More Stalling by Microsoft

Reuters: Microsoft proposes 5 months for appeals.

Justice delayed is justice denied.


Napster Gets Fair Hearing, Anyway

AP: Court says Napster can continue operating. The appeals panel, through its questioning, suggested that U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel’s injunction shutting down Napster prohibited legal uses of the music-sharing software, such as the trading of noncopyrighted music.

Perhaps the appeals judges get it better than Patel did. Banning a technology that has many valuable, non-infringing uses just because it can be used for illegal purposes is an outrage — and probably contrary to precedent.


Reverse Engineering Wins a Round

Bloomberg: http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-2915049.htmlSony loses appeal in PlayStation copyright fight. The 9th Circuit said Connectix’s activities were protected under the ”fair use doctrine,” which permits copying of software when necessary to understand the way a program works.

Finally, an intellectual-property decision that’s good for consumers.

Sony is a great company, but its actions in this case have been reprehensible. When Connectix clean-roomed a way to let computer owners and owners of competing game machine play disks intended solely for the PlayStation, Sony went beserk legally. Thankfully, the appeals court recognized the reality — that reverse engineering is allowed.

Imagine that Ford couldn’t buy a Mercedes and take it apart to see how it worked, and then build a better car as a result. That gives you an idea of what’s at stake here.

Reverse engineering is under all kinds of attacks, though. The battle is won. The war is just beginning.

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