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Joystiq

Here's something abandonware enthusiasts can be thankful for: the Library of Congress yesterday approved six exemptions to US copyright. The one most pertinent to gamers is that, for archival purposes, copy protection on software no longer being sold or supported by its copyright holder can be cracked.

What does this mean? Well, those retro games -- classic or otherwise -- that you can't seem to find anywhere can now be preserved without fear of ramifications. Although it is still unlawful to distribute the old games, free or otherwise, rarely do any abandonware cases go to court. The ruling is more symbolic than anything, but a step in the right direction.

Other rulings involved the rights of consumers to crack cell phone software locks for use on other carriers, the rights of educators to make compilations of DVD scenes, and the rights of blind people to use third-party software in order to read copy-protected electronic books. These rulings come as clarifications of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All new rules take effect on Monday and last for three years.

 

[Ashodin]

and the rights of blind people to use third-party software in order to read copy-protected electronic books.

WTF? :lol :lol :lol

 

[koam]

WTF? :lol :lol :lol

I've read that three times and i still don't understand it.

 

[X26]

I sure if the blind could read that they'd be rejoicing

 

[Slayven]

WTF? :lol :lol :lol

I think it means people who make copy protected books must allow blind people to read them through a program like JAWS( screen reading software for blind people.) Meaning the DRM has to work with these programs.

 

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Explanation for slow people:

Blind people can't see. So they have text-to-speech programs that read text to them. Most of these programs read standard formats like .TXT and .HTML.

eBooks are usually sold in wacky formats with custom readers and draconian copy-protection. This means blind people can't use their text-to-speech programs to read them. There are third-party tools that strip the copy-protection from many custom eBook formats, but using them is considered a felony under the DMCA.

This exception means that blind people will not go to jail for converting their custom eBooks to a format that their text-to-speech program can read. But if you can see? It's pound-you-in-the-ass-prison all the way!

This concludes today's edition of GAF for slow people.

OTHER FUN FACTS: Many deaf people enjoy watching movies, even though they can't hear them? Some mute people enjoy listening to music, despite being unable to sing themselves! And many retards enjoy playing videogames, despite having no fcking deductive reasoning ability at all.

 

[koam]

Explanation for slow people:

Blind people can't see. So they have text-to-speech programs that read text to them. Most of these programs read standard formats like .TXT and .HTML.

eBooks are usually sold in wacky formats with custom readers and draconian copy-protection. This means blind people can't use their text-to-speech programs to read them. There are third-party tools that strip the copy-protection from many custom eBook formats, but using them is considered a felony under the DMCA.

This exception means that blind people will not go to jail for converting their custom eBooks to a format that their text-to-speech program can read. But if you can see? It's pound-you-in-the-ass-prison all the way!

This concludes today's edition of GAF for slow people.

Blind people can't see?

 

[Greenpanda]

I've read that three times and i still don't understand it.

Some e-books are copyprotected and can only be read with certain software, which might not be usable by people with poor/no eyesight.

But this decision allows them to use third-party software to convert the audiobook to a format they CAN use (e.g. large print or reading out loud).

 

[emomoonbase]

This is groovy news on a couple fronts.

 

[jko]

smashing.

 

[xaosslug]

pfft, Joystiq... :rollseyes