“A judge’s decision to ban a DVD-playing Linux program and all
discussion about it outrages the free-software community.”
“Forget the VA Linux buyout of Slashdot, or the latest rumor
about which Linux start-up is about to go public — right now, the
Johansen case is the single hottest issue in the
free-software/open-source world.”
“Maybe you haven’t yet heard of Jon Johansen or DeCSS, the
computer program he wrote last year. If the Motion Picture
Association of America (MPAA) has its way, you never will. DeCSS is
one piece of a set of programs that allow computers running
Linux-based operating systems to play DVDs; currently there is no
commercial software available to play DVDs on Linux.”
“To the uninformed, the fight over DeCSS might look like the
latest hacker obsession — sure to blow over as soon as the DVD
industry starts licensing DVD player technology for the Linux-based
operating system. But the key issue at stake here — corporate
control versus individual freedom — is fundamentally important.
It’s reason enough for me to stand on a cold New York street
corner, and it’s reason enough for hackers to fight.”