EFF sues Apple over blocking blogger

NJN Network, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, May 2, 2009 with EFF notice

Big companies like Apple start with a good spirit but soon take the mean attitude of winner take all. BluWiki a blog site that discussed using your iPod with some other program other an iTunes was sued by Apple under the DMCA law. It’s one of the things we don’t like about Apple: they want a closed world where they control your life. EFF is the Electronic Frontier Foundation – the defend the rights of users in the digital age.

“EFF HAS FILED SUIT AGAINST APPLE COMPUTER, INC., TO DEFEND THE FIRST AMENDMENT rights of an operator of a public Internet “wiki” site known as BluWiki. The site is entirely noncommercial, operated by OdioWorks as a public service.

Late last year, Apple lawyers demanded removal of some of the content on BluWiki, alleging that the discussions constituted copyright infringement and a violation of the DMCA’s prohibition on circumventing copy protection measures. The discussions in question focused on how hobbyists might enable iPods and iPhones to work with desktop media management software other than Apple’s own iTunes software, such as WinAmp and Songbird. Fearing legal action by Apple, OdioWorks took down the discussions from the BluWiki site.

For the full press release:
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/04/27

For more on this case:
http://www.eff.org/cases/odioworks-v-apple

OdioWorks filed the lawsuit in order to vindicate its right to restore those discussions. The suit seeks a declaratory judgment that the discussions do not violate any of the DMCA’s anti-circumvention provisions and do not infringe any copyrights owned by Apple.”