COPYCENSE

“Apple Computer’s video iPod may not be the first portable movie player, but it is by far the best. The one serious flaw in this svelte little device is how difficult it is to load with video. Apple’s otherwise handy iTunes application flatly refuses to transfer a legally purchased DVD to the iPod.

“Don’t blame Apple for this glaring oversight. You can thank our esteemed public servants in Congress.

“In 1998, politicians bowed to pressure from the entertainment industry and voted overwhelmingly for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Part of that law made it a federal offense to sell or distribute software that can rip DVDs.”

Declan McCullagh. Can Video iPod Lead to DMCA Reform? News.com. Jan. 23, 2006.

CopyCense™: K. Matthew Dames on the intersection of business, law and technology. A business venture of Seso Digital LLC.