<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class=""><div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class=""><blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:7DBD08D9-C0FB-405A-A427-3708639705F0@delong.com" class=""><div class=""><br class="">
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I suppose a Hulu subscriber could dispute the charge or file a suit
(class action?) for damages: "Hulu took my money, but didn't provide
the services they advertised." As an ISP, some of us might even be
in a position where we encounter losses due to Hulu's
(mis)classification resulting in customers moving to the
competition; I would think that would be sufficient grounds for a
suit.<br class="">
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</div></blockquote></div><br class=""><div class="">The problem here is that identifying class members is very hard (most class members wouldn’t realize why they were not getting Hulu, and Hulu probably either quickly corrects the problem on their end or blames the ISP), meaning they wouldn’t realize their ability to join the class.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">As an individual customer, Hulu will refund your money and tell you to piss off. That’s about all you’re likely to recover in the court case, too.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">As an ISP, there might be something there, but, you’d have to prove that you had a significant number of customers that left for that specific reason and you’d have to show the actual damages that resulted. Easy to estimate, very hard to prove.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">So in this particular case, I think Hulu is tragically safe from being held accountable.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I think the best solution would be something like this…</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">If congress were to revise the DMCA to provide a provision similar to the following:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Digital Rights Management</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">Content producers and Content owners have the right to enforce their copyright through automated means</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">known as “Digital Rights Management” (DRM).</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">DRM mechanisms may include, but are not limited to any of the following:</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>IP Address based geographical location inference and content limitations</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Efforts to avoid delivery of services to users of Virtual Private Networks</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Software locks or limitations preventing playback based on machine configuration, software status,</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>or other variables.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Self-destructive content</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></blockquote>2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Duties of Content Producers and Content Owners<br class=""><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">Content producers and Content owners must, however, ensure that any form of DRM employed in this</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">process does not in any way curtail the legitimate rights of end users who have lawfully purchased,</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">licensed, or otherwise through fair use or other mechanism obtained legitimate rights to the content.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></blockquote>3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Rights of Consumers</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">The fair trade commission shall maintain a mechanism for consumers to report and document instances</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">where their content rights have been infringed, abridged, or otherwise hindered by DRM. Through this</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">process, the FTC shall investigate all credible complaints and make a determination of fact whether</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">the consumer’s rights were violated.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">In such an instance where the FTC determines consumers rights were violated, the Content Owner,</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">Content Producer, and any Content Providers involved shall be jointly and severally liable for the following</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">damages:</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Restitution to each affected consumer of the full cost (if any) born by the consumer in obtaining the</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>infringed rights.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A DRM free copy of the content in the same format(s) and usable with the same playback</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>mechanism(s) provided to each affected consumer.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>A fine payable to the united States not to exceed $10,000 per incident per affected consumer.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>+<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Reimbursement to the FTC for all costs of the investigation and any process(es) related to</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>enforcement of any judgment resulting from the investigation.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">In the event that a Content Owner, Producer, or Provider wishes to appeal an FTC ruling, the appeal</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">shall be heard in the circuit court of appeals covering the largest fraction of the affected consumers known</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">to be affected at the time of the ruling. While awaiting said hearing, the restitution to affected consumers</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class="">and DRM free copy shall be provided not less than 60 days after the initial ruling.</blockquote><blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></blockquote></blockquote>Owen<div class=""><br class=""></div></body></html>