Anti-Copying TV Technology Creeps Forward

An anonymous reader writes: " After CDs, then comes TV? Although the technologies being spoken about are supposedly to prevent online sharing of television content as digital network television is born, the extents of the control being spoken of is alarming. When I purchase my next television recording device, will I be able to chose to record my favorite show while I am away from home? Will I be able to record one show while watching another? Or will I be at the mercy of the network ... only allowed to record should they *want* me to record. It could be possible to prevent the recording of first-run shows, forcing either-or choices (and affecting ratings and advertising rates,) rather than allowing us to watch one, record another."

Comments

Re:Fair Use and the courts?

[Waffle Iron]

Don't be a dumbass. Fair use is a privilege, not a right. You, and everyone else (this includes corporations) have the right to copy protect content however you please.

You're right. Fair use does not guarantee that it should be easy to record a copy for personal use.

However, broadcasting is a pivilege, not a right. Getting an easement on everybody's property for cable is a privilege, not a right. Parking a satellite in a geosynchronous slot is a privilege, not a right.

I think that it's only fair that in return for using their government granted monopolies on these publicly owned channels for their content distribution, broadcasters, satellite and cable companies should not be allowed to thwart reasonable fair use by their customers.

If they don't want to allow fair use, that's fine. They would just have to distribute their content in an entirely private distribution channel, like delivering DVDs via UPS.

With the current corporate-controlled political climate, however, I doubt that my argument will get very far.

I got me an old top-loading 4 head VCR!

[Robber Baron]

I bet it won't even notice whatever content protection scheme they put in!

Re:OK, you *made* me do it

[swordboy]

Don't worry... The only way that they can prevent copying is if they were to replace every TV in the world with TVs that can decode an encrypted signal *after* it enters the TV. Since this would be very cost prohibitive to undertake even within the next 25 years, you can expect that, until this day, there will be a device that can copy the video signal on standard 75ohm coax that is used in the tens of millions of TVs in use today.

Re:For the last fucking time

[TheMCP]

It's television. It's not bread, water or sleep. It isn't procreation. It isn't required to subsist. It *isn't an inalienable right*.

Actually, it *is*. The FCC grants the right to use the airwaves to television stations on the basis that they are supposed to serve the public. They're allowed to make a profit on doing so, but they're supposed to serve us. If they're going to take away our fair-use rights, the FCC should look at taking away their licenses to broadcast.

Re:Because as we all know ...

[b0r1s]

Dont allow the slashdot editors to hide information from you.

READ IT FOR YOURSELF.

Make sure you note the massive amounts of -1 moderations, all done simultaneously, obviously by an editor.

Stand up. Make your voice heard. Tell the slashdot staff you will not tolerate editor moderation on large scales, such as this!