles to come to terms with the restrictions, a court case over digital video is in progress. The case centers around a program known as DeCSS, developed to decrypt encoded information stored on DVD video disks. Motion picture industry officials charge that the program is a tool that enables illegal copying of videos. Advocates for the program argue that it was created to allow users of the Linux operating system to play DVD disks on their computers, as there was no licensed decryption software available for that operating system. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, enacted in 1998, states in part that that "no person shall manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide, or otherwise traffic in any technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof, that is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under this title." DeCSS, foes of the program charge, is just such a device. That, they say, makes its creation illegal - and, to make matters even more complicated, distributing the program illegal as well. The hacker publication "2600" has been sued for posting a hyperlink to the program on its web site. Defenders of the program have argued that the act of linking is a matter of free speech, and that even the code of the DeCSS program may enjoy free speech protections. The case is still under review. What are the challenges that must be dealt with when dealing with copyright in the digital world? How much freedom do ordinary citizens have to use copyrighted materials as they see fit? How can copyright owners protect their investment in the creation of movies, music, books, and other media - without trampling on the rights of the people? Join guest host Paul Raeburn for a look at the problems of dealing with copyright in the digital world. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online in our Listeners' Lounge (registration required)
Guests: Lawrence Lessig Jessica Litman Talal Shamoon
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Host/Executive Producer/Editor of Science Friday: Ira Flatow Senior Producer of Science Friday: Karin Vergoth Executive web producer: Ira Flatow Web producer: Charles Bergquist
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