From admin@discordia.ch Wed Sep 20 18:17:21 2000 Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 17:41:41 +0200 From: Peter Keel To: mpaa23 Cc: admin@cyberlink.ch Subject: Re: killer.discordia.ch/politics/copyprotection.html and 193.246.253.10 Message-ID: <20001017174141.A21046@discordia.ch> References: <00bd01c01e93$d64efb20$da77cb3f@pacbell.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i In-Reply-To: <00bd01c01e93$d64efb20$da77cb3f@pacbell.net>; from mpaa23@pacbell.net on Thu, Sep 14, 2000 at 02:36:26PM -0700 Status: RO Content-Length: 10459 Lines: 232 Hello. I got this from my ISP, and it looks very unprofessional, like in not using your own domain and like in mailing the ISP. Nevertheless, I considered that your message might be for real and indeed from the MPAA and not just a bad joke from someone else. * on the Thu, Sep 14, 2000 at 02:36:26PM -0700, mpaa23 allegedly wrote: > RE: Illegal Provision of DeCSS/Circumvention Device > Site/URL: killer.discordia.ch/politics/copyprotection.html > 193.246.253.10 > MPA File #: 5-671-161 The IP-address is in fact the one from dns.cyberlink.ch, whereas killer.discordia.ch has an IP-address of 195.246.74.155. > Dear Beat Tinner: That's the CEO of my ISP. Why didn't _I_ get this mail? The address is written on the page you mentionned above. > The Motion Picture Association is authorized to act on behalf of the > following copyright owners: > > Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. > Disney Enterprises, Inc. > Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. > Paramount Pictures Corporation > TriStar Pictures, Inc. > Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation > United Artists Pictures, Inc. > United Artists Corporation > Universal City Studios, Inc. > Warner Bros., a Division of > Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. > > We have knowledge that the above-referenced Internet site is providing > a circumvention device commonly known as DeCSS. DeCSS is a software > utility that decrypts or unscrambles the contents of DVDs (consisting > of copyrighted motion pictures) or otherwise circumvents the protection > afforded by the Contents Scramble System (CSS) and permits the copying > of the DVD contents and/or any portion thereof. Correct. However, it should be noted that the DVD can be copied "as is" without even knowing about CSS. CSS thus is not a means against large-scale movie piracy as found in China and Tawain, but a means against home-copying and a means to control DVD-player manufacturers. > As such, DeCSS is an > unlawful circumvention device, which violates, inter alia, United > States federal law. Not exactly. The Content Scrambling System (CSS) itself, violates United States federal law, namely: - The ability to play content on whatever equipment the purchaser desires. - The right to "time shift" and "space shift" (e.g., record for playback at a later time or in a different format). - The right to make backup copies of purchased content. - The right to actually own instead of simply "license" purchased content (the "First Sale" doctrine). - the rights of journalists and educators to re-use content excerpts without having to pay licensing fees. The DVD-CCA's neglect to address these fair use issues displays a shocking and callous attitude towards the public domain rights of consumers and artists in the digital world. This, noteably, according to US-law. So DeCSS is a program for owners of DVD-movies to retain their right of fair-use, defeating the probably illegal content scrambling system. The swiss law, Urheberrechtsgesetz (URG), says about the same: "Art. 19 Verwendung zum Eigengebrauch 1 Veröffentlichte Werke dürfen zum Eigengebrauch verwendet werden. Als Eigengebrauch gilt: a. jede Werkverwendung im persönlichen Bereich und im Kreis von Personen, die unter sich eng verbunden sind, wie Verwandte oder Freunde; b. jede Werkverwendung der Lehrperson für den Unterricht in der Klasse; c. das Vervielfältigen von Werkexemplaren in Betrieben, öffentlichen Verwaltungen, Instituten, Kommissionen und ähnlichen Einrichtungen für die interne Information oder Dokumentation." And: "Art. 24 Archivierungs- und Sicherungsexemplare 1 Um die Erhaltung des Werks sicherzustellen, darf davon eine Kopie angefertigt werden. Ein Exemplar muss in einem der Allgemeinheit nicht zugänglichen Archiv aufbewahrt und als Archivexemplar gekennzeichnet werden." Both rights is your Content Scrambling System trying to violate. > Specifically, providing or offering DeCSS to > the public on your network or system violates the Digital Millennium > Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §1201 et seq. ("DMCA"), which proscribes > "manufacturing, importing or offering to the public, providing, or > otherwise trafficking" in an unlawful circumvention device. Which is, in no way, International law. In fact, the swiss law states: "Art. 21 Entschlüsselung von Computerprogrammen 1 Wer das Recht hat, ein Computerprogramm zu gebrauchen, darf sich die erforderlichen Informationen über Schnittstellen zu unabhängig entwickelten Programmen durch Entschlüsselung des Programmcodes beschaffen oder durch Drittpersonen beschaffen lassen. 