[PLUG] Dmitri Sklyarov protest places

["Bill Patterson" <patterson@computer.org>]

Regarding places to protest, Independence Hall/Mall is a good place in
general for Federally oriented protests, etc., as it is the site where
others declared their freedoms 225 years ago.

Check out http://www.tom.sfc.keio.ac.jp/~next/diary/2001/7/23/ (Japanese
tourist pictures of protests in Boston) for some sign ideas, etc.

I'd like to participate if there is a way I can do it outside of working
hours.

The biggest problem is helping ordinary people understand how DMCA affects
them.  Although the Copyright office has told Congress that no great changes
are needed, we need to recognize that
    o    Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck remain proprietary for a long time
    o    Fair use rights have been severely limited - (no ebooks for blind
people?)
    o    Library rights are on a slippery slope
    o    Break a copy protection scheme, no matter how obvious or trivial,
you go to jail, or is that "liaj?"
    o    DMCA has chilling effects on free speech:  your web site is brought
down on the mere _accusation_ of a copyright violation by the ISP, who has
no choice!  (Check out Salon.com:
http://www.salon.com/tech/log/2001/08/31/dmca_animals/index.html)

Bill Patterson
patterson@computer.org



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