Swiss DMCA petition -- 50,000 signatures will kill Switzerland's copyright law
Switzerland's new law criminalizes breaking digital locks -- circumventing "digital rights management" technology -- and telling other people how to break those locks. This means that even when you have the right to access a song, video, book or document, no one is allowed to show you how to get at the data. If the law says you're allowed to -- for example -- convert a song you bought on iTunes to play it on a non-Apple player, you still can't do so, because no one is allowed to make or sell or even give away a tool that helps you do this.
Because of Switzerland's principal of direct democracy, this law can be overturned if 50,000 Swiss citizens sign a petition asking for it to be reconsidered. Here's a petition that starts the ball rolling. Tell your friends! Link (Thanks, Florian!)
See also: Swiss DMCA coming down -- 50,000 signatures needed to unmake it
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Dig it: http://digg.com/tech_news/No_Swiss_DMCA_Help_me_fight_this_law
Cory, please note that principal (e.g. head of school) is not the same as principle (e.g a rule).
I have to wonder how accurate the translation is since whoever did it doesn't have a solid grasp of English, spell checking, and completely skips over the number 3... or was this done by the swiss government? how is it over there nowadays? do they write 'laws' in German, French, Italian or English?
"Forbidden is: to Produce, Import, Offer, sell, distribute, rent out, lend, advertise and posess for comercial use of Contraptions, products, parts and Services which:"
I tend to think thats really shoddy writing and can't possibly express the intent of the law, it should probably read along the lines of
"Forbidden is to: Produce, Import, Offer, Sell, Distribute, Rent out, Lend, Advertise, or Posses, any: Contraptions, Products, Parts, or Services, for commercial use."
I probably botched the grammar up too, but not as badly as theirs, note how it ends with 'for commercial use' which tends to mean you're allowed to distribute for educational purposes which pretty much blows all the objects to it out of the water, especially when they end by saying you're allowed to do it as long as you're 'primarly' doing it lawfully.
But if the nonsensical translation that's been provided is what the law intends to be then I agree with you completely.
Per your example, iTunes lets you do this, by burning to a CD. Once you do that, you can play it on a non-Apple player.
You've got to have a pretty liberal interpretation of what the word wonderful means if you think this belongs in a "directory of wonderful things."
#5: Sheesh... some of you people have a really limited view of "wonderful."
Maybe it can mean "Something that makes one wonder, consider."
In this case, the Swedish sense of democracy is certainly a wonderful thing! The ability for the people to actually have a direct influence on laws? Wonderful!
Providing people with the chance to participate in overturning something Not Wonderful...Wonderful!
Get over yourself.
Eeep! Not Sweden, Switzerland!
Sorry. That's like confusing Ireland with Scotland.
:(
What could be more wonderful than REAL government by the people as competition for this example of government AGAINST the people?
Switzerland has had huge success with national ballot initiatives for 160 years. It's way overdue for the U.S.! The National Initiative is the main reason famed former Senator Mike Gravel is running for President.
YOU can now vote to ratify the National Initiative at Vote.org, much as citizens -NOT the existing 13 legislatures- ratified the Constitution at the Conventions!