[Discussioni] ["/\\/" <treponemanichols@tin.it>] [cyber~rights] Divertente risposta alla MPA sul DeCSS

21 Mar 2001 13:19:21 +0100

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Ciao a tutti,

ragazzi in gamba come non ce ne sono tanti.

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Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 13:31:03 +0100
From: "/\\/" <treponemanichols@tin.it>
To: cyber-rights@ecn.org
Subject: [cyber~rights] Divertente risposta alla MPA sul DeCSS

                                                 Computer Science Department
                                                 Carnegie Mellon University
                                                 Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3891

                                                 February 6, 2001

 Mr. Hemanshu Nigam
 Director, Worldwide Internet Enforcement
 Motion Picture Association
 15503 Ventura Boulevard
 Encino, CA  91436

 Dear Mr. Nigam:

 I write in response to your email of yesterday, in which you allege
 that I am illegally providing a "circumvention device" as defined in
 17 USC 1201(a)(2).  The only URL given in your complaint was

   http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/

 which is the address of my personal home page.  I understand that you
 are not objecting to my entire home page, but rather, to certain
 portions of it that deal with DeCSS.  However, you neglected to
 specify the files that you object to.  If you visit my "Gallery of CSS
 Descramblers" at

   http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery

 you will find the DeCSS code in several dozen forms.  The C source
 code is there, naturally.  But the same ideas are also expressed in
 many other forms, including:

   translations of the algorithm into Scheme, and Standard ML of New Jersey
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/css_descramble.scheme
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/anonymous-code.sml

   translation into a C-like language that is not C (and for which no
         compiler currently exists, so the file is not compilable)
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/new-language.txt

   a line-by-line translation of the C code into English, done by myself
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/plain-english.html

   a line-by-line English translation, in which the original C source
         code has been interspersed with the equivalent English statements
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/english-and-c.html

   a translation of the C code into English, done automatically by a Perl
         program, along with another Perl program that can translate the
         English back into C automatically
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/css-auth.eng.txt

   a perfectly legible PICTURE of the C source code (three GIF files)
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/page1.gif
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/page2.gif
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/page3.gif

   a photograph of a t-shirt on which the C source code is printed
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/tshirt_back.jpg

   an audio recording of a person reading the English version of the
         source code aloud
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/css_descramble.mp3
   an audio recording of a person singing the source code, with
         guitar and drum accompaniment
     http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/css_descramble_joe_wecker.mp3

 There are numerous other forms as well, which you can see for yourself
 if you visit the Gallery.  In addition, there is a section devoted to
 the cryptographic research of Frank Stevenson, including essays and
 several small C programs Mr. Stevenson wrote that illustrate his
 ideas.  You can find a listing of the various files here:
   http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/FrankStevenson/index.html

 In order for me to consider the allegation you raised in your letter,
 I request that you specify the URL for each of the files on my web
 site to which you are objecting, and for each such file, give the legal
 basis for your objection.  It would also be helpful if you would
 explain, for those representations of the DeCSS algorithm to which you
 do not object (such as, perhaps, the recording of someone singing the
 source code), why you do not object to my publishing the algorithm in
 that particular form.

 Finally, I think I should mention that the Gallery of CSS Descramblers
 is by now a well-known academic work.  You will find on the main
 Gallery page two dozen press clippings of articles that mention the
 Gallery or my testimony about it as an expert witness in the New York
 trial you referred to in your letter.  The Gallery is linked to from
 many sources, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation and USA
 Today.  It is listed on my curriculum vitae, and in my online list of
 scholarly works at

   http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/bib.html

 I would like to know if it is the intent of the MPA to exert editorial
 control over scholarly publications by computer science faculty that
 deal with DeCSS, and if so, exactly which sort of publications will
 the MPA permit in the future, and which sort will result in legal
 threats such as your letter of yesterday.

 Thank you for your time.

 Sincerely,

 Dr. David S. Touretzky
 Principal Scientist

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Ciao
leandro
Email: leandro@firenze.linux.it
GPG Key fingerprint = 761A 69EA 813A CF14 FACD  1E79 AFF9 1B97 D88E 024C

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