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Intel Cutting Linux Out of Content Market

An Anonymous Reader wrote in to mention an Inquirer story suggesting that Intel is planning on cutting Linux out of the content market. From the article: "The vehicle to do this is called East Fork, the upcoming and regrettable Intel digital media 'platform'. The funny part is that the scheme is already a failure, but it will hurt you as it thrashes before it dies. Be afraid, be very afraid."

444 comments

  1. So how is this going to kill fair use? by maxdamage · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yes DRM is evil. I choose not to buy this machine. I am saved. End of story... This guy sounds like a doomsday fanatic to me.

    1. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by tepples · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I choose not to buy this machine. I am saved.

      <sarcasm>Be my guest. Live without TV. Live without movies. Live without music.</sarcasm>

      In fact, once this catches on, and more PCs start to come with "media center" features, start living without home-priced general-purpose PCs.

    2. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Knome_fan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      How about actually reading the article instead of trying to get frist post?

      I think the issue here is that a platform like this is the content providers wet dream come true.

      So if this catches on you can of course still boycott it, however you than will be cut off from much of the cultural production of your day.

    3. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by kryten_nl · · Score: 1

      Because now the record and movie companies can have their cake and eat it too...
      They can finally get into the profitable digital downloadable media business, WITH DRM, via the EF and the EF online zone. You will not be able to watch digital media on a Linux box without breaking the law (now think about that a second time...).
      The Utopia we were all hoping for; affordable digital media with which you can do what you want (except distribute), will be crushed.

      Fair use is going to be crushed by making it illegal to break/remove the DRM.

      --
      For the perfect anti-Unix, write an OS that thinks it knows what you're doing better than you do and let it be wrong.
    4. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Nogami_Saeko · · Score: 3, Funny

      Guess I'll have to go read the Harry Potter book then... :P

      N.

      --
      "Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence." - Charles de Gaulle
    5. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      No. 90% of people don't care about DRM. They just want to see the friggin movie. If this works out, then the rest 10% will be forced to use that machine since the content providers will no longer give stuff that's playable in theirs. If a sufficient percentage of media consumers gets this machine the content sellers will be able to lock out other platforms. Be afraid!

      Only China can help us!

    6. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What, you mean you aren't through yet?

    7. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by miskatonic+alumnus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No. It's more like

      If you don't like it, you can live without music, TV and movies, an increasingly appealing proposition to me.

      Sign me up.

    8. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by steelfood · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Only China can help us!

      This is a good point, and rather ironic, if you really think about it. China, one of the most undemocratic superpowers in the world, will soon be the last bastion of content freedom. To my knowledge, only the import DVD players from China sold over the gray market offers unlimited changes to the player's DVD region as a feature.

      --
      "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
    9. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by name773 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      tv and movies wouldn't be that much of a loss to me, but i really dig music.

      then i remembered that one nice part about music is you can make your own.

    10. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by maxdamage · · Score: 1

      Meh, I read it in TMF. You all seem so sure that this thing will take, I have my doubts. My belief is that the DVR market has been saturated long enough that enough people will be happy enough with their tivo and their twc ppv that they wont be able to compete. How can they convince TW to switch from their $0.95 SA boxed to these hunks-o-junks.

    11. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Dumbledore dies.

    12. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by aklix · · Score: 1

      So does the monopoly role not play in this or are we letting them get away with yet another crime?

    13. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 5, Insightful

      True ... but you're assuming that much of the cultural production of our day has any value. Most of it does not, and can well be lived without. That, ultimately, is the crux of the matter. At what point does the impact of DRM and other anti-competitive, consumer-unfriendly technologies become so great that we will turn back to each other for entertainment and companionship?

      The media people will try to find that "sweet spot", the point where they remotely control all content distribution and use, but where we aren't quite irritated enough to keep our wallets firmly jammed in our pockets where they belong. Current experiments with copy-protection and DRM are proving that the threshold of pain is currently very low for consumers: if I can't watch what I want when I want then you can just stick this disc up your a** (and this is as it should be!) However, after some time and incrementalism, whereby we keep losing bits and pieces of what we've come to enjoy since the advent of the VCR, we will one day wake up in a world where there is an automatically-deducted charge for viewing each individual frame of a movie. If I am still able to buy books at that point, that's what I'll be entertaining myself with. The rest of the population probably won't have that option, since at the rate we're going, it is unlikely they'll even be able to read.

