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Apple Uses DMCA to Halt DVD burning
VValdo writes "According to news.com, Apple has warned one of its own dealers to stop handing out a patch to allow DVD burning with iDVD on non-Apple hardware." Mmmmm, laws.
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Apple has sent out a warning to its customers: "We're no different than any other manufactuer, despite the proclamations of our marketing weasels. Don't get under the hood or your machine or attempt to use your hardware to it's potential or our attorneys will slap you down, bi-atch."
How far we've come from the days when The Woz actually encouraged hackers to experiment with the Apple. It looks like we're moving back to the closed architecture days of the early Mac. That's not good.
However, for me this is a blessing in disguise. After being Mac-free, Mac-clean, and Mac-sober for almost five years I was considering buying an iMac for home. I even went CompUSA and played around with one yesterday. However, this article snapped me out of my "Stephen Jobs field effect" judgement fog -- like an abused wife being shown pictures of her cuts and bruises this reminded me what it's like when Apple doesn't behave itself.
Thanks, Apple Computer, Inc. -- I was almost ready to relapse. I guess I'll just spend my quarterly bonus on a new p4 upgrade & a flatscreen for my PC where I can burn all the DVD's I want.
Oh yes, God forbid any company ever try to make money. That's not what they're there for - they should be giving us high-quality software for free!
As far as I know, Apple bundles iDVD only with Macs that come with a Superdrive. Obviously, they developed that package to promote it as a benefit of ordering that $200 option. They release it for free because they know they will profit from the SuperDrive sales.
Allowing someone to use iDVD without a SuperDrive is taking advantage of Apple's generosity - they don't have to give iDVD away for free. This patch allows people to basically steal from Apple - why is it so terrible for them to do something about it?
This space intentionally left blank.
The DMCA was the wrong club to use in closing this loophole.
iDVD is a nifty, free application that you get from Apple as a "reward" for buying an Apple-supplied DVD burner (the Superdrive). It just so happens that you get the Superdrive by buying a Mac that includes one. They don't sell it as an aftermarket accessory.
That's no surprise - as we've all debated to death here, Apple is not a software company or a peripheral company. They're a hardware vendor, and selling computers is how they make enough money to justify writing cool apps like iDVD and high-octane operating systems like MacOS X. If you patch their software (and not all Apple software is Open Source, just the core OS) to allow it to work with hardware they didn't intend it to, you're looking at Apple losing potential hardware sales.
There are other DVD authoring programs on the market, I'm sure - just not free ones from Apple. Oh well. If you want to use iDVD, buy a Mac with a Superdrive. Otherwise, buy your authoring program separately - that doesn't bug me at all.
However, using the DMCA warclub was stupid on their part. While effective, the DMCA is just the tool that pisses off folks like the Slashdot community - and in Apple's quest to boost market share and gain presence in the geek community those are good people to have on your side. OWC is a Apple dealer - a quick "come to Jesus" call from their Apple sales rep over the issue probably would have been sufficient to shut it down.
Bad PR move, Apple.
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
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Wagner LLC Consulting Co. - Getting it right the first time
I can understand why Apple would be upset. Their software that's given away for free in order to promote their hardware is used to drive up sales for their competitors. However, who's fault is that? It's Apple's fault. Unless you force me to sign a contract to exclusively use Apple's software with Apple's hardware, you can't stop me from doing otherwise. Well, I mean they shouldn't be able to do that. That's the reason why this action is so bad.
Apple just doesn't get it, do they? Microsoft strived to ensure their Windows 9X operating system worked with as many different hardware products as possible. I can use a third party MS compatible mouse on my Windows box without fear of DCMA reprisal. When are they gonna learn, it's not about the hardware, stupid.
When you break anything in the EULA you cease to have a licensed copy of the software and have, therefore, a pirate copy (if you keep using it).
So, yes, it is.