Customer Reviews

DMCA

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sure, the DMCA is an important topic. It is certainly a complex one, with many players having competing interests. I applaud Ms. Wilbur's efforts.

That being said, this book offers little added value. It makes a great reference book, as all but 77 or so pages contain copies of various legislation. The book lacks any expertise, any interviews of those with expertise, or proper punctuation. Instead of posing well thought out questions and then positing hypotheses or data, Ms. Wilbur merely spews question after question, with no attempt at finding an answer. She brainstorms well, but doesn't follow through with any research.

The title for the review sums it up. Know what you're buying. You aren't buying any new insight or expertise with this book. You are buying a handy refernce to the law, and a heap of off-the-cuff questions.

I'm embarrassed to admit I paid money for this book. It is written by a computer science major with no background in the law and no understanding of the issues underlying the law. If the book is simply viewed as a collection of hyperlinks to anti-DMCA websites, it is successful. But as an intelligent discussion of the DMCA or the issues surrounding it, it is a total waste of time and money.

This is an excellent read for anybody. Any webmaster should surely read this, as should anyone else who deals with online content. It is a strong argument on why the DMCA isn't constitutional and why it should be repealed. It's written in a question/answer format, thus making it easier to find specifics. A must read.

....DMCA draws very strongly from online debates -- it's fast-paced, rushed, very much a persuasive work rather than an informative, scholarly one, and could use some serious copy-editing. Nevertheless, it's an interesting read, and the only paper work I've seen to date that accurately captures the flavor of online discussions about the DMCA.