      We've been hypnotized into believing that we absolutely must have a television (the larger the better, and preferably HDTV-ready), a DVD player and disc collection (the larger the better) and that the movie theatre is so important that we will regularly part with nine or ten bucks to see the latest round of wooden acting and plotless filmmaking (can you say, "Episode III?" I knew you could.) To that I say ... so what? To me, cultural production should be a product of the culture itself, not a tiny, unenlightened, arrogant subset of it that claims to represent everyone else in it. There's a lot more to life, to culture, than the products of the RIAA and the MPAA, although they'd rather you didn't think too much about that.

      To all you people that spend your spare time in front of your computer or watching that 60" Hi-Def ... I say switch that little bastard off, go kiss your significant other right on the lips, and go out for a nice long walk. In the long run, you'll both be better off without Hollywood running the show.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    14. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by legirons · · Score: 0, Redundant

      "[sarcasm]Be my guest. Live without TV. Live without movies. Live without music."

      I tried to buy a CD today, from an artist I'd never heard of before, and wanted to listen to a preview to see if it was any good.

      Amazon, ArtistsDirect, SuperGRecords, JR, Barnes and Noble, and Global Groove, were all exactly the same: You could install RealPlayer, or you could install Windows Media Player.

      The worst part is that theoretically, both of those products are available for my computers, if I wanted to have malicious software running on my machine. Windows Media Player is available for the Mac, and RealPlayer is available for Linux.

      Thanks, I'll pass. Yet another year goes by where I buy no music. All I want is to be sure the music is good before I buy it. MP3.com seemed to manage this perfectly well, so why is it impossible now?

    15. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Knome_fan · · Score: 1

      "True ... but you're assuming that much of the cultural production of our day has any value. Most of it does not, and can well be lived without."

      I agree. However the magic words here are "much of", so what about the rest I don't want to live without?

    16. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by InvalidError · · Score: 1

      As long as DRM-enabled hardware runs non-DRM-enabled software, implementing DRM features in hardware makes no difference for people who do not want to use these capabilities - other than the extra manufacturing, licensing, certification, administration, etc. costs.

      My guess is that software emulators for hardware DRM facilities will come up sooner or later and defeat most hardware schemes as well.

    17. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Eric+Damron · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "This guy sounds like a doomsday fanatic to me."

      Why? Because he paints an unpleasant picture?

      What part of the picture seems unreasonable? That Microsoft, Intel, RIAA and MPAA could be in bed together? That these corporations are run by greedy bastards that really don't have your best interests at heart? That these powerful corporations could buy congress? That people are fucking sheep too busy with their little lives to pay attention to important issue until it's too late?

      The man hit the nail on the head folks. The corporations have done that statistical math as it applies to a population of self centered, apathetic consumer drones. Their formula is based on the fact that although a small percentage of the population is unpredictable, the vast majority are predictable.

      John Lennon said it really well in "Working Class Hero"

      A working class hero is something to be.
      Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV,
      And you think you're so clever and classless and free,
      But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see,

      So go ahead and ignore all the warnings and mock them as doomsday predictions. After all, you must. The corporate consumer drone formula says so.

      --
      The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!
    18. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can live without TV and only going to the theater to see a movie, and with the CDs I already own. Frankly, I plan to -- I don't need an 80" HD plasma monster, and when my ten-year-old 21" analog TV finally dies, if I can't get a normal-sized set at a decent price that I can actually use to watch what I want, I will bid TV a sad goodbye. If I can't buy music that I can back up to hard disk and listen to at home and on my portable, too bad, I'll stick with what I have and the (no-monthly-fee) radio. If I can only see movies in the theater, I guess maybe they'll seem worthwhile again. As long as (real) software innovation continues, there will be demand for general-purpose PCs to run those new apps.

    19. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      RealPlayer 10 for Linux is several orders of magnitude better than any other version of RealPlayer I've used. There's no spyware/adware, it's fast and light, and they stick with a simple GTK UI instead of going off and writing some bizarre skinnable interface. If you're running Linux and you haven't tried RealPlayer lately, I'd highly recommend giving them a second chance.

