“Signaling a new addition to the list of browser-specific Web sites, the U.S. Copyright Office solicited opinions on a planned Internet Explorer-only zone,” Paul Festa reports for CNET News. “The office, a division of the Library of Congress, invited comments through Aug. 22 on an upcoming Web service for prospective copyright owners that may launch with support for only limited browsers.”

“‘At this point in the process of developing the Copyright Office’s system for online preregistration, it is not entirely clear whether the system will be compatible with Web browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 5.1 and higher,’ the office said in its notice. ‘In order to ensure that preregistration can be implemented in a smoothly functioning and timely manner, the office now seeks comments that will assist it in determining whether any eligible parties will be prevented from preregistering a claim due to browser requirements of the preregistration system.’”

“In an interview, an attorney with the office said that the sticking point was Siebel software that guaranteed compatibility with only selected browsers… The Copyright Office said it planned to upgrade to Siebel 7.8, which supports Netscape 7.2, Firefox 1.0.3 and Mozilla 1.7.7, but not in time for the Oct. 24 launch. Neither the Copyright Office nor Siebel said they planned to support other browsers like Opera or Apple Computer’s Safari.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Um, no, idiots, it’s not okay. Although it does make perfect sense that the U.S. government would set up a system for creative people like film producers and limit them to the world’s least creative, most derivative browser – while, of course, excluding all of the Macs with their default Safari browsers that are almost certainly on these creatives’ desks and in their backpacks.

The coup de grace is that in order for any taxpayers to object, the U.S. Copyright Office is so antiquated that they require original comments and five copies should be mailed to Copyright GC/ I&R, P.O. Box 70400, Southwest Station, Washington, D.C. 20024-0400. Our only guess if that they couldn’t figure out how to make a simple online comment form work at all (or a copier, for that matter). Perhaps they didn’t want to make an online comment form, so they wouldn’t have to hear what idiots they are from thousands of people that are sick and tired of idiots who design websites for a single browser especially when they are paying for such idiocy with their tax dollars.

These poor idiots will need a slogan. We have a suggestion: “Use the world’s most insecure browser to secure your copyright!”

Oh, look, more ways to contact: David O. Carson, General Counsel, or Charlotte Douglass, Principal Legal Advisor, P.O. Box 70400, Washington, DC 20024-0400, Telephone (202) 707-8380. Fax: (202) 707-8366.

Related MacDailyNews articles:
Survey identifies strong demand for Macintosh and Firefox web conferencing support – August 11, 2005
Using Apple’s Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger’s included fax capabiltes – July 22, 2005
Security report shows Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was unsafe for all but seven days of 2004 – March 22, 2005
Penn State’s IT Services recommends dumping Microsoft Internet Explorer immediately – December 09, 2004
Security expert: Don’t use Microsoft Windows, Office, Outlook, Internet Explorer – December 09, 2004
German Federal Office for Information Security: Internet users should ditch Internet Explorer – September 13, 2004
Web Standards Project: Abandon Microsoft Internet Explorer and ‘Browse Happy’ – August 25, 2004
Security expert: Microsoft Internet Explorer ‘just cannot be trusted, use alternate browser’ – July 02, 2004
Security firm warns of new Internet Explorer flaw, advises ‘use a different browser’ – July 01, 2004
Microsoft axes Internet Explorer for Mac – June 13, 2003