Why Would The Copyright Lobby Be Concerned About An Anti-Spam Bill?
Up in Canada, there have been ongoing discussions and negotiations over an anti-spam law. While I have various reservations over anti-spam legislation (here in the US it’s done little to stop spam, but plenty to outline how to “legitimately” spam people), it’s a bit surprising to find out that the copyright lobby is heavily involved in the process as well. Why would the copyright lobby care about an anti-spam bill? Apparently, they’re afraid that it’ll hinder their use of DRM, since the current bill requires consent before installing software on computers. And, as we learned in Sony’s famous rootkit debacle, plenty of DRM works by surreptitiously installing software that watches what you do with content. Of course, the last thing the entertainment industry would want is to be required to be 100% upfront and truthful with you when it’s installing spyware/DRM on your computer. That would — in their minds — defeat the point. So, the copyright lobby has been making sure to water down the