    20. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by LordNimon · · Score: 1

      Uh, what's wrong with the Mac version of Windows Media Player?

      --
      And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
      To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
    21. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by tepples · · Score: 1

      As long as DRM-enabled hardware runs non-DRM-enabled software

      DRM-enabled hardware already locks out non-DRM-enabled software. Current game consoles can't boot homebrew software without questionably lawful modifications. Trusted Network Connect, due for deployment at many residential ISPs by 2011, will ensure that your network will give your computer a routable IP address only if your computer is running an operating system that your ISP has approved and its TPM is active.

    22. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by fitten · · Score: 1

      The Utopia we were all hoping for; affordable digital media with which you can do what you want (except distribute), will be crushed.

      Heh... I don't know about you but I have yet to see anyone big into p2p and the like care about anything *other* than distribution. Doing what they want with it is putting it up on a torrent somewhere and distributing it all over and downloading it all for free. It's those people who make it difficult for the rest of us who want what you mention here.

    23. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Only the Windows Windows Media Player can play files encoded with some flavors of digital restrictions management. If the major online CD stores that ship to your country all use one of these flavors for their 30 second previews, then you have to purchase an Intel machine and purchase and install a copy of Microsoft Windows in order to play such previews.

    24. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Koatdus · · Score: 4, Insightful
      (sarcasm)Be my guest. Live without TV. Live without movies. Live without music.(/sarcasm)


      Is there really anything worth watching on TV anymore? I probably watch one or two hours a month tops. They put out boring crap that doesn't even interest me in the slightest.

      Go rent the movie you want to see and watch it on your DVD player. Or, for that matter, a few minutes spent looking for torrents will find you almost any movie or TV show worth watching, if you don't mind waiting for the download and taking the chance that you will get caught.

      Music? Well if you want the latest top 20 you will have to either pay for the cd's, listen to the radio or try to find a download and take your chances.

      I think that all the interesting new stuff is being put out by small independent bands. if I like the music I try to buy directly from the band if I can. I don't plan on buying anything at all from the big studios if I can help it. Hopefully my refusal to buy from them is part of the reason the greedy bastards are complaining so much.

      There are a few people putting out "open" content now. Some of it can be found on http://www.legaltorrents.com/

      Talk up "open content" to all of the non-tech's you know. How many slashdotters are there? If a hundred thousand techs started mentioning it to the sheep tomorrow it would create some buzz.

      --
      Every wrong attempt discarded is a step forward - T. Edison
    25. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by SA+Stevens · · Score: 1

      But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see,


      Fine sentiment from John. He was kinda angry that the armchair revolution he joined kinda fizzled in the real world. Oh well.

    26. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

      Aye, and there's the rub. Now, the question is: is the rest of what you can't live without controlled by the mainstream media companies. If it is, you're screwed ... if it's not, maybe you still have a chance.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    27. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Kadin2048 · · Score: 4, Informative

      My university network implemented this just as I was leaving last year. It was some Cisco scheme, and required you to download and install a client program if you had a Windows machine, which would scan your system for viruses and spyware and then report it 'safe' to the upstream network. Only then would it issue you an IP. I think it would only report the computer 'safe' if it had been updated recently also, providing a very nice way to force users to continually update their software. I wonder how long it will take before systems like this force people to spring for paid upgrades? Maybe they already have.

      Oddly enough there wasn't a client program for Mac or Linux, and if your computer reported itself as being something other than Windows, it would just let you through unhindered, I'm told. Seems it wouldn't take much to fudge your Windows system to report itself as a Linux or Mac box.

      --
      "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
    28. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by einhverfr · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Be my guest. Live without TV. Live without movies. Live without music.

      For the most part, I already do. The only music I listen to is generally indie folk. I don't watch TV, and I very rarely go to the movies.

      --

      LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
    29. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by vettemph · · Score: 1

      >much of the cultural production of your day.

      You over estimate the utility of the **AA and such.

      Culture happens outside your front doors.
      You can make culture and share it with you friends. Culture itself is free.
      What you see with TV, Radio and msn.com is fake culture mixed with thought guidance and selective news. It's a profit motivated culture with a motive as opposed to a culture motivated culture.
      I'm all for profit of course but profit should involve w-o-r-k.

