Attempt to ban all free software

[julitomg]

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[julitomg]

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[julitomg]

That´s what you get from right wing governments...beyond it´s being french or other "undesireble, inferior" country...
At least give them that...

[julitomg]

ooops, sorry for repeating

[rkr1958]

Isn't freeware usually crippled in some form?
I've seen very few pieces of freeware that are worth using.
Most have some type of nag screen or other cyberbegging ( free doesn't necessarily mean donate) popup built in.
Technically the term "freeware" is an illusion.
The same as "shareware" is.

Excuse me ... AVISynth, VirtualDub, DVDRB (free version), VOBBlanker, TitleSetBlanker, DVDDecrypter, ...

Dare I need to name more!

EDIT: Sorry Adam, I responded to GullyFoyle before reading your response.

[ViRaL1]

It's an M$ plot to rid France of Firefox and other browsers in their quest for world domination. :P

[ROF]

So while I tend to respect your judgement in this case you are wrong about French films.

No, I'm stating a fact. The only reason the French film industry is not extinct is because the government subsidizes it under one of many strict cultural laws/programs. Other stuff is simply more popular, so they try to punish you with extra taxes on non-French movies. I'm sure there are a number of nice artsy films in France, but they are about on par with Indies.

As far as not wanting to read movies, reading a visual form of entertainment is not desired by the overwhelming majority (probably at least 90% or more). Most people will pick up a book if they want to read.

BTW, a lot of the "Hollywood" movies these days are made in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and several other choice locations. Much of the editing is done in places like Canada, Florida, New York, etc. California just does not have the room for everything that gets made these days. A great number of actors/actresses don't live there anymore either.

if anyone wanted to read a movie why not pick up a book instead? Don't misunderstand subtitles are great for those moments when you want to rewind and still can't understand what was said but to watch an entire film with subtitles on is horribly distracting. It's almost as bad as going over to someones house and watching a widescreen movie on a TV not designed to display it. Those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen can be just as annoying as they turn a 30 inch TV into a 20 inch set.

If the French government didn't pay to keep their film industry in existence they would have long ago disappeared. If I wanted to watch a film with subtitles that was actually good I'd rent a Japanese film. at least the quality of acting and scene direction makes it so that in most cases subtitles become unnecessary because even without understanding what the characters are saying you understand their meaning in their sentences, expressions, and actions. Alot of French films you watch and the characters appear angry when they are actually happy or sad when they are mad. The quality just isn't close to what other Non-US films produce.

[julitomg]

Sorry again but it´s more interesting(at least in this thread)to discuss about freeware and it´s derived legal and practical considerations than to turn it into a very sorry, pathetic attempt about film "criticism" with such poor arguments.
If you really, really hate subtitles you can always rent/buy/rip the Jackass movie or Police Academy 17 AGAIN and AGAIN (just make sure to turn off the subtitled for those hearing crippled people)
As for the funny moving characters or letters in the end of the movie, don´t pay any attention, they´re just the film´s credits(the cool music is just a trick to force and twist your free will into reading them...fight it...fight it)

[smearbrick1]

It's almost as bad as going over to someones house and watching a widescreen movie on a TV not designed to display it. Those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen can be just as annoying as they turn a 30 inch TV into a 20 inch set.

You are kidding, right?

[mattso]

I hate French films.

[adam]

Ok I read up some more on this and now I know why France is doing this. Its not so much a ban on free software as it is a ban on open source software. The reason is that they are trying to lay the groundwork for the EU DMCA which imposes all kinds of restrictions on software publishers. They have to include DRM on ALL software and have to implement certain other tracking methods. So the country wants to ban open source software to ensure that each software is linked to a specific author so that they can force them to abide by the EU DMCA. Otherwise, an open source P2P program, for example, is above the law once distributed and modified. There's no one to go after...but if open source software is made illegal than you can prosecute anyone who distributes it.

I'm seeing conflicting reports on this bill. I think it only applies to software that allows distribution of copyrighted works (FTP, P2P, Internet Relay chat progs, etc..) In any case this seems like a bizarre and overly broad way of enforcing the EU DMCA.

[ROF]

In any case this seems like a bizarre and overly broad . . .

yep, that pretty much describes the French Government.

[guns1inger]

ROF - do you zoom 2.35:1 AR movies to fill your widescreen TV ?

Do you squash your old Bogart films that are 1.33:1 AR so you don't get vertical black bars ?

Or do you only watch MPAA approved 1.778:1 AR films ?

[rkr1958]

Check Out 12/7 News from Doom9"

However, reading a bit more French, the law is actually getting way beyond the DMCA by banning (in)voluntary dissemination of any information about tools that this directive would outlaw, even if it's of academic nature (so researchers are no longer allowed to tell people a product is unsafe because the encryption can be broken - next thing they can no longer tell you if the encryption your bank uses for online banking is unsafe and you'll only be the wiser when your bank account is empty). And it gets even better: DRM for online radio, a universal filtering system for all ISPs to filter out content the content industry doesn't want to be transmitted (you know how filters are, put anything you don't like in it and nobody will get it anymore - it's a slippery slope towards universal censorship), and any software that can be used to transmit copyrighted material could be forced to implement and recognize DRM. Any software implementing any protocol would be affected. And the last straw is an attempt to ban all free software altogether. I will spare you the collection of swearwords, but nobody in their sane mind could be for such a proposal.

[kisrum]

If France is so bad why do diverse types like Richard Perle and Johnny Depp choose to live there?

dunno. I know why Roman Polanski chooses to live there...hot 13 year-olds.

