News (8)

DMCA makes Google kill open source project

A copyright complaint pushes Google to remove an open-source project to let Linux use proprietary video decoding software called CoreAVC. Read more »

Exposing software flaws -- no easy job

Security researcher Christopher Soghoian reflects on the hard work that comes after finding a vulnerability. Read more »

YouTube's fate rests on decade-old copyright law

Whether YouTube suffers the same fate as Napster may depend on the wording of a nearly antique law written long before video-sharing Web sites were envisioned. Read more »

Linux Australia honours IP lawyer

Law professor and intellectual property expert Kimberlee Weatherall was honoured with an award for service to the open source community Read more »

Open source push reflects need for FTA action: Lundy

Even modest adoption of open source software could trim 2.5 percent from the government's IT spend, Labor senator and shadow minister for IT Kate Lundy told approximately 150 gathered attendees in a broad keynote speech that kicked off the AUUG'2004 conference in Melbourne yesterday. Read more »

AU FOSS bodies blast US free-trade deal

Australia's national open source industry body, OSIA (Open Source Industry Australia), and Linux Australia have spoken out about their concerns over the proposed Australian-US Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA), warning that the legal framework of the intellectual property clauses will put the entire Australian software development industry at risk. Read more »

Linux, digital rights on collision course

Widespread use of Linux and open-source software is an inevitability, but the new programming technique is running into troubles with the important new technology of digital rights management, Hewlett-Packard's top Linux executive said Tuesday. Read more »

Is Real's 'hacking' of iPod legal?

Code-crackers risk fines and prison time when they defeat copy-protection technology, but such draconian rules likely don't apply in the case of RealNetworks and its iPod "hack," legal experts in the US say. Read more »

Features (7)

Teen iPhone hacker predicts two weeks: Interview

Builder AU tracked down the first person outside of Apple to get their hands on the inner workings of the iPhone and asked him the what, the where and the why of hacking the iPhone. Read more »

'Electric Slide' on slippery DMCA slope

The inventor of the "Electric Slide," an iconic dance created in 1976, is fighting back against what he believes are copyright violations and, more importantly, examples of bad dancing. Read more »

Talking IP with Kimberlee Weatherall and Rusty Russell

Law professor and intellectual property expert Kimberlee Weatherall and Linux Australia's IP Policy Adviser, Rusty Russell, talk about the new intellectual property laws Read more »

The open-source techie who means business

Alan Cox, one of the most respected figures in the open-source community, talks about GPL 3, software patents, the kernel development process and Linux on the desktop. Read more »

In defence of freedom

The principles are the same, but technology has moved on significantly in the 15 years since the release of GPL 2. Read more »

James Gosling Q & A

James Gosling was in Australia this week to give two question-and-answer session to local developers. A rare opportunity for local developers, Builder AU was on hand to transcribe the event for those who couldn't make it. Read more »

Why open source is bad for Australia

Open source is actually anti-industry, and protecting it is not in Australia's interests, says one industry observer. Read more »

Blog (1)

What's hot with Linux Luminaries

Chris Duckett [blogs:betaliving] -- Check out our video of renown FOSS developers giving their 2 cents on technology, companies, and girl bands. Read more »

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  • Staff Microsoft shows off IE9 preview

    This week, highlights from Microsoft's MIX10 conference and more in the Roundup. Read more »

    -- posted by Staff

  • Chris Duckett IE9's H.264 vote killed Ogg

    In a split decision by the judges, the winner of the W3C/WHATWG video codec consensus is H.264, taking home the future of video playback on the internet while loser Ogg goes home with nothing but thoughts of what might have been. Read more »

    -- posted by Chris Duckett

  • Staff Google launches Apps Marketplace

    Google launches and app store, while Mozilla plans to re-write its open-source license. More of this week's news in the Roundup. Read more »

    -- posted by Staff

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