Fight the Broadcast Flag from Your Armchair

[deathboy]

EFF Releases HD PVR Cookbook and Build-In Kit

San Francisco - Today the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) announced the next stage in its challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's "Broadcast Flag" technology mandate. The organization released a step-by-step guide, the "HD PVR Cookbook," that teaches people how to build a high-definition digital television (HDTV) recorder unaffected by the technological constraints of the Broadcast Flag. In addition, EFF is encouraging people to protest the FCC rule by holding Build-Ins -- gatherings around the country to build unfettered HDTV recorders and experience first-hand the kind of innovation stifled by the government mandate.

Comments

May already be on the way out...

[elkor.livejournal.com]

WASHINGTON--A federal appeals court on Tuesday sharply questioned whether the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to ban certain types of digital TV receivers, including peripheral cards, starting in July. (http://news.com.com/Court+questions+FCCs+broadcast+flag+rules/2100-1030_3-5585533.html)

[failed-bard.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where this differs from UK law, but under Canadian law any signal that you can legally receive is yours to do with as you please.

The two main exceptions to the rule are that you can't make any money off it, and that american sattelite signals are illegal to receive (because our broadcast regulations don't cover them, even though we can recieve the same channels on Canadian sattilite unaltered with-out any government complaints).

Then there's the part of the law that states that any agreement, even if signed and notarized, that isn't in the best interest of one of the parties, is not legally valid or enforcable. EULA's are a joke to me, because of that. They could never enforce it unless, again, I was trying to make money off their product (or source code/ intellectual properties).

wwm.