WORLD / America
US Copyright Office issues new rights
(AP)
Updated: 2006-11-23 09:01
NEW YORK - Cell phone owners will be allowed to break software locks on
their handsets in order to use them with competing carriers under new
copyright rules announced Wednesday.
Other copyright exemptions approved by the Library of Congress will let
film professors copy snippets from DVDs for educational compilations and
let blind people use special software to read copy-protected electronic
books.
All told, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington approved six
exemptions, the most his Copyright Office has ever granted. For the first
time, the office exempted groups of users. Previously, Billington took an
all-or-nothing approach, making exemptions difficult to justify.
"I am very encouraged by the fact that the Copyright Office is willing to
recognize exemptions for archivists, cell phone recyclers and computer
security experts," said Fred von Lohmann, an attorney with the
civil-liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Frankly I'm
surprised and pleased they were granted."
But von Lohmann said he was disappointed the Copyright Office rejected a
number of exemptions that could have benefited consumers, including one
that would have let owners of DVDs legally copy movies for use on Apple
Computer Inc.'s iPod and other portable players.
The new rules will take effect Monday and expire in three years.
In granting the exemption for cell phone users, the Copyright Office
determined that consumers aren't able to enjoy full legal use of their
handsets because of software locks that wireless providers have been
placing to control access to phones' underlying programs.
Providers of prepaid phone services, in particular, have been trying to
stop entrepreneurs from buying subsidized handsets to resell at a profit.
But even customers of regular plans generally can't bring their phones to
another carrier, even after their contracts run out.
1 2
Top World News
� US Copyright Office issues new rights
� Bush, Iraqi prime minister to meet
� NASA losing hope of finding Mars probe
� Blood tests debunk cat-puppy claim
� US wary of Iran, Syria role in Iraq
Today's Top News
� Hu: China, India true friends, partners
� Chinese citizens evacuated in Tonga
� School under fire for bar-girl scheme
� Porn sparks panda baby boom in China
� Hu: China not seeking selfish gains
Most Commented/Read Stories in 48 Hours
Learn Chinese, Learning Chinese, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing, Travel to Tibet
No comments:
Post a Comment