      --
      The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
    30. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by CanadianBoy · · Score: 1

      Or go out and listen to the all the talented people who can't get record deals because they don't produce exactly the same stuff as everyone else!

      Same deal with movies. Don't like what's going on, then go watch a play.

    31. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Kadin2048 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Scary. I think I'm going to go clean my assault rifle now. :)

      Seriously though, DVR boxes and content-protected television have only reached a small percentage of the American market. Although I can't prove this to you, my feeling is that that segment of the market is comprised mostly of early adopter types, who tend to be more willing than average to put up with corporate bullshit, in order to be the first person on their block to have X, whether X is a Hidef-capable TiVo or ultra-hifi digital audio on SACD.

      The average American consumer, of which there are lots (and who doesn't upgrade very often), and whose VCR is probably flashing "12:00" right now, will probably be a lot less tolerant of DRM, especially when it starts to interfere with things he/she always used to be able to do. Remember, those people will be going directly from their old VCR and stack of unbranded blank cassettes to 'content-protected' television, without witnessing any of the strange machinations or compromises that spawned it (Divx, etc.). I think when the wide deployments of these technologies start, we'll start to see a backlash. The question is whether the technology will by then be too entrenched by the early adopters and the networks for the average guy to reject it, when he finds out he can't tape the Super Bowl, or load that new "CD" onto his iPod.

      --
      "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
    32. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by legirons · · Score: 1

      "Only the Windows Windows Media Player can play files encoded with some flavors of digital restrictions management. If the major online CD stores that ship to your country all use one of these flavors for their 30 second previews, then you have to purchase an Intel machine and purchase and install a copy of Microsoft Windows in order to play such previews."

      Well according to the WMP /MacOS X site, it does actually support DRM, and worryingly, lists this as a "feature". Which means that I could use it to preview music at Amazon.

      However, Windows Media Player was designed from the ground-up to ensure that I can't do anything with it which isn't specifically permitted by the record company. If they want to decide that I'm only allowed to play a song 3 times and that it requests permission from a certain website each time I do so, that's what Windows Media Player does.

      In comparaison to this, every Free Software application I know does exactly what I tell it to, which is why I got the whole Linux system in the first place. I don't want some fancy 'internet kiosk', where I'm permitted to do thing by the leave of my landlord^W^W^W my content provider.

      There used to be lots of bands who would allow you to download their songs, free of charge, in MP3 format, and trust that if you liked them that you'd buy it. In software terms, that's like what shareware used to be before it turned into crippleware and spyware. Surprisingly, I bought a lot of those albums, because I already knew I liked them. It's like radio (which is funded to the tune of $ridiculous by the record companies because they know people buy stuff they've previewed)

      You wouldn't buy a game that you hadn't played the preview. You wouldn't buy an artwork based on somebody's description of it. And you wouldn't buy music without having heard it.

      So why try to gain complete control of my computer before allowing it to play music? People get put in prison for maliciously gaining that level of access to someone else's computer.

    33. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by tepples · · Score: 1

      then i remembered that one nice part about music is you can make your own.

      And get sued.

    34. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      Be my guest. Live without TV. Live without movies. Live without music. - why is this a sarcasm? For the most part it is my reality. And when I feel like I need to be enterntained by an outside force, I read a book. Otherwise I write code, go rollerblading or build something. No time to waste in front of the TV. I even go on without any music for months. Then I listen to something. Then months more without any music. Radio talk shows - they are pretty good in Toronto.

    35. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you need to see the site.. theinquirer is a tabliod journal. I'm afraid you people have fallen for another one of the tricks of the GNAA

    36. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ummit · · Score: 1
      >> Be my guest... Live without music.

      > ...The only music I listen to is generally indie...

      Precisely. But my question is, where the article says, "The transcoding will basically add DRM to anything that touches the box", does that imply that the only way to get media onto the box is in an Approved DRM format from an Approved DRM vendor? In other words, will there even be a way for you to transfer unlocked content from or to an "indie" provider?

      (Before you say, "yes, of course there will be", and call me paranoid, but think how much even more secure it would make things for the RIAA if there weren't.)

