PyPI Was Subpoenaed

Re:PyPI Was Subpoenaed by mindslight on Thursday May 25, 2023 @12:22PM (#36072718)

Every time I'm reminded of this law, specifically the year of its passing, I'm newly surprised. For some digital authoritarian laws, I'm acutely aware that they are only recent history (eg FOSTA, DMCA, bank surveillance, "Patriot" act). But with the NETA and the CFAA I have to work at remembering that things weren't always this way, as recently as a few decades ago. Like imagine the different world we could be living in if they had failed at becoming law and things had developed without them.

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Re:PyPI Was Subpoenaed by lazide on Thursday May 25, 2023 @01:37PM (#36073664)

The nominal reason for the passing of the law was widespread use of VCRs, which allowed non-centralized and difficult to control recording/copying, distribution, and at home playing where usage couldn’t be monitored (like at a theatre which can be audited).

Before that, it would involve something like literal film, which didn’t scale well, and was too expensive and difficult for a typical person to do at home. It still happened, but was VERY niche.

With VHS/VCRs, someone could spend a couple thousand dollars and make hundreds of bootleg copies of any blockbuster video out there from their garage, and it was easy to literally go to Blockbuster(tm) and get an copy to duplicate without being tracked. Easy money. Folks would sell them out of the back of (literally) vans, or through friends, or via flea markets, etc.

It’s still super prevalent in Asia, using DVD/Blu-ray’s.

In the US, it then eventually got applied to the internet, because it was even easier and more scalable using computers, and harder to track down the culprits.

It’s all about money in the end of course.

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