Digital Technology Users'
Declaration of Rights

Introduction

In response to the relentless encroachments we are suffering to our right to privacy, and right to freely generate, use and share information, this Declaration of Rights has been written.

This Declaration is put forward as the users' answer to the infamous 'Digital Millennium Copyright Act', signed into law in 1997 by President Clinton, and enforced in most jurisdictions in which internet access is available.

With some effort and organisation, governments can be lobbied to enshrine these rights into law.

Note - this Declaration aims at a level of completeness. One price paid for this completeness is a level of redundancy and tautology, which the author hopes will not unduly annoy the reader.

Disclaimer

This document is not intended to suggest in any way that users should be free to evade paying for software which they are using.

However, there are situations where software authors seek to impose unreasonable restrictions on users' free enjoyment of software and other digital content, and/or interfere with users' ability to make reasonable pre-purchase evaluation of digital Content. It is to address and rectify such situations that this Declaration has been written.

Definitions

Within this document, I will be using some common words and phrases with a meaning which may be ambiguous, or may differ from common interpretation and usage.

This section spells out the exact meaning with which certain words and terms are used within this document.

Storage Media	Any hardware component which is capable of storing any kind of information or digital material. This includes, but is not limited to, hard disks, floppy disks, random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, modular memory (eg compact flash cards, 'Secure Digital' cards), removable media (eg compact disks, digital video disks). This does not include any information - text, graphics, audio, video, program codes etc which are present on such media.
Content	Any information which can be stored within and/or retrieved from storage media. This includes text, images, audio, program codes and all other data.
Computer System	Any physical apparatus which contains one or more microprocessors. This includes personal computers, computer peripherals and other accessories, video game consoles, and any stereo systems, televisions, video recorders, DVD players and any other domestic appliances in which one or more microprocessors are present.
User, Users	A person who, by virtue of sale, trade or gift, is in lawful possession of one or more Computer Systems.

1. Storage Media

1.1. Right to Know

All users have the right to know the entire contents of all storage media on their systems, and all physical storage media to which they have the right of possession.
All users have the right to use, create and freely distribute any software and other information which may aid them in knowing the contents of their hard disks, and rendering these contents intelligible

1.2. Right to Alter

All users have the right to change existing content resident on all storage devices on their own systems, to change the format in which that content is stored on such storage devices, to change the structure of such content, to add new content and delete existing content as desired.
All users have the right to convert any content present on their storage devices from one format to another as suits their needs
All users have the right to delete any Content present on Storage Devices within their posession where such Content contradicts the user's wishes

1.3. Right to Backup

All users have the right to duplicate any and all content present on storage media within their possession for the purpose of making backup copies. Users have the right to create these backup copies in the same form as, or in a different form to, the original content.

2. Content Flow

All users have the right to be fully aware of all content flowing within their Computer Systems, into their computer systems from the Internet, out of their computer systems into the internet, and between two or more computer systems physically present at one location, eg a Local Area Network
All users have the right to possess, use, create and distribute software which can make the flow of media intelligible.
All users have the right to intervene in the operation of software resident on their computer systems; to prevent certain information flows, to introduce new information flows, and to alter existing information flows as desired.
For example, users have the right to intercept TCP/IP connections from a piece of software to a software vendor's server machine (or a third-party marketing company's server machine), and suppress personal information from being transmitted to that server. Users also have the right to block such communication from taking place at all, and/or to modify the software so that this software does not limit its usability due to the blockage of this information flow.

3. Structure and Configuration of Hardware

All users have the right to modify all digital and analogue hardware within their lawful possession. This includes techniques such as: Adding 'mod-chips' to computer game consoles, Adding, changing and/or removing any hardware, for the purpose of enjoying full access to a computer system, Modifying hardware for the purpose of making backup copies of content accessible

4. Right to Privacy and Encryption

All users have the right to possess, use, write and distribute encryption software.
All users have the right to apply encryption software to render unintelligible to others any Content residing on Storage Media within their Computer Systems, flowing within their Computer Systems, or to or from other Computer Systems or the Internet.
All users have the right to modify, disable or delete any software residing on their Computer Systems which monitors the user's activities.

5. Right to Reverse Engineering

Users have the freedom to decompile, analyse, and in any way reverse-engineer any Content residing on Storage Media within their possession.
Users have the right to combat and defeat any technological measures present in any software or hardware which seeks to restrict the user's full freedom of usage. For example, users have the right to use, create and distribute 'serials numbers', 'cracks', 'patches' etc for the purpose of learning about programming techniques, also for the purpose of gaining the ability fo fully evaluate a piece of 'shareware' or 'demoware' in a way which would not be possible with these technological measures intact.
Users have the right to convert to any format any content which is present on Storage Devices in their possession

6. Right to Free Expression

Users shall not be restricted from communicating what they understand to be the truth about any matter. This includes, but is not limited to, the right to communicate 'benchmarks', security weaknesses, and other performance and functionality issues of a piece of software or hardware, or honestly-formed opinions as to the nature or conduct of any company, person, organisation or government.

7. Right to Inter-Operability

Users have the right to initiate flow of Content between two or more pieces of Software and/or Storage Media of their choice. For example, users shall not be bound by EULA conditions in one piece of software which demand that this software not be used in conjunction with any other piece of software.

8. Right to Develop Software

Users have the right to design and implement software of any kind as they see fit. For example, users shall not be restricted from writing software which uses the Microsoft Foundation Classes, and competes with Microsoft products.
Users have the right to create, use and distribute software which assists them, or any other user, in defending the Rights listed in this Declaration

9. Audits and Disclosure

Users shall under no circumstances be required to:

Disclose to any other party the contents of any Storage Media in their possession
Surrender possession of any Computer System or Storage Media
Allow any other party to gain physical access to a user's Computer System or Storage Media
Allow any other party to gain remote or network access to a user's Computer System or Storage Media

10. Limitation in Scope of End User License Agreements

Users shall not be bound by any provisions in End User License Agreements in software or any other Content, or by Provisions within any other form of legal agreement, which contradict any of the above provisions in this Declaration of Rights.

This document is CopyLeft (C) October, 2002 by David McNab, david@freenet.org.nz.

Digital Technology Users' Declaration of Rights