[IETF-IDRM] Re: [IDRM] Will the DMCA make our work more difficult?

[Nicko van Someren]

Thomas Hardjono wrote:

> This issue with the DMCA is an interesting one, and one which came-up
> when we were drafting the charter of the IDRM group.
> 
> Thus, if you read the fourth paragraph of the Charter, you'll see that
> "IDRM will not pursue research into the legal and social issues of
> DRM". We had to specifically put that line before the Charter
> would be approved.

I had read the charter, and had seen that line.  I think, however, that it
addressed a different issue.  There are clearly legal and social issues
regarding the implementation of DRM and I agree that research into these
should be outside the scope of IDRM.  That said, there is a difference
between engaging in research into the legal issues of DRM, and carrying
out DRM research that turns out to fall foul to legislation such as the
DMCA.

> But your question about dealing with the DCMA is an interesting one.
> Perhaps its something that could be brought to the larger IETF community
> and the IAB/IESG.

Indeed, my point was that we need to know how to deal with the DMCA,
rather than saying that we need to debate the rights and wrongs of the
act itself.  The act is here and IETF is not (usually) a political lobby
group.  It directly effects two out of three IEFT meetings each year and,
as Niels Ferguson describes, indirectly effects the papers that can be
submitted to the third.  I think we need a policy as to how to work
around this.

	Nicko