PC industry girds for copy-protection fight
Misc.
'The PC industry is circling its wagons in preparation to fight proposed copy-protection legislation, arguing at a Monday (Oct. 22) briefing that the protection plan backed by Hollywood [SSSCA] would freeze technology while failing to solve piracy concerns.'

Thank goodness somebody in the PC industry finally woke up the games Hollywood is trying to play. Frankly, I have little confidence in the resolve of the PC industry to stand up to Hollywood, but just another year or two of delaying action can have a wonderful effect on the populace.

In many ways, the computer revolution still needs to hit the consumer. Napster was only the beginning, and a rather primitive one at that. Computer let you do lots of things (even legal ones!), and the more people wake up to the fact, the more people will scream bloody murder if somebody tries to take it away. (For example, one can hope that in another year or two, we'll have critical mass on free speech on the web, as more and more people get their own websites.)

One can even hope that the PC industry may just decide there's more money to be made empowering people then confining them. (You know... the way the hobbyist-descended part of the industry USED to work.) The PC industry can brush Hollywood aside like a horsefly if they ever wake up to that fact... Here's hoping.