Software Scan

The President's Column

What's new with the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act? In this month's Scanning IP section I discuss the exemptions to the DMCA that Congress just approved. Want to know more about yours truly? In this month's Scanning Bob section I talk about me, me, me, and me.

Send me your comments and critiques. I'm always interested in hearing from you.

Bob Zeidman
President, SAFE Corporation

Scanning IP

The DMCA Exemptions

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act has been praised by some, vilified by others. Many don't know that the DMCA specifically allows copying of protected works by researchers, libraries, nonprofits, and academic institutions. Also, the Librarian of Congress is required to issue exemptions from the prohibition against circumvention of access-control technology when such technology prevents people from making non-infringing uses of copyrighted works. The current exemptions, issued just last week are described below. Note that all of these allowable uses assume that the person copying the work has purchased the work or has otherwise rightfully obtained it.

1. To copy short portions of movie DVDs for the purpose of criticism or comment, specifically:
• Educational uses
• Documentary filmmaking
• Noncommercial videos
2. To enable computer programs that allow cell phones to run software applications written for other cell phones (known as "jailbreaking" or "rooting").
3. To enable computer programs that allow used cell phones to connect to a phone network as long as it is authorized by the operator of the network.
4. To run video games on personal computers for the purpose of testing for, investigating, or correcting security flaws or vulnerabilities.
5. To bypass broken or obsolete dongles that prevent a program from running.
6. To enable an ebook's read-aloud function or screen readers that convert the text into a specialized format.
   

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CodeMatch^®
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Get Smart

SAFE offers training at our facility or yours or on the Web. Contact us to make arrangements:

MCLE credit in software IP

CodeSuite certification

Your New Office

Remember that you can now have your own secure office at the SAFE facility for storing proprietary software, running CodeSuite, analyzing the results, and getting onsite support. We're located at

20863 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Suite 456
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 517-1167

Scanning Bob

The Untold History of Bob

Earlier this year I celebrated my 50th birthday at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View California (a really cool place if you like old computers and want to learn about, and often meet, the pioneers of the industry). I decided that it was about time that the world finally recognized all of my great contributions to computer history; I no longer needed to be shy about it. If you want to know the true story about the development of the digital computer and my involvement in it, watch the video. You may be surprised about all of the things I invented in my lifetime (and a few even before that). If you don't see the video embedded below, go to the link at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mdkakh8oow.