Here is an interesting videocast from Cranky Geeks
http://www.crankygeeks.com/2006/07/cranky_geeks_special_the_dmca.html
Lawerence Lessig talks about the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) and how it is possibly one of the worst laws on the books. As he explains, we are losing more of our “fair use” rights. One example deals with DVD’s. If I buy a DVD and want to make a backup copy, but must circumvent the “digital locks” protecting the content, it is illegal. Most commercially available DVD’s are encrypted with the Content Scramble System (CSS) to prevent someone from making a copy. To make a copy, one must defeat the CSS. Fair use would protect my right to make a backup of something I purchase. DMCA makes it illegal if I must bypass CSS.
According to Lessig, the DMCA really protects private business models. For instance, if you purchase a song on iTunes, the digital rights management (DRM) embedded in that song prevents it from being played on any player except an iPod. If you remove the DRM, you violate the DMCA and are breaking the law.
The ultimate goal of these content providers is to require me to re-purchase all my music and movies as many times as possible. If I want a backup DVD, I need to buy a second DVD. If I want to watch my DVD movie on my iPod video player, I need to buy the iPod version of the DVD from iTunes. If I want to listen to one of my new CD’s on my iPod, I need to buy the digital versions from iTunes. It isn’t quite this bad yet, but these things are in sight.