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> BTW as a passing interest, what muppet decided that it is > illegal to play DVDs on Linux? Illegal to play my own > purchased DVDs on my own purchased computer?? I don't think > so! It may not currently be a legal restriction under the EC first use legislation. CSS is a wholly futile system which does not influence what it is claimed (and sold) to do - prevent copying of DVDs - since if they are just copied, css DVD copies will then play exactly as the original did on a decss equipped DVD player. My laptop for instance came with a compulsory copy of Win2k which included a bundled copy of a gratis DVD player program... SO it would be an odd judgement IMHO that using OGLE to play a DVD on that machine with the licences to hand was in any way a damage to the company owning the rights to the film. That is why the RIAA et al (the muppets concerned, Jack Valenti et al) attempt to get countries to pass laws against the terroristic action of playing a DVD. Actually, the people who profit from selling on the one hand the software to scramble (css) and the other hand the licences to DeCSS it with DVD players in hardware or now in software (including pay Linux versions) are providing nothing of use to consumers, and nothing of use to producers. When this dawns upon the producers and consumers in large numbers the obvious benefit of disintermediation will become apparent. Unfortunately it is taking a long time. Currently our own dear DTI is trying to circumvent the very clear will of Parliament in regard of introducing yet more (unworkable and obscure) regulation of export of "encryption" technologies, and this might apply to carrying DeCSS on a laptop when you go abroad. To Norway say, or America - talk about carrying coals to Newcastle. Meanwhile the EU is being pushed into DCMA-like legislation to vastly increase the powers of the purveyors of broken "encryption" and "protection" like css over the users and of big IT companies over small ones. Since innovation usually comes form small ones (albeit getting to market tends to be large ones) this counts as a major shotgun blast to all the feet involved, but it bids fair to delay the decline of this source of income for those who currently have it. The UK-Crypto mailing list is one place where discussion goes on about it, and the FIPR is a formed body aimed at minimising such foolishness. A word to your MPs and MEPs would not be amiss, I'd suggest a _short_ polite word rather than a rant. -- From one of the Linux desktops of Dr Adrian Midgley http://www.defoam.net/ -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the message body to unsubscribe.