2 Die durch Entschlüsselung des Programmcodes gewonnenen Schnittstelleninformationen dürfen nur zur Entwicklung, Wartung sowie zum Gebrauch von interoperablen Computerprogrammen verwendet werden, soweit dadurch weder die normale Auswertung des Programms noch die rechtmässigen Interessen der Rechtsinhaber und -inhaberinnen unzumutbar beeinträchtigt werden." This is an explicit permission to reverse-engineer DVD-players (and since they employ a weak encryption called CSS, breaking CSS as well) in order to ensure compatibility and interoperability (in this case with Linux, for instance). Probably according to this, a swiss judge decided that region-codes may be freely removed in switzerland, because they would violate the right to use any DVD a customer buys. In fact, it is possible to buy region-free'd DVD-players in any store. > On August 17, 2000, a federal district court in the Southern District > of New York confirmed that offering, providing, or trafficking in > DeCSS, or any other device designed to circumvent CSS, violates the > DMCA. The district court granted a permanent injunction against (1) > posting on any Internet site, or in any other way manufacturing, > importing or offering to the public, providing, or otherwise > trafficking in DeCSS or any other technology primarily designed > to circumvent CSS, and (2) linking any Internet web site, either > directly or through a series of links, to any other Internet web > site containing DeCSS. Which again, applies to US-citizens only. > Based on the foregoing, we request that you: > > 1) take appropriate steps to cause immediate removal of DeCSS from the > above identified URL, along with such other actions as may be necessary > or appropriate to suspend this illegal activity; Since it is not obvious that the publication of DeCSS is an illegal activity according to swiss (and probably international law), my provider cannot assume that I do something illegal, and would probably do something illegal itself in removing it. I quote from http://www.widmerpartners-lawyers.ch/itlaw.htm (Comments to the BUPO-recommendations for ISPs): "Jedenfalls kann dem Provider nicht empfohlen werden, in dieser Situation das betreffende Material vorsorglich einmal zu entfernen bzw. zu sperren. Denn er riskiert damit, sollte sich diese Massnahme nachträglich als nicht gerechtfertigt herausstellen, dafür seitens des Inhaltanbieters haftbar gemacht zu werden." Your demand might be a demand for an illegal action. > 2) provide appropriate notice to the subscriber or account holder > responsible for the presence of DeCSS on your system or network, > advising him/her of the contents of this notice and directing that > person to contact the undersigned immediately at the e-mail address > provided above; Which my provider did. And I consider mailing this my provider very impolite and an attempt to intimidate it. > 3) advise us of the name and physical address of the person operating > this site; and This could be illegal in switzerland due to a rigid law which protects our privacy (Datenschutzgesetz), to quote: "SR 235.1 Art. 6 Bekanntgabe ins Ausland (Bundesgesetz über den Datenschutz) Personendaten dürfen nicht ins Ausland bekanntgegeben werden, wenn dadurch die Persönlichkeit der betroffenen Personen schwerwiegend gefährdet würde, namentlich weil ein Datenschutz fehlt, der dem schweizerischen gleichwertig ist." However, I can. You already have my address and wrote me as holder of discordia.ch. > 4) maintain, and take whatever steps are necessary to prevent the > destruction of, all records, including electronic records, in your > possession or control respecting this URL, account holder or subscriber. Why should they be destroyed? Again, there is _no_ sign of something illegal, except your wild claims based on some arcane US-act. And again, there is a data-protection act in switzerland which requires personal data (login-date/time, mailserver-logs) to be purged after 6 months. > By copy of this letter, the owner of the above-referenced URL and/or > email account is hereby directed to cease and desist from the conduct > complained of herein. As stated on my Homepage, I am willing to remove DeCSS from my Homepage, (although no law forbids me having it there) as soon as I receive a written letter (on paper) on behalf of that matter. This as stated on my page, http://killer.discordia.ch/Politics/Copyprotection.phtml "I'll remove above link as soon as someone writes me -- on paper." According to swiss law, this email does not count as an official document, meaning I could just as well ignore it. Due to some problems with postal routing, I received this letter only today (17.11.2000) and reacted accordingly in writing you this email and in removing the content as stated on my page. css-auth (including DeCSS), has been removed from all pages of domains under my control. You are advised to notice that I removed it due to my commitment to above statement, and not because I think something is wrong with publishing DeCSS. And certainly not because it might be illegal under some arcane US-American which does not apply to Switzerland anyway. > Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Your immediate response > is requested. > > The information in this notification is accurate, and we declare, under > penalty of perjury, that the Motion Picture Association is authorized > to act on behalf of the owner[s] of exclusive rights described above. > > Should you have any questions, please contact us at the above listed > address. > > Respectfully, > The Motion Picture Association Regards Peter Keel (Putting an name below his letters, unlike a certain organization).