I think all of the Rolling Stones and a couple Beatles lived there for tax reasons, although Bill Wyman apparently had a thing for 13 year-olds as well, but I don't know why a handful of US celebrities live there. But then I don't know why the presence of a handful of US celebrities somehow defines or defends a culture either.

Could be all these celebrities have a bunch of old cars they'd like to get rid of for insurance purposes. I hear the French police have gotten fairly tolerant of that recently.

[SCDVD]

With the likes of those, good riddance. I am only sorry that a bunch more of their kind didn't follow up with their promise to get out too. Makes the air so much cleaner don't you think?

[MOVIEGEEK]

The French Government is known for it's strength and integrity so I know they'll come up with something and not just lie down and let those who want freeware to disobey.

ROF,reading your posts I don't know if you are being sarcastic or just plain stupid.
Anyway thanks for the laugh.

[thecoalman]

Which is still far more responsibility than some people here accept for their mistakes.

You can say that again.....

Anyhow the term free software really depends on the license. Phpbb is released under the GNU General Public License. You can do whatever you want with it. Even sell it....

When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.

Essentially you can do whatever you wish to phpbb, the license essentially restricts you to only charging once since....

For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their rights.

You have to hand over the bank whether you do it for free or charge. Once the initial code is handed over to someone they have the right to do whatever they wish with it.

[MackemX]

interesting reading but it's amazing the lengths they will go to

[BobK]

It's almost as bad as going over to someones house and watching a widescreen movie on a TV not designed to display it. Those black bars at the top and bottom of the screen can be just as annoying as they turn a 30 inch TV into a 20 inch set.

You are kidding, right?

Every time he posts I become more convinced he's a troll.

Think the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are as annoying as the black bars at the sides of the screen when you try watch 4:3 TV on a widescreen TV?

[guns1inger]

I watch the movie, so I don't see the black bars, regardless of how big they are.

[pdemondo]

FRANCE is SOOOOOOOOO Great??

J Depp makes his money in the
US as does Richard Perle, the local disease of the economy couldn't
affect either of these guys. In general, Western Eurpoe would
be a nice place to live, if you aren't subject to trying to live off of the
economy.

What France is doing makes perfect sense for a socialist government.

Socialism isn't about getting rid of/controlling big business its not
about helping the little guy, it about making
sure the little guy NEVER makes it big.
[/quote]

[Captain315]

Personally, I don't purchase ANYTHING that I know has been made in France. I have absolutely no respect for the French people in general. So, they can do what they like about software and anything else, I could not care less. (Thanks Moviegeek for straightening me out on the Target stores, I too was a victim of the email campaign.)

[MackemX]

isn't Canada in France?

[Edmund Blackadder]

Personally, I don't purchase ANYTHING that I know has been made in France and I NEVER buy anything from Target stores because it is owned by a French company. I have absolutely no respect for the French people in general.

Moderators, please, could you direct this thread in the right direction. I am not French, but this talk of almost hatred of France and anything French is really annoying. I thought it's against this forum's rules to do either political, religious, racist, etc., remarks. While I don't dislike these groups, but what if I made comments such as "I hate blacks, Jews, U.S. citizens who hate foreigners, and especially the supporters of George W. Bush"? I'm sure that I would get a big fat warning pretty quick. Comments like that would quickly fall into "politically incorrect" and "racist" category, but somehow everybody can hate Freanch all they want. We need some balance here.

I've been in France once and enjoyed the country and the people's kindness and hospitality very much. So please just stop all your racist (I don't have a better word for it) remarks and grow up. And it's partially because of biased people like you, French- and foreign-haters, why the U.S. of A. is so much disliked around the world (much more than France could ever dream of). You dislike everyone French just because they are French - that a perfect nazist opinion. There are many great American people, and I'm friends with many of them, but somehow it's the narrow-minded people (and politicians) like you that seem to be creating the negative image of this country around the world. Just don't be surprised when one day it backfires in a big way.

Back to the French movies, I've seen quite a few and I liked most of what I saw. French comedies from 60x-80x are among the best and funniest I've ever seen. Of course I have to import a lot of French films either from France or Russia/Ukraine, because the U.S. publishers don't bother to release most of them. What French stuff you've seen here is not even nearly best of what they have to offer.

Oh, by the way Captain315, since you don't want to deal with ANYTHING that is made or owned by French, you should stop watching and listening all the Universal releases, and also stop watching NBC television network who is now part of the Universal, because Universal is owned by French.

[gll99]

isn't Canada in France?

Yes

[MackemX]

well said Edmund Blackadder 8). Did you report the thread using the report this post link as I don't see it in the feedback? It would probably get a quicker response that way , though I doubt anyone would say anything now you have raised it

I do hope you see the humourous side of my post though as I love France, especially the girls I've met on holidays

[MOVIEGEEK]

@ Captain315:Target is NOT owned by the French,it's owned by Dayton-Hudson:
http://target.com/target_group/community_giving/vet_support.jhtml

@Edmund Blackadder:NBC is 80% owned by GE:
http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/ge.asp

BTW...I love French films,Inspector Cluesoe is my favorite French actor.

[mbellot]

BTW...I love French films,Inspector Cluesoe is my favorite French actor.

And Jerry Lewis was their favorite American actor.

Perhaps we aren't so different afterall.

[painkiller]

Even with the distinction of Open SOurce versus the "free" software publishing and distribution ... it would seem to me this would be highly unenforceable.
Even, and especially, for the French.

I just can't see their police-type agencies having the time to track down, serve papers, arrest such "scofflaws who dare to make computing life better."

(If they REALLY want to gum things up, give the responsibility to the U.N. After all, that organization wants to control everything the individual does. Right? At least, provided you kickback some moolah, or oil coupons, or something. Right?)

Heh.