Rewrite and wordsmith this paragraph.

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Bradley M. Kuhn 2014-03-20 08:57:06 -04:00
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@ -2590,20 +2590,21 @@ versions. This practice thwarts the expectations of developers and users
alike, because the right to modify is one of the core freedoms the GPL is alike, because the right to modify is one of the core freedoms the GPL is
designed to secure. designed to secure.
Technological measures to defeat users' rights --- often described by such Technological measures to defeat users' rights. These measures are often
Orwellian phrases as ``digital rights management,'' which actually means described by such Orwellian phrases, such as ``digital rights management,''
limitation or outright destruction of users' legal rights, or ``trusted which actually means limitation or outright destruction of users' legal
computing,'' which actually means selling people computers they cannot trust rights, or ``trusted computing,'' which actually means selling people
--- are alike in one basic respect. They all employ technical means to turn computers they cannot trust. However, these measures are alike in one basic
the system of copyright law, where the powers of the copyright holder are respect. They all employ technical means to turn the system of copyright law
limited exceptions to general freedom, into a prison, where everything not (where the powers of the copyright holder are limited exceptions to general
specifically permitted is utterly forbidden, and indeed, if the full extent freedom) into a virtual prison, where everything not specifically permitted
of their ambition is realized, would be technically impossible. This system is utterly forbidden. This system of ``para-copyright'' was created well
of ``para-copyright'' has been created since the adoption of GPLv2, through after GPLv2 was written --- initially through legislation in the USA and the
legislation in the United States, the European Union, and elsewhere that EU, and later in other jurisdictions as well. This legislation creates
makes it a serious civil or even criminal offense to escape from these serious civil or even criminal penalties to escape from these restrictions
restrictions, even where the purpose in doing so is to restore the users' (commonly and aptly called ``jail-breaking a device''), even where the
legal rights that the technology wrongfully prevents them from exercising. purpose in doing so is to restore the users' legal rights that the technology
wrongfully prevents them from exercising.
% FIXME: Remove FSF specific parts % FIXME: Remove FSF specific parts