DMCA Follies!

John Perry Barlow of the Electronic Frontiers Foundation

Just what is fair use? That is a question a lot of people are trying to determine, including the Electronic Frontiers Foundation https://www.eff.org/. According to EFF Chairman Brad Templeton http://www.templetons.com/brad/#eff, "The fair use exemption to (U.S.) copyright law was created to allow things such as commentary, parody, news reporting, research and education about copyrighted works without the permission of the author. That's vital so that copyright law doesn't block your freedom to express your own works -- only the ability to appropriate other people's." Notice how I used Templeton's words and did not need to ask his permission. That's because this blog constitutes both news reporting and research.

The EFF, headed by Templeton and former Grateful Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Perry_Barlow, is fighting on all fronts to preserve freedom of speech on the Internet. One threat to that freedom is the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act. The biggest problem is how this act is being abused by corporations and politicos in order to silence voices they don't want to be heard. Here's a great page by EFF on dubious uses of the DMCA: https://www.eff.org/takedowns.

The erosion of freedom of information on the Internet started with people like Warner and Sony sending the FBI after teenagers who downloaded Metallica songs (and sites like Napster that enabled them), now the spectre of copyright infringement is being used as a dirty political tool and corporate club to smash competition and critics.

I urge everyone to support the EFF and their fight to keep the Web OURS instead of THEIRS! (Thanks for all you do John, I hope you don't mind the use of your picture!)