[lug] Colorado "Super-DMCA" bill impacts on Internet, privacy, security

[Dhruva Reddy]

I'm having trouble understanding the history of the bill (see link from
Neal's original post).  The last item says that  "Senate Third Reading Passed
with Amendments".  Does this mean that the bill has already passed?  Or that the
Senate has merely approved the reading?


> Colorado bill HB03-1303, "Unlawful Telecom Access Cell Phone Crime",
> is being pushed by the Entertainment industry, in this case the MPAA.
> Edward W. Felten <felten at cs.princeton.edu>, (609) 258-5906, Associate
> Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University, says that the
> model legislation would have the possibly unintended effect of
> outlawing critical and popular Internet technologies like NAT (Network
> Address Translation).  Many say that it clearly would outlaw Vitual
> Private Networks (VPN), private email (TLS-SMTP), etc.
> 
> But some of the *intended* consequences of the bill also limit our
> civil liberties and would raise confusion about and outlaw important
> software and technologies used every day by system administrators who
> are trying to keep their networks secure, and by individuals trying to
> get popular hardware working on Linux and other non-commercial
> operating systems, because more control is handed to manufacturers and
> communications providers.
> 
> The law has redefinitions that are used to make laws sound good though
> they actually restrict altrusitic and normal practices.  My reading
> suggests that a standard 802.11 wireless computer interface ("wi-fi")
> fits their definition of a "Cellular Phone" and it probably becomes an
> illegal "Cloned Cellular Phone" if someone writes a driver so it works
> on Linux.
> 
> The MPAA and the entertainment industry in general have been trampling
> on our rights in recent years, trying to protect their distribution
> monopoly at the cost of customers, artists, innovation, etc.
> 
> With DMCA they have sued people who write and give away software to
> play DVDs using the free Linux operating system.
> 
> With CBDTPA they tried to regulate how ALL computers and media
> players are made.  We are holding them at bay there.
> 
> Now they are trying to stifle innovation in the communications field
> and are breaking basic Internet technology in the process.  As with
> previous laws they have proposed, many of these new provisions are
> broken even if there is no malicious intent.
> 
> I think they need to hear it again in the House, since the Senate made
> amendments.  Please let your legislators know this is a bad bill,
> carved out by special interests, which hurts consumers and businesses
> in Colorado.
> 
> You can find out who your representatives are at
>   http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm
> 
> 
> For more info:
>   The best simple description I've seen:
>    http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/doc/2003/taylor_2apr.pdf
> 
>   Central site about Super-DMCA:
>    http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/superdmca.html
> 
>   Colorado bill, as amended by the senate on April 9:
>    
>
http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/inetcbill.nsf/billcontainers/A2F0DA113DF2BFC087256CC2006BFB94/$FILE/1303_rer.pdf
> 
>   Colorado Legislative History:
>     
>
http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/inetcbill.nsf/billsummary/FFD96D398232513587256CBF00543930
> 
>   Article:
>   http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/03/28/1541230&tid=103
> 
>   If you're not tired yet:
>   http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/doc/2003/security_29mar.pdf
>   http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/archives/cat_superdmca.html
>   http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/palfrey/stories/storyReader$86
> 
> Neal McBurnett                 http://bcn.boulder.co.us/~neal/
> GPG/PGP signed and/or sealed mail encouraged.  Keyid: 2C9EBA60
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-- 
 "Those who would give up essential liberty
to purchase a little temporary safety deserve
neither liberty or safety. Nor, are they
likely to end up with either."-- Benjamin
Franklin

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