DRM Advocate Violates DRM

Alsee writes "A year and a day after arguing DRM was good for business, acceptable to consumers, and necessary in today's world, JupiterMedia VP and Research Director Michael Gartenberg comes face to face with DRM reality, downloads a circumvention tool, violates DRM, and blogs about his MS Reader DRM issues being solved ... permanently. Perhaps now he would be interested in the EFF Action Center where Americans can quickly and easily ask your Representative to co-sponsor the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act."

Comments

necessary evils

[justforaday]

Note that he still feels DRM is a necessary evil, just so long as there's a way to circumvent it...

Re:Did this guy just break the DMCA?

[zcat_NZ]

I know this probably violates some unwritten rule on slashdot, but I did actually read the link;

He said in his blog that he circumvented the DRM.

He provides a link to the tool he used to do it.

Re:He was right then, and he's right now.

[arose]

The point of DRM is to be in the way when you try to distribute something.

With digital files there is no differnce between copying and moving. I can move my dead-trees just fine, no one is getting in my way.

Re:Just maybe

[morgue-ann]

If circumvention is legal then it's not so much of a problem, but the current situation seems to be that it is not legal.

The Librarian of Congress has made four exceptions to circumvention prohibition:

(1) Compilations consisting of lists of Internet locations blocked by commercially marketed filtering software applications that are intended to prevent access to domains, websites or portions of websites, but not including lists of Internet locations blocked by software applications that operate exclusively to protect against damage to a computer or computer network or lists of Internet locations blocked by software applications that operate exclusively to prevent receipt of email.

(2) Computer programs protected by dongles that prevent access due to malfunction or damage and which are obsolete.

(3) Computer programs and video games distributed in formats that have become obsolete and which require the original media or hardware as a condition of access. A format shall be considered obsolete if the machine or system necessary to render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace.

(4) Literary works distributed in ebook format when all existing ebook editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling of the ebook's read-aloud function and that prevent the enabling of screen readers to render the text into a specialized format.

Re:Mix, Burn, Rip, why Apple's DRM works...

[argent]

Well, that's your choice.

There's no legal, click-wrap contract, or other issues of force or coercion involved here. Apple explicitly permits you to make non-DRMed backups of your music. In fact they encourage it.

If even touching a DRMed format is enough to squick you, if very idea disgusts you, then that's your trip.

But where you see DRM, I see nothing but a facade.

Re:Interesting Piece of Legislation...

[Chasuk]

And, thanks to Google cache, here is the link to the program he used:

http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Rep. Boucher once again sponsers Slashdot laws

[typical]

And it looks like the bill sponsor is the Representative from Slashdot, Boucher. Seriously, I love this guy (and I'm kinda sad that he represents Virginia instead of my state). Take a look at the list of legislation he's been involved in.

Reading down the list, he's opposed the RIAA, the DMCA, argued for fair use, argued for privacy laws, argued against the broadcast flag, argued against additional RIAA laws (and urged that the RIAA simply lower prices to provide a more appealing product), in favor of allowing features for Linux, worked on weakening the DMCA, pushed an anti-spam law (though admittedly not the most stringent of the proposals), pushed for the Do Not Call List, opposed DoJ anti-P2P propaganda attempts, and been a proponent of pro-VoIP laws. His arguments are quite tech-savvy -- if the man does not understand technology himself, he has some pretty sharp advisors. Many of these stances have been those that oppose major lobbyist groups (direct marketing, RIAA, MPAA, etc).

Stick about a hundred more like him in Congress and throw Orrin Hatch to the wolves and I'd have a damn lot of respect for the legislative branch.