Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] New State laws may impact gnu-radio efforts...

[Chris Albertson]

Just remember, the Germans democratically elected Hitler and
the Nazis because they offered "order" and "security".  The
same could happen here in the US.  Nobody  really cares
about "rights".  As long as you can drive your SUV and watch
cable TV you are happy.  Besides criminals don't need rights.

Every great power only lasts a couple centuries, I figure the
US is about 3/2 of the way throught it great power period.


--- "H. R. Myler (@ pbLULU)" <address@hidden> wrote:
> >     I hate to interrrupt good technical discussion with more bad
> >news about legal issues, but unfortunately many of us face a new
> >initiative by the copyright cartel in our state legislatures (in
> Mass
> >the Great and General Court) designed to drasticly change the rules
> >regarding access to radio signals.   And unlike federal laws which
> just
> >outlaws interception of certain signals, this initiative includes
> >provisions criminalizing development of software and hardware and
> >allowing confiscation of tools and software as well as criminal and
> >civil penalties for  merely providing assistance to others in
> developing
> >software and hardware deemed to be illegal.   And these laws ban
> >publication of directions and documentation for such software.
> >
> >     This legislation also bans anonymous communication and may
> >also ban some kinds of NAT firewalls and local area networks.
> >
> >     As I read it, if one takes a broad interpretation this law
> >forbids reception of ANY radio signals without the explict
> permission of
> >the sender.    Obviously this impacts many heretofore legal uses of
> >gnu-radio technology, and if a court finds that gnu-radio is an
> >illegal device, developers could face serious legal problems.
> >
> >     Versions of this language have been introduced in a number
> >of different states, and passed in at least two and probably several
> >others.
> >
> 
> One begins to wonder if we have a constitution. At what point do we 
> have to cover our ears lest we receive a signal (vocally generated) 
> that we are not permitted to receive? I am doubly concerned about the
> 
> parts that "ban publication of directions and documentation for such 
> software." I am far from being a left-wing liberal, but this begins 
> to smack of 1984's big brother. In fact, the main theme of the book 
> was the total and absolute control of communications by the 
> government.
> 
> Harley Myler
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss-gnuradio mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss-gnuradio


=====
Chris Albertson
  Home:   310-376-1029  address@hidden
  Cell:   310-990-7550
  Office: 310-336-5189  address@hidden
  KG6OMK

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
http://platinum.yahoo.com