Tech Manufacturers Using Copyright Law to Thwart Competitors

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was supposed to protect copyrighted materials -- such as music and movies -- from digital piracy. But, as some argued in opposing it, tech manufacturers are beginning to use the DMCA to try to stifle competition. As BusinessWeek reports here, Lexmark has filed a suit under the DMCA trying to stop a chipmaker from selling chips to third-parties who sell remanufactured toner cartridges for Lexmark's printers, arguing that the code in the chips is protected by copyright.