From: David McIntyre <plugh_at_mudbarn.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Nov 2003 12:00:47 -0800

Dogger isn't beholden to the DMCA, as a European. They have their own
restrictions that may or may not apply to this particular situation. Archos
can't be held responsible for someone else's use of their hardware to violate
copyright laws. Nor can Dell or Gateway when someone uses their hardware to
violate a law. And Dogger isn't an Archos developer.
I've written a letter to the Archos custserv email address pleading for support
of open source firmware replacements for their hardware devices.

On Fri, Nov 07, 2003 at 02:14:23PM -0500, Fred Maxwell wrote:
> As was said earlier, it all depends on how the source was developed. It's
> fine to say that it was reverse-engineered -- and maybe it was, but was the
> reverse engineering "clean"? Lot's of things could taint it:
>
> 1. Inclusion of copyrighted Archos source code.
> 2. Decryption of firmware through circumvention of copy protection, putting
> it in violation of the DMCA.
> 3. Member of the open-source team who had access to proprietary Archos
> code, schematics, etc.
>
> It could also be that the open-source firmware would allow the user to
> bypass DRM schemes. Archos would not want to be sued by the MPAA because
> the open source software would output DVD video without Macrovision (or some
> such thing).
>
> The fact is that we don't know what the problem was. It could have been
> something as simple as a trademark infringement (e.g., the use of the Archos
> name, logo, etc. in the firmware or documentation.
>
> Regards,
> Fred Maxwell
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-rockbox_at_cool.haxx.se
> > [mailto:owner-rockbox_at_cool.haxx.se] On Behalf Of David McIntyre
> > Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 1:24 PM
> > To: rockbox_at_cool.haxx.se
> > Subject: Re: Archo killing open source....
> >
> >
> > If he's on shaky ground, where does that put us?
> >
> > On Fri, Nov 07, 2003 at 05:36:09PM -0000, mrlipring wrote:
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "mourad jaber" <mjaber_at_centralpay.net>
> > > To: <rockbox_at_cool.haxx.se>
> > > Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 4:48 PM
> > > Subject: Archo killing open source....
> > >
> > >
> > > > FYI :
> > > > http://avos.sourceforge.net/
> > > >
> > > > No comments...
> > > > See you
> > > >
> > > > Mourad
> > > >
> > >
> > > well, it depends how he's done it. if he's reverse
> > engineered actual
> > > archos firmware, then yeah, he's on shaky ground, and from what it
> > > says on the site, it would APPEAR that he has.
>

-- 
David McIntyre         plugh_at_mudbarn.com        http://www.mudbarn.com
PGP Key fingerprint = CAB5 A73A 43FA 19E3 449D  20B8 25D7 FA84 8847 D6A7
http://www.mudbarn.com/~plugh/plughinfo.txt for geek code, pgp key, etc. 

Received on 2003-11-07