[news.sysadmin] The Worm on NPR, 10 Nov 88

peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) (11/12/88)

Gene Spafford and Cliff Stohl, together with Renee Montaine and Robert
Segal (spelling subject to random drug testing, ordering subject to the
whimsy of the script) talked viruses last night on NPR. A humorous and
remarkably accurate (for a popular presentation) description of the worm
was aired, and a call for moderation was made.

Congratulations... now if you can only get CBS to air it...

(Voice over... "Hello MIT", "Hello, please log in", "No thanks, I'd just
like a list of machines you talk to", "OK, there's Berkeley...", "Thanks,
SUCKER"... (dialing sounds) "Hello, Berkeley", "Hello, please log in", "No
thanks, I'd just like to send some mail", "OK, where to?", "DEBUG"...
(dramatic chord, evil laughter, etc...))

Damn, I wish I'd got that on tape.
-- 
Peter da Silva  `-_-'  Ferranti International Controls Corporation
"Have you hugged  U  your wolf today?"     uunet.uu.net!ficc!peter
Disclaimer: My typos are my own damn business.   peter@ficc.uu.net

cosell@bbn.com (Bernie Cosell) (11/12/88)

In article <2197@ficc.uu.net> peter@ficc.uu.net (Peter da Silva) writes:
}Gene Spafford and Cliff Stohl, together with Renee Montaine and Robert
}Segal (spelling subject to random drug testing, ordering subject to the
}whimsy of the script) talked viruses last night on NPR. A humorous and
}remarkably accurate (for a popular presentation) description of the worm
}was aired, and a call for moderation was made.
}
}Congratulations... now if you can only get CBS to air it...
}
}(Voice over... "Hello MIT", "Hello, please log in", "No thanks, I'd just
}like a list of machines you talk to", "OK, there's Berkeley...", "Thanks,
}SUCKER"... (dialing sounds) "Hello, Berkeley", "Hello, please log in", "No
}thanks, I'd just like to send some mail", "OK, where to?", "DEBUG"...
}(dramatic chord, evil laughter, etc...))
}
}Damn, I wish I'd got that on tape.

You can.  Instead of lamenting that you missed the opportunity to steal a
copy of their report by pirating a copy, you can call NPR (202-822-2000)
and ask to BUY a copy.  They'll be happy to accommodate.  $15, I believe.

   __
  /  )                              Bernie Cosell
 /--<  _  __  __   o _              BBN Sys & Tech, Cambridge, MA 02238
/___/_(<_/ (_/) )_(_(<_             cosell@bbn.com

wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (Wolfgang Rupprecht) (11/12/88)

>}Gene Spafford and Cliff Stohl, together with Renee Montaine and Robert
>}Segal (spelling subject to random drug testing, ordering subject to the
>}whimsy of the script) talked viruses last night on NPR. A humorous and
>}Damn, I wish I'd got that on tape.
>You can.  Instead of lamenting that you missed the opportunity to steal a
								   ^^^^^
>copy of their report by pirating a copy, you can call NPR (202-822-2000)
>and ask to BUY a copy.  They'll be happy to accommodate.  $15, I believe.

PLEASE! Lets not get so hyper...  It seems that this virus/worm is
really bringing out the ugly side in lots of otherwise reasonable
people.

I would be very surprised to hear that the right to record radio shows
doesn't fall under the same "time-shifting" fair-use provision of the
law as the legal recording of TV programs with a VCR.

Not that NPR is a place to donate money to...

-wolfgang
Wolfgang Rupprecht	ARPA:  wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (IP 18.82.0.114)
TEL: (617) 267-4365	UUCP:  mit-eddie!mgm.mit.edu!wolfgang

whh@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) (11/19/88)

In article <7900@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (Wolfgang Rupprecht) writes:
> >You can.  Instead of lamenting that you missed the opportunity to steal a
> 								   ^^^^^
> >copy of their report by pirating a copy, you can call NPR (202-822-2000)
> >and ask to BUY a copy.  They'll be happy to accommodate.  $15, I believe.
> 
> I would be very surprised to hear that the right to record radio shows
> doesn't fall under the same "time-shifting" fair-use provision of the
> law as the legal recording of TV programs with a VCR.

