[d@DCC] Reply to "Model Democracy"...

[Russell McOrmond]

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004, Russell McOrmond wrote:

> This is a topic I am writing about in my in-progress autobiography. This 
> topic also links into an earlier article Penney wrote about relating to 
> the New CanWest Global Contract , and her communities support for Digital 
> Rights Management which is as much of a hidden scandal as ballot-less 
> voting machines.
> 
> http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/life-of-hacker.html#code=law 

Note: A number of people informed me that this looked really bad to say it 
this way.  I've extracted that section out of that document and made it 
into its own article.
  http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/code-is-law.html

Oops ;-)


  I had a great talk with a parliamentary assistant to an MP today about
code-is-law.  I suggested that it is easiest to forget about the computer
beyond thinking of it as "police, judge, jury and executioner" of a set of
laws.  She should instead focus on who is authoring these laws.

  Vendors like Microsoft and Apple then become "transnational governments"
which are able to enact laws (author/distribute software code) which
govern citizens, and in many cases even extract taxes ;-)

  I always find it interesting to start with this idea and then run with
it to see how this thinking informs other areas of policy.  There is for
instance a direct link between the BC privacy commissioner saying that
outsourced government services could be subject to the USA PATRIOT act,
and the concept of DRM where the computers of private citizens are under
the ownership/control of (primarily US) software vendors.

  Is the ratification of the WIPO treaties in direct violation of Canadian
privacy laws? I think it is, but it will be a while before parliaments
adequately understand this.

-- 
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/> 
 Code is Law: how software code regulates the activities of citizens,
 and acts similar to law.  How do we ensure transparency/accountability?  
 http://www.flora.ca/russell/drafts/code-is-law.html

_______________________________________________
Discuss mailing list
Discuss at list.digital-copyright.ca
http://list.digital-copyright.ca/mailman/listinfo/discuss