    37. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Believe me, I hope you're right. And yes, if they try full-bore you-can't-copy-jack DRM there will be a backlash of Biblical proportions, just like there has always been when vendors of all kinds tried that. But Internet-based systems allow a lot of flexibility in that regard: it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing. They can turn it off or nearly off initially, to convince people that "see, it's not so bad" and then slowly turn up the heat, too slowly for the bulk of users to even notice. In a few years, nobody will think twice about their media only working in certain places, or not being able to copy it ... that's the kind of world the media types want. They want us to accept total DRM as a fact of life and still keep giving them money. And you know what? It will work. They are learning that they can't do it all at once. But it will happen, and sooner rather than later if Microsoft has its way. And for that matter, I don't trust Apple any more than Microsoft in that regard ... Jobs is just as rabid about slicing off a piece of the action as Microsoft. This Wintel deal seems like a pre-emptive strike on the part of Hell, Gates & Co.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    38. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Spankophile · · Score: 1

      You are an inspiration.

    39. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by the_lesser_gatsby · · Score: 1

      It's not normal practice to use encryption on 30s WMA previews. Especially since they're often lower bitrates.

    40. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      I've been wondering why more people haven't tuned into real free music. Since it comes in "pure" form (wanna remix it? Some of the sounds were cool? Interested more about how it's made? It's all in the file) there's not many songs with vocals, which really - they just fucks up the enjoyment of the sound 99% of the time. The "bitrate" isn't often above 100, I even have some awesome songs that are less than 10kbps, and you get about 2x compression if you rar them, which is supported natively by players.

      Of note in the mp3 universe is Lackluster - I've been listening to him a lot, he's got his stuff on archive.org, I could really recommend this live thing (Ambient, techno, drone, with a little sprinkling of computer-game-y-ness).

      Then, uh, VAC - the most experimental band in the universe (really, fuck tool, fuck radiohead), they released their old shit for free (mp3) - I'd say it's their best work, particular notabilities happy commie (an actual thought-provoking song) and cease to understand.

      --
      the sun is god
    41. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by einhverfr · · Score: 1

      Precisely. But my question is, where the article says, "The transcoding will basically add DRM to anything that touches the box", does that imply that the only way to get media onto the box is in an Approved DRM format from an Approved DRM vendor? In other words, will there even be a way for you to transfer unlocked content from or to an "indie" provider?

      Doesn't matter. I won't run Media Center. So since I won't run this box, why should I care?

      --

      LedgerSMB: Open source Accounting/ERP
    42. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      ... nice part about music is you can make your own.

      That's right: BEANS! BEANS! The magical fruit! The more you eat, the more you TOOT!

    43. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 2, Interesting


      Well, here's a question about that.

      What do they do about Internet Connection Sharing, port forwarding and router boxes that separate the Windows system from the Net? Even with Windows, I can share an Internet connection with another, possibly non-DRM-enabled box. What's to stop me downloading stuff to the DRM box, then simply shipping it over to the non-DRM box. It's all data. Are they going to prevent me from shipping DRM data over my own network? I mean, Longhorn could have code to check that every network box attached to it is DRM-enabled, but is it going to check that my USB key attached to those boxes is? I doubt it.

      Can I put a cheap but Windows DRM-enabled box in front of my Linux boxes, then suck the data out of the Windows box? Since the ISP DRM can't even check a Linux box, odds are it's written for "the dominant platform Windows". If the ISPs don't like supporting Linux on their networks, I doubt they're going to write their DRM software to check Linux sitting behind a router or a shared Windows box.

      Which pretty much defeats the entire DRM notion from the git-go.

      Hell, I could get a box, put the Amiga OS on it, and really screw them up. Or one of the weird new experimental OS's, as long as it had some sort of Net connection software for it.

      Sounds like this stuff is really intended to make *WINDOWS* users pay Microsoft and the RIAA for stuff since Windows users are already clueless sheep and there are more of them.

      It will be impossible to limit media to Windows no matter what the encoding, since hackers can run it on a DRM box, record it and ship it as non-DRM-protected data to a non-DRM box, legally or illegally. So Linux users will get content no matter what, since they have the savvy to find it and get it.

