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Predicting The End Of Digital Copying

Posted by timothy on from the we-control-the-vertical-we-control-the-horizontal dept.

prostoalex writes: "Christian Science Monitor warns about approaching era of digital prohibition. With FCC requiring the use of copy prevention mechanisms in future generations of television sets, soon 'Americans may not be able to copy a song off a CD, watch a recorded DVD at a friend's house, or store a copy of a television show for more than a day'. Of course, no article on this topic can go without a mandatory quote from Jack Valenti, who points out: 'It is not legal to make a copy of a DVD now. Everything people are doing legally today, they'll be able to do legally tomorrow'."

6 of 571 comments (clear)

  1. screw this off (litterally) by Scrameustache · · Score: 5, Funny

    Earlier this month, the Federal Communications Commission approved regulations that would require television manufacturers to include anticopying technology in the next generation of televisions.

    Did they also pass a law banning screwdrivers? 'Cause if not...I plan to use one to exclude anticopying technology in my next generation TV.

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

    1. Re:screw this off (litterally) by jsse · · Score: 3, Funny

      Did they also pass a law banning screwdrivers? 'Cause if not...I plan to use one to exclude anticopying technology in my next generation TV.

      Nope, but I'm afraid you are in violation of DMCA in doing so.

      In the process of removing the screws you need to turn each of those with a screwdriver n-turn anti-clockwise, where n is the exact number of turn the manufacturer has turned to put that screw in place. By reversing the process you are effectively doing reverse-engineering on it and violate the DMCA.

    2. Re:screw this off (litterally) by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 3, Funny


      Whimsical descriptions of how regular everyday activities constitute DMCA violations are NOT CLEVER ANYMORE. They're as bland and predictable as the endless Natalie Portman hot grits Beowulf cluster goatse first posts.

      Let it die, already.

  2. Re:Al Capone anyone? by Scrameustache · · Score: 2, Funny

    er...AI C4p0n3?

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  3. Think of the CHILDREN!!! by Inexile2002 · · Score: 3, Funny
    "[These films] are innocents in a jungle, ready to be ambushed by anyone," says Jack Valenti.
    Those POOR films! I can just see "The Matrix" walking "When Harry Met Sally" home after a nice night out when all of a sudden out jumps ME, ready to ruthlessly make a copy of innocent old 'Harry Met' for my own use. We're animals, you hear me, ANIMALS!!!

    Oh, wait, Jack was being mellow dramatic... ah... I get it now. Never mind.

    Seriously, they can legislate, tax, rant, criminalize and encrypt all they want. They'll never win and they'll still be Hollywood so they'll still be making billions. They can spend millions of dollars figuring it out and push people's freedoms to the limit. People will still 'pirate' songs for their own use, third world distribution pirates will still get away with it, good artists will do well, bad ones won't and life will go on.

    Pay them no mind, help with the circumvention when you can and support the people who are standing up to this non-sense. But never will there be an underground file sharing 'le resistance' and no matter how hard or illegal it becomes, we'll still be listening to our mp3s at work.
  4. Re:What about TVs not made in the U.S.? by fluxrad · · Score: 3, Funny

    lmfao. which american TV manufacturers would you suggest this will be pushing out of the market?

    --
    "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume