Let’s say we all register for this – WHAT WOULD PREVENT ANYONE FROM BURNING ILLEGAL SOFTWARE?

This registration thing is just revenue. Ahh yes, the “inherent power of the state.”

HIS LAWYERS HAVE CONVINCED HIM THAT DVD AND CD BURNING IS ILLEGAL.

ALAM NYO BA NA PATI SELLING OF DISKETTES ILLEGAL NA RIN KASI EVEN DISKETTES DAW IS AN “OPTICAL MEDIA.”

We’re talking about copyright infringement. as a general rule, the state has to obtain a search warrant before siezing private property. however, the Optical Media Board has the power to take into preventive custody any optical media and/or material or equipment, including parts, accessories and paraphernalia used for the mastering, manufacture or replication of optical media which are found in any premises if the OMB has reasonable ground to believe or suspect that these are evidence of violation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 9239, otherwise known as the Optical Media Act of 2003.

i think the net cafe owners were asked to “surrender” the dvd/cd writers and these were not “seized”.

My name is not Sir DVD! hahaah

http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/my_sarisari_store/2007/10/quiapo-a-heav-1.html#comments

They should investigate first if the Dvd/CD writer is used in burning copyrighted materials. Yung ibang raiders kase papogi lang basta may ma raid at may mahuli ayos na. They dont really care about the business nung tao kahit legal.

Minsan sindikato pa yung mga raiders ipapatubos sayo yung mga ini confiscate nila tpos sa bulsa nila diretso yung pera at pagbalik sayo nung unit mo downgraded or worst kulang-kulang na yung mga parts. Peperahan lang yung may ari ng negosyo.
Masmalala pa sila sa magnanakaw.

What is unclear here is if we really have a law or laws covering the idea (not act) that a CD/DVD Writer in a public place (like iCafes) constitutes the possibility of illegal copying occurring in the establishment.

Anyone have a copy or something? Coz seriously, everyone’s saying it is “illegal” to confiscate those, but how sure are we? Any law experts here? (Sorry if I missed you if you are a law expert..)

If they are doing such things, then there is a possibility that they are protected by law or laws, but which? Intellectual Property Rights? Patent? Copyright? Trademark?

Or they created a new mandate the public wasn’t aware of?

Yes it is illegal, but is it still — now? Could someone check?

Finally, these iCafes must really learn to cooperate with each other and stop thinking of themselves as individuals. The recent iCafe meeting in Manila failed because of the majority invited boycotting the meeting. Do we care? Yes, coz it will affect the whole country.

And those confiscations.. let them be. They are only creating millions of enemies by doing that. Don’t stop them. Let those who use and rely on CD/DVD Writer from iCafes be the one to speak up this time. It is not our job.

What we should instead do is point out how stupid is Operation Licensing of a CD/DVD Writer. These CD/DVD Writers are part of the PC package. It will only work if it’s connected to the PC and as such doesn’t need a separate license.

/sarcasm on

They might as well issue a license for the Power Supply, AVRs, Keyboards, Hard Disk drives.. oh wait, HDD of many iCafes have illegal stuff! Confiscate those and tell the Computer Community in the Philippines that HDD also requires a LICENSE!!

/sarcasm off

Register the drives before usage? now that’s completely insane.

Have the OMB been listening and dancing to ‘Papaya’ too long?

As most here have said that it is outrages and in violation of consumer rights.

Even though the OMB’s confiscation of DVD and CD writers may be hearsay, we must stay vigilant about our consumer rights. Ok, piracy IS piracy, but the right to buy what one wants (as long as the right fulfills its corresponding duty) is intrinsic to the individual and essential to our functioning as a democratic society.

Hindi pwedeng iconfiscate ang blank dvds and cd-rs kasi legal naman ang usage ng mga yan ah. Kaya nga naimbento diba.

I’ve read somewhere, kaka-raid lang nung shop niya sabi dapat daw may permit yung writer… hmmm…

Why not raid all the CDR-king outlets as well?

I admire their eagerness and vigilance in fighting against software piracy but this is a little bit too harsh and unnecessary.

It’s totally unfair for the people who can’t afford to have their own computer at home and go to these internet shops.

For me this is insane!
1.) Not everyone has a PC at home hence they go to shops and save them through cds and other storage device
2.) Burning Media on a CD or DVD = Saving on Thumbdrives or floppy disk

They should prove that the cafe is burning pirated software or music before they confiscate it.

Many professors nowadays require students to pass projects on optical media as floppy disks are now too small and too unreliable, and flash drives are way too expensive to just give to the teacher. Those without optical media recorders would then resort to Internet cafes to burn their projects.

Of course, some would abuse it to burn copyrighted material, but it should really be investigated first.

BTW, I was puzzled when you said “Php202,569,400″ is just an estimation.

Oh well, i personally don’t buy pirated CDs or even pirated apparel.