      So maybe this whole thing is just another attempt to suck money from clueless Microsoft users and ignore the Linux users altogether. Which is good for Linux users, both because we slip under the radar - and eventually Linux takes over the desktop when people get tired of being robbed by Bill Gates for nothing.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    44. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      • It doesn't look or act like a Mac application
      • It doesn't play everything that the Windows version can
      • It doesn't play things properly
      • Did I mention the horrible interface?
      • And so on...
    45. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1


      About time.

      The actor who played him died some time ago.

      Now if we could just get Potter and that other idiot to die.

      Hermione, however, needs to keep going. Emma Watson is going to be hot here very shortly.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    46. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      Is there really anything worth watching on TV anymore? I probably watch one or two hours a month tops. They put out boring crap that doesn't even interest me in the slightest.

      And this would matter to the rest of us how? Why should we care how much TV *you* watch? Your viewing habits don't define our viewing habits, nor should they.

      I think that all the interesting new stuff is being put out by small independent bands.

      And I think most of the small bands are shit, and there's a reason why they're small bands. Opinions are like assholes, eh?

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    47. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      SNAPE KILLS DUMBLEDORE!

    48. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What do they do about Internet Connection Sharing, port forwarding and router boxes that separate the Windows system from the Net?

      They forbid it in their terms and conditions of use. 'Course, there's little chance they'd ever find out.

    49. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      We've been hypnotized into believing that we absolutely must have a television

      That would explain why the number of people who watch television at all has been *declining*, and the hours spent in front of the tube by people who do watch has been falling. This trend started in 2000 and doesn't show any signs of slowing down.

      What are those people doing instead? Spending that time in front of the computer, of course. The conclusion is that at least some subset of folks will choose conformable interactive media over one-size-fits-all non-interactive media.

      To all you people that spend your spare time in front of your computer or watching that 60" Hi-Def ... I say switch that little bastard off

      and remember that Luddites are your friends!

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    50. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The US secretly wants world and space domination. Don't trust them. They'll help you if it results in your dependence on them in the long term. So if you really want the US's help, go live there. There'll be plenty of Americans there to sort out your problem for you, I'm sure.

      Yeah, the Chinese are really moving along. Sending pig sperm into space is going to get them control of the LaGrange Points.

      Idiot.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    51. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ghee22 · · Score: 1

      mine too, did you perhaps go to Rutgers Univ. in NJ?

      same exact thing.. funny thing was i'd have people switch over to linux as an incentive... usually windows would follow though. :o(

      --
      "Persistence is annoying success." - ghee22 11:28:1999 - 10:53:PM
    52. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by HeroreV · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      You wouldn't buy a game that you hadn't played the preview.
      That's retarded. A lot of great games never had playable demos, and even when a game does have one it can be very difficult to get a hold of it. At least that's how it is on the consoles (PS2, Xbox, etc) and I don't think PC games are doing too much better.
    53. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      "In the 1960s we said power to the people
      In the 1990s we say power to the pupil"
      - Leary

      --
      the sun is god
    54. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      Poetry. Singing. Painting. Story-telling around a campfire.

      "We belong to a period of which the culture is in danger of being destroyed by the appliances of culture"
      - Nietzchse

      I happened to get a cold when it just turned 40c here, and I went for a walk in the woods, didn't cough or feel bad or any of that, but indoors I do, how does that work? "Wake up and smell the sun-shine", or something.

      In the fear of sounding like a hippie-motherfucker, culture really is everywhere, EXCEPT the synthetic trash puked out by corporations (selfish animals).

      --
      the sun is god
    55. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ratsg · · Score: 1

      Do you have a URL to back this up?

      Thanks

      Trusted Network Connect, due for deployment at many residential ISPs by 2011, will ensure that your network will give your computer a routable IP address only if your computer is running an operating system that your ISP has approved and its TPM is active.

    56. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Geof · · Score: 1

      Same here. My wife and I just cancelled our cable TV because it wasn't worth the $500 a year (when Fox killed Firefly, I figured watching TV was more trouble than it was worth). We haven't even bothered to get rabbit ears to replace it. Instead, we borrow videos from the library and from friends.

      I don't listen to music, because I never hear any I like (certainty not on the radio). There's no way I'll pay $18 for a CD; neither have I any desire to pirate.

