Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Novell counters SCO and a DVD case goes to court
Novell owns Unix(tm). Well, we all own the ideas behind Unix, but that's beside the point.
On SCO's desparate lawsuit of everybody that did Linux - and surprise backing from Microsoft - SCO's stock went from 2 to 8.75. On today's news, SCOX went down 24%. I love it.
I wish I had some spare cash to put in this game, 'cause I'd put my money where my mouth, mind, and memory are. In put options.
In other encouraging news: The DVD trade secrets case finally goes before the California Supreme court Thursday.
I was there for Brunner's first hearing - this collossally short-sighted assault on the creative people - this outrage against the commons. We got a nice netwide protest going, we did, and a bunch of us showed up in meatspace to really puzzle the judge. I look forward to seeing this trial. I might even show up outside the courthouse gates with guitar in hand and another handlettered sign... the weathers nice... it should be fun.
I've smarted from the passage of the Home Recording Act for 12+ long years. The sellout of the HMRC created a loophole for digital recording that was the wedge in the sanity wall that allowed the DMCA to pass.
I've supported the EFF, when I could, where I could, however I could, ever since.
Maybe, this time, now that enough people understand the issues, the courts can take away what the legislature and hollywood stole.
If not, well, there's one more court left in the land... and if we win this time - there are more problems that we, as netizens, must take on. The biggest one?
We've got to roll back copyright law to what America's founders intended.
Copyright - IP - has a shelf life - and it is 14 years, renewable once. Not 90. Not 150. 14, or less.
If we don't revert the length of copyright back to something sane - we will be paying rent to the copyright owners forever. We will never, ever, be able to perform or play a song we heard in our youth without some fatcat demanding cash for the right to play it, even if the original creator is long buried. We'll hardly be able to open our mouths in public without paying royalties.
So.... As much as I'm enjoying current events, I'm trying to keep my mind on the bigger picture. We can't stop here.
¶ 3:01 PM
