Digital BW, The Print

On Thursday 28 April 2005 6:55 pm, Anthony S. Tubbs wrote:
> ... Bjorn you really are out in left field with your 
> comparison of the software bit.  I see plenty of people making Raw 
> converters without the help of Cannon , Nikon etc.

What do you think is in left field?  If Nikon actually does use
some technological protection such as encryption, the DMCA[1,2]
makes it far from clear that non-Nikon software can legally
circumvent those measures to process NEF files.

For example, in the "US v Sklyarov" case[3], Sklyarov and his
employer, ElcomSoft, were charged with offering software that
could circumvent technological protections in Adobe eBooks.
He and his company were eventually acquitted, but only because
the jury thought there was no criminal intent[4].

Will there be non-Nikon software that *does* process NEFs?
Sure, but it's on shaky legal ground.  And if I were a company
with deep pockets, I'd be hesitant to produce such software,
especially if the camera manufacturer were hostile, as Nikon
seems to be.

[1] http://www.arl.org/info/frn/copy/dmca.html
[2] http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/?f=unintended_consequences.html
[3] http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Elcomsoft/us_v_elcomsoft_faq.html
[4] http://news.com.com/2100-1023-978176.html

> Bjorn Helgaas wrote:
> >And even on Windows, the SDK may drop support for the D2X in a
> >few years.  Then, if you want to keep using your D2X, you'll have
> >to also maintain a computer running the last supported version.
> >Imagine trying to maintain MSDOS on an old PC just so you can
> >run VisiCalc.