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Rockbox mail archiveSubject: Keep up the pressure on ArchosKeep up the pressure on Archos
From: Jimmy Moore <jimmy_at_axod.net>
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 19:25:52 +0000 Hi all, and so, it's been a few weeks since I discovered how to write software for the JukeBox multimedia, the av1xx and the av3xx products. Unfortunately, Archos have decided to threaten me with legal action if I ever release anything. Even details of the ajz file format! They believe that me releasing details of the ajz file format would be considered under dmca circumventing a copy protection mechanism. ie allowing people to *gasp* see their firmware in all it's (not) glory. At the moment, I am wondering if this is worth it. Archos do not seem to recognise that most 5 year olds could program better firmware than them, and they certainly do not seem to understand that what customers want is a multi function device. Not just an audio/video player, but a PDA/games machine/general computer etc etc. It is amazingly worrying that a company can try to ban people from writing software for their hardware. Isn't this effectively an unfair monopoly??? Please please please keep up the pressure if you believe that Archos should let other developers (Who can actually program) write software for their products. If any of you are legal experts, please give me your expert opinion. I'm starting to think that computer law is one of the most unfair, perverse, corporate friendly/individual unfriendly thing ever dreamt up. If I were an author, would I get arrested for reading other peoples books to get ideas and learn about storyline construction etc? If I wanted to make a table, and took apart other tables to learn how they were made would they arrest me? Obviously the law should protect copyright, but this is effectively giving companies the power to do what they want and to make it illegal for you to do anything interesting with their product. As I say I'm pretty depressed about this whole thing and am wondering if it's all really worth it. I still want to play networked doom on my archos, whilst running mozilla over a compact flash wireless card, but is it worth all this legal trouble? Yours depressed Jimmy "Dogger" Moore Received on 2003-11-13 Page template was last modified "Tue Sep 7 00:00:02 2021" The Rockbox Crew -- Privacy Policy |