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Microsoft Offers A DRM Patch
Transcendent writes "Microsoft Windows Update is offering a download for their 1.0 version of the 'Microsoft Windows Rights Management client,' if you care to download it. Seems that you need Win98 SE and up (or at least that's the minimum 'supported'). Details are here. Although it's not required or a 'critical' update, this just paves the road for all of Microsoft's software to require DRM technology on your computer. Quote from the details page: 'Installing this client allows RM-aware applications to work with Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) to provide licenses for publishing and consuming RM-protected information.' This, dubbed 'Activation', entails that 'your computer will be automatically connected via the Internet ... in order to create and save on your computer a system component that is associated with your hardware.' Hmmm... me no like ..."
all those jews, catholics, trade unionists and p2p file sharers who were locked in cattle cars going by. I was going to object but hey, what do I care, I'm not not a jew/catholic/trade unionist/p2p file trader.
I've never wanted to become one of those conspiracy-theorists who thinks that any new thing Microsoft is an evil plot contrived for the purpose of making more money while at the same time screwing customers, using an already established near-monopoly to crush competition and screw customers, or just screwing customers. Unfortunately, one of these is usually the case.
Esoteric reference.
It doesn't matter what the regular person would have to donate in comparison. That's just your excuse to try and take away the fact that he actually is generous person with his money b/c it makes you feel more comfortable to fit in with his total borg persona. Tax write off or not, he still donated the money.
What did you donate today?
$168 million dollars is nothing to write home about?
When did Linux advocacy become so spiteful and selfish?
"Sufferin' succotash."
Let's be real here. The 'fair use' rights that so many people here cite were hammered out in an era when the way people excercized their 'fair use' rights was by putting a record on the spindle and making an analog copy of it using a reel to reel or cassette deck. That still remains within the realm of possibilities. There is no inherent 'fair use' right that dictates that a media publisher must publish their work in a format that makes it convenient for you to excercize your fair use rights. The whole precedent people champion today was tested and determined in an era when people thought nothing of using the analog line out, or even aligator clipping on to the speakers (the way my father did it back in the early 70's on his old Columbia console stereo).
Point a camera at the screen of your DRM-protected television/video monitor, use line out or point bloody microphones at the speakers to get audio. That is what 'fair use' entitles you to, and nothing more.
A Good Intro to NetBS