[mythtv-users] Who needs to worry about copyright? CoreAVC for Linux removed from Google Code

[Sarah Katherine Hayes]

Kevin Kuphal wrote:
> For all the concerns over hard-nosed stances over integrating 
> technologies into MythTV, this comes across the news today:
>  
> http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9935786-39.html
>  
> Kevin
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actually I don't think this does show what you're suggesting it does.  
Even before the company retracted the violation a lot were scratching 
their heads wondering just WTF was wrong... as the writer hadn't 
infringed on anyones copyright nor had he breached the various oddities 
in the DMCA; CoreAVC for Linux was a wrapper to let mplayer, mythtv and 
anything else you want to write patches for, use a proprietary binary 
blob of a codec which legally you have to but from the original company.

What it DOES show to my mind is that with a deft flick of the wrist a 
misfiring DMCA take down notice could vaporise any project, hosted in 
the states... be it hypothetically VLC, GNOME or indeed MythTV.  One 
letter and blam gone until the matter is resolved. I'd say it also shows 
just what a poor chunk of legislation the DMCA actually is.  I'd go so 
far to say that any company that is in the midst of a kamikazie nose 
dive could spam DMCA letters and pretty much FUD the whole core of Linux 
in to oblivion with one fell swoop (assuming it's all hosted in places 
that actually care about United States legislation obviously).

Of course out in the real world this will, for years, be cited as a 
reason why Linux is evil by people who don't deserve the title 
journalist as you'll probably never see an update to this story about 
the actual outcome.