News: BMG to replace anti-rip Natalie Imbruglia CDs - The Register

Today, the second transitional period of the Data Protection Act takes effect in the UK - The Register

News: MS digital rights management scheme cracked - The Register
Comment: There's a lot of very smart people at Microsoft. The intrinsic problem with any copy protection scheme is that there's also a lot of smart people in the World, some who take offence at having their content restricted and do somethinig about it, as demonstrated here.

(This is far less serious that the rights I've written about before on here but I feel show the limitless greed of some companies)

Record companies are covertly introducing CD's that it isn't possible to copy the tracks off, on to your computer. This is the first stage in their plans to change the age-old understanding that when you buy music you own it and can do what you will with it. They are trying to introduce software type licences – you don’t own it, you’re just borrowing it for a short period of time.

What someone need to do it point out how ‘un-cool’ record companies actually are. They aren’t run by these groovy funksters (the performing artists) , they are actually run by very hard nosed, grey suits and owned by harder nosed, grey suited types. If this thought became the public very their emperors new clothes would soon fall away and they would be very naked.

Links
News story from The Register
Some people who are trying to raise awareness about the protection on CD and on the much larger subject of the European Copyright Directive

News: Hijackers' e-mails sifted for clues - USA today [via KenRadio]
Comment: None of the emails used encryption.

House Analysis of PATRIOT Anti-Terrorism Bill (Oct. 1, 2001) - EFF
Comment: Very detailed

Hurrah - sanity reigns - The Labour Party (UK) has announced it will NOT introduce ID cards in the UK, due to a huge internal outcry.

News: Free speech has become second casualty of war - Independent
Comment: A quite extraordinary story of how free speech in the US appears now to have been shelved.