Tim Lee

An iPod Backlash?

Declan wonders if the video iPod will spark a DMCA revolution:

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.

In other words, believe it or not, Apple CEO Steve Jobs would be guilty of a federal felony if iTunes transferred DVDs to an iPod as easily as it can music from a CD.

While these Draconian penalties have angered digital-rights types for years, the prohibition really hasn’t affected a broader audience. But the recently released video iPod changes this and–if we’re lucky–will prove to be a flashpoint that sparks actual reforms.

We can hope.

January 27, 2006 | Comments |

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