
At 11:28 AM 11/20/97 -0500, Declan McCullagh wrote:
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The Netly News (http://netlynews.com/) November 20, 1997
Copyrights and Wrongs By Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com)
While you're cooling your heels in Club Fed, you'll have plenty of time to consider your misdeeds -- which in this case could have been making just three copies of Adobe Photoshop (cost: $389). The legislation covers anyone who copies compact discs, videocasettes or computer software worth at least $1,000. The No Electronic Theft Act, which President Clinton is expected to sign later this month, will be the first law in the history of the U.S. to imprison copiers looking to save (not make) a few bucks.
It is interesting that while almost the entire body of copyright law deals with materials other then what is to be covered, the industry has enough clout to get their's singled out for the first criminal penalties for violation. This leaves the bulk of copyrighted material, printed material, photographs and the like open to being stolen as does nizkor for example. -=-=- The 2nd guarantees all the rest.