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FCC Adopts Broadcast Flag Scheme

Posted by timothy on from the officialization dept.

sbrown writes "Today, the FCC adopted the MPAA's "broadcast flag" scheme, requiring that digital broadcast receivers and anything that connects to them is now required to check for the presence of the flag and apply DRM restrictions to its outputs. Currently, no such restrictions are required by law. EFF Staff Technologist Seth Schoen comments: 'The FCC has decided that the way to get Americans to adopt digital TV is to make it cost more and do less.' The unusual aspect of the FCC's ruling is that the restrictions are applied even though the input signals are completely unencrypted. Thus, this technology regulation goes beyond even the scope of the DMCA. "Instead of a scheme that actually protects content, the Flag forces manufacturers to go back to the drawing board and make all their devices monitor for Flagged content," said Public Knowledge Senior Technology Counsel Mike Godwin."

sbrown continues: "However, the FCC isn't changing the format of DTV broadcasts at all. As a result, DTV equipment bought right now will continue to work forever, even though future-generation equipment will have fewer features. (For example, a current-generation DTV tuner card like this one can save any DTV broadcast as an MPEG-2 file on your hard drive. But that feature would become illegal in DTV cards after 2005.)"

And The Importance of notes "Note that the facts of the release include 'The broadcast flag protects consumers' use and enjoyment of broadcast video programming. The flag does not restrict copying in any way.'" CBS/Viacom says 'Today's decision by the FCC is an historic step forward for consumers.' The decision was unanimous, with detailed statements by the commissioners here, in PDF:

11 of 539 comments (clear)

  1. Hold on by Hi_2k · · Score: 5, Funny

    Its perfectly legal for them to beam these signals through our heads, on our property, but its not legal to decode the broadcasts that were in the clear without locking them down. God bless America.

    --
    When life gives you crap, Make Crapade.
    Sluggy Freelance.
  2. Eddie Izzard? by TimeForGuinness · · Score: 5, Funny
    Do you have a flag?

  3. However, The Importance Of. . . by kfg · · Score: 2, Funny

    responds to this with:

    "Technically true, but extremely and exceedingly misleading. Were the definition of "lie" all but emptied of content by politics, I would call this a lie.

    KFG

  4. Books by Tattva · · Score: 4, Funny

    It looks like literature is the last refuge of the free these days. When they take that away, I'll memorize a few books and live down by the train tracks.

    --
    personal attacks hurt, especially when deserved
  5. That will solve the problem by Pan+T.+Hose · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think that Broadcast Flag is exactly what we need to solve the problem of Internet piracy. Let us also not forget about implementing the Security Flag from RFC 3514 while we're at it.

    --
    Sincerely,
    Pan Tarhei Hosé, PhD.
    "Homo sum et cogito ergo odi profanum vulgus et libido."
  6. Re:Digital TV is dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Digital TV is dead.

    God I hope so. Most of what is on TV is crap. Why would I want to look at high-definition crap?

  7. Farenheit 951... by PSaltyDS · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...the temprature at which boob tube glass melts...

    Any technology distinguishable from magic is not suficiently advanced.

    --
    Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced. - Geek's corollary to Clarke's law
  8. It's all becoming clear now... by foniksonik · · Score: 2, Funny

    First Tomacco, now the Evil Bit?

    Where will it end? Science, Technology and Philosophy are turning into parodies of themselves... are we transforming into Bizarro world?

    --
    A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
  9. Re:A step forward for consumers? by Goldberg's+Pants · · Score: 4, Funny

    The pathetic thing is this will have wide ranging implications outside of the US. DTV is now fucked in Canada pretty much across the board thanks to the FCC being the MPAA's bitch.

    Quite how this can be seen as a "step forward" for consumers is beyond me. CBS/Viacom must be using a WAY different dictionary to me...

    Of course, it could be seen as a step forward for consumers. Kinda like the witch burnings in medieval times were a step forward for decent folk...

  10. Re:Digital TV is dead by Hi_2k · · Score: 2, Funny

    Could be useful for Biologists. I heard that its possible to tell a lot about an animal from the shape of its turd. The question is, what does that mean about Bill Gates? Shurley those window shaped ones arent healthy...

    --
    When life gives you crap, Make Crapade.
    Sluggy Freelance.
  11. Re:Not just Republicans and Democrats by aug24 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Unfortunately I have no idea who that would be.

    I'll do it! I look good in a suit. I'm English too, and I know that impresses you guys. Now, who's going to pay my flights to the US?

    J.

    --
    You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.