From the NewtonTalk list. DJ Vollkasko wrote:

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Please allow me to most respectfully recommend this link to your esteemed attention:

http://www.copyright.gov/1201/docs/librarian_statement_01.html . I would be very interested in learning your conclusions on this topic and what impact you see to the Newton platform.

Statement of the Librarian of Congress Relating to Section 1201 Rulemaking
[...]

I am today issuing a final rule that sets out four classes of works that will be subject to exemptions for the next three years from the statute's prohibition against circumvention of technology that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work. [...] The four classes of works are: [...]

• Computer programs protected by dongles that prevent access due to malfunction or damage and which are obsolete.
• Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require the original media or hardware as a condition of access.
• Literary works distributed in ebook format when all existing ebook editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling of the ebook's read-aloud function and that prevent the enabling of screen readers to render the text into a specialized format.

Faithfully yours,

DJ Vollkasko

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From what I can tell, this basically frees up nearly any abandoned platform's software for the next three years. I'm assuming that the 3 year term is a test run. Let's hope it sticks!

Most of the people on the NewtonTalk list have been *very* sensitive to copyright issues, and the primary archive, UNNA.org, will not host anything that is not specifically noted by the author as free to distribute.

The only real question is the definition of the term "Obsolete". My Netwon is no where near obsolete, but it certainly is abandonded.

Ross : Link : Discussion Board