U.S. Copyright Office Cuts Into DMCA

The much-vaunted Digital Millennium Copyright Act (PDF, Wikipedia), passed in 1998, was designed to criminalize the circumvention of copyrighted material, while taking the load off ISP’s and redirecting liability to the “incriminating” individual.

Last week, on Thanksgiving Day!, the AP released this article outlining 6 exemptions written into the DMCA (EFF posted this the day before). Brief summaries of these exemptions can be read at http://www.copyright.gov/1201/. The Copyright Office meets to review the DMCA every three years, and previously approved exemptions in 2000 and in 2003, not all of which have been renewed.

Some of these exemptions reflect a loosening of some of the more constricting titles of the DMCA and most notably, fair-use and accessibility are provided with broader, less limiting definitions.

— Breaking CSS encryption to make excerpts and compilations from DVDs, especially for educational purposes, is now more likely to pass the test for fair use.

— The sight- and hearing-impaired are now allowed to break DRM-locks on eBooks to access reading tools and software.

— It is now legal to unlock cell phones!

— Circumvention is now officially permitted for the testing, researching, or correcting of security flaws from “rootkits” or other access control measures.

Ed Felten goes further into detail on the 6 exemptions in this commentary. Cory also goes more in-depth on the 6 exemptions at BoingBoing as does Karen at KSL News and Bill at PublicKnowledge.

More background: The Evil That is DMCA.

Wilco, Auditorium Theatre Chicago Nov 24 2006

Wilco photo by Parrillo via FlickrHear the Friday Nov. 24 Auditorium Theatre show HERE.

BUMPED: We now have audio! From the Madison Barrymore Theater. show Nov. 22 — very similar setlist, although slightly rougher as it was the warm-up for the Chitown shows. Listen to the new goodies:

* Let’s Not Get Carried Away
* Shake it Off
* What Light
* Walken
(more)

———

It was quite a treat to see Wilco last night, at what is most certainly my favorite venue (post-Lounge Ax) to see them, the large, elegant Auditorium Theater with its exquisitely updated sound system. I last saw them here in October 2004.

I’m sorry to report that for some reason *none* of the audio came out as collected for me to share with you, however, I will keep my eyes peeled for any recordings from the show — or of any of the new songs they performed on this mini-tour (I believe it was one in Madison and 2 in Chicago). Nels Cline was absolutely tremendous and his presence is felt on the new stuff — as yet untitled new album is expected in 2007 — even moreso than it was on ‘Ghost.” As per usual, Glenn Kotche remains the man — his solo in the hard-rockin’ Let’s Not Get Carried Away was tops. Excellent full band rendition of Remember the Mountain Bed and we were treated to two other Guthrie gems (ref. Mermaid Ave I & II — Airline to Heaven and California Stars. Apparently several new songs were also played at the October 19 9:30 Club show in DC, which can be streamed via NPR. Also, bassist John Stirratt rapped about the upcoming record a bit in this Billboard interview last week.

Photo by parrillo via Flickr. Great pics of the venue by Olivia.
Continue reading “Wilco, Auditorium Theatre Chicago Nov 24 2006”

Wilco, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, 24nov06


I was lucky to attend this Wilco show — it rocked! Thanks to chitaper for another top-notch recording (FLAC torrent available here). Review here. JBrown uploaded some sweet video to YouTube like this one

1. Terri Hemmert intro
2. Bobb Bruno as a Bunny
3. Intro theme

4. Shake it Off
5. Hell is Chrome
6. Handshake Drugs
7. A Shot in the Arm
8. Impossible Germany
9. I Am Trying to Break your Heart
10. Muzzle of Bees
11. banter
12. Company in My Back
13. War on War
14. Sunken Treasure
15. Remember the Mountain Bed
16. Airline to Heaven
17. banter
18. Jesus, etc.
19. Walken
20. Theologians
21. I’m the Man Who Loves You

22. break

23. Hummingbird
24. Via Chicago
25. What Light
26. The Late Greats

27. break
28. In a Future Age
29. banter
30. California Stars
31. Heavy Metal Drummer
32. Let’s Not Get Carried Away
33. Kingpin

BONUS – From Sat. Nov. 25 show

Radio Cure
Poor Places
She’s a Jar
Side With the Seeds
Forget the Flowers
Passenger Side