*That* issue was settled in the '50s.  It is legal to tape off the air
for your own use without violating copyright.  However--you'll probably
get a better copy by purchasing it from NPR.

    --Hal

=========================================================================
  Hal Heydt                             |    "Hafnium plus Holmium is
  Analyst, Pacific*Bell                 |     one-point-five, I think."
  415-645-7708                          |       --Dr. Jane Robinson
  {att,bellcore,sun,ames,pyramid}!pacbell!pbhya!whh   

rolfe@w3vh.UU.NET (Rolfe Tessem) (11/20/88)

In article <21672@pbhya.PacBell.COM>, whh@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) writes:
> In article <7900@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (Wolfgang Rupprecht) writes:
> > I would be very surprised to hear that the right to record radio shows
> > doesn't fall under the same "time-shifting" fair-use provision of the
> > law as the legal recording of TV programs with a VCR.
> 
> *That* issue was settled in the '50s.  It is legal to tape off the air
> for your own use without violating copyright.  However--you'll probably
> get a better copy by purchasing it from NPR.
> 
>     --Hal
> 
I don't believe that this was settled in the '50s as you
state, but rather just a few years ago in the Sony "Betamax
Case" that went to the Supreme Court.  The key here is "for
your own personal use."

Another element of the copyright law that seems to be widely
misunderstood here is the concept of "fair usage," which
basically means I may use excerpts of a copyrighted work in
reportage without compensating the copyright owner.  For
example, when Jimmy Cagney died, and all three network news
broadcasts ran obituaries using excerpts from his films, *none* 
of the networks paid licensing fees to the studios that own the
films as they would have had to if they'd been used in an 
entertainment compilation.

This almost cetainly doesn't belong in news.sysadmin any
longer, but I'm not sure where to direct followups...
-- 
UUCP:         uunet!w3vh!rolfe 			| Rolfe Tessem
INTERNET:     rolfe@w3vh.uu.net			| P.O. Box 793
AMPRNET:      rolfe@w3vh.ampr.org   [44.44.0.1]	| Great Barrington, MA 01230
PACKET RADIO: w3vh@wa2pvv 			| (413) 528-5966

whh@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) (11/21/88)

In article <375@w3vh.UU.NET>, rolfe@w3vh.UU.NET (Rolfe Tessem) writes:
> In article <21672@pbhya.PacBell.COM>, whh@pbhya.PacBell.COM (Wilson Heydt) writes:
> > In article <7900@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>, wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (Wolfgang Rupprecht) writes:
> > > [about taping radio shows -- and legality of it]
> > 
> I don't believe that this was settled in the '50s as you
> state, but rather just a few years ago in the Sony "Betamax
> Case" that went to the Supreme Court.  The key here is "for
> your own personal use."

It was settled for *video* when various people sued Sony.  The general
case was settled many years before--almost as soon as TAPE RECORDERS
became cheap enough for the average person to afford.  If you want
to be really nasty, you could check to see if the issue came up when
wire recorders were in vogue.

> ["fair use" of excerpts]

My wife writes--believe me, I know about "fair use."

> This almost cetainly doesn't belong in news.sysadmin any
> longer, but I'm not sure where to direct followups...

Likewise.  But I think it's been covered now and can be directed to /dev/null.

    --Hal

=========================================================================
  Hal Heydt                             |    "Hafnium plus Holmium is
  Analyst, Pacific*Bell                 |     one-point-five, I think."
  415-645-7708                          |       --Dr. Jane Robinson
  {att,bellcore,sun,ames,pyramid}!pacbell!pbhya!whh