EFF Examines 12 Years of the DMCA’s Unintended Consequences
Our friends at the EFF have compiled a list of situations in which the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA - the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 - have been used to chill free expression and scientific research, attack fair use, impede competition and innovation, and interfere with computer intrusion laws. Isn't it time to rewrite the DMCA so it can no longer be used to hinder the legitimate activities of journalists, scientists, innovators, and the rest of us?
Apple features prominently in this article, and not in a good way. Their history of abusive behavior toward their customers has led me, a former iPod/MacBook user, to abandon their products.
Yes, it's always important to remember that Apple is a massive multinational corporation, and not anyone's friend. But I will say that I think the best chance for improving their behavior comes from customers, since I see no realistic chance of Apple noticing a few people who won't buy because of their policies. (And of course, you'd need to assure yourself that whatever products you did buy instead were being produced by companies that had and would continue to have better track records. Many companies don't act badly simply because they have no chance to do so.)