      Blogs, books, and the Web have taken over as my main sources of information and entertainment. Without the endless stream of advertising, I'm barely aware of changes in the monopoly culture. My movie attendance dropped from at least one a month to maybe a couple a year. The only mainstream media I do follow are the newspaper and the Economist, which at least keep me in touch with the wider world.

      It's a shame, really: I have enjoyed mass culture tremendously. I'm very angry that such a large part of OUR culture has been stolen from us. For now though, I'll spend that $500 on good books instead of bad TV.

    57. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by mrchaotica · · Score: 5, Informative
      What's to stop me downloading stuff to the DRM box, then simply shipping it over to the non-DRM box.
      The DRM, of course.
      It's all data.
      Yeah, but your "DRM box" is no longer a general-purpose computer. It can only deal with particular kinds of data -- namely, "allowed" data.
      Are they going to prevent me from shipping DRM data over my own network?
      Yes. That's what the DRM is for.
      I mean, Longhorn could have code to check that every network box attached to it is DRM-enabled, but is it going to check that my USB key attached to those boxes is? I doubt it.
      Well, you're wrong, because once they finish rolling out their Treacherous Computing crap the "USB" on the DRM box will only work with "Trusted" "USB" keys.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    58. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      It will be impossible to limit media to Windows no matter what the encoding, since hackers can run it on a DRM box, record it and ship it as non-DRM-protected data to a non-DRM box, legally or illegally. So Linux users will get content no matter what, since they have the savvy to find it and get it.
      Well, you see, that's where the DMCA and the "Patriot" Act come in. Sooner or later these "hacker tools" will be declared threats to National Security, and will be outlawed. Once that happens, anyone caught using them -- and they will be caught, because all the ISPs will be Trusted-compatible (because it's mandated by law) -- will be shipped straight to Gitmo.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    59. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by gilesjuk · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Then I will resort to reading, painting and creating my own music. I'm not going to let greedy big business control my life.

    60. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't believe he was stating the opinion that the working class were below him, if that is what you meant by "fine sentiment from John." He was stating that the average person is used with contempt by those who hold power. The entire song was a meta opinion. Look at all the lyrics.

    61. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      The only way to beat this stuff is to make sure that *NO-ONE* buys it and that everyone knows that it really means.

      Intel and pals can buy advertising... but lots of us are asked for advice about computer purchases. Make sure you know what the chipsets going into this are called, and whether they show up in other machine.

      Believe it or not, these companies are afraid of the public reaction. They want to do this sort of thing on the quiet -- they want to sell these machines on what they can do, not what they can't. They don't want it to get out that these remove ownership of the computer THAT YOU HAVE BOUGHT AND PAID FOR... and leave it with Microsoft/Intel and media companies.

    62. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by SA+Stevens · · Score: 1

      John was a limousine liberal, and thus the song was meant to be taken as sarcastic to a degree.

      He wasn't stating that the working class was below him. Nothing as direct as that. . .

    63. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Hal+XP · · Score: 1
      To all you people that spend your spare time in front of your computer or watching that 60" Hi-Def ... I say switch that little bastard off, go kiss your significant other right on the lips, and go out for a nice long walk.
      Or you could switch off the plasma TV, stay at home and do something even nicer than a long walk.
      --
      I'm a sci-fi vegan: I don't want the aliens to think we have as much right to live as the fried chickens we eat.
    64. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      amen

    65. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by quokkapox · · Score: 1

      I hear that. There's nothing quite like curling up with a nice torrent...

      --
      it's a blue bright blue Saturday hey hey
    66. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry to break this to you. You are a sheep. Slashdot is infested with sheep just like you who always swamp the forums and say they 'are smart and they use Windows' methinks they protest too much.

    67. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1


      Right - like all the P2P users are going to Gitmo.

      Cuba's population would be rather out-numbered.

      While I know it's the state's intention to make EVERYONE a criminal sooner or later, this isn't going to actually work.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    68. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1

      "I'm one of those Windows users, and I'm fairly certain I'm not just a sheep."

      Well, guess what? Your certainty is misplaced.

      The rest of your comment clearly demonstrate that.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    69. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Then I will resort to reading, painting and creating my own music.

      When you create your own music, what happens when you get sued for subconscious copying?

    70. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1

      Point 1: No, the DRM is designed to prevent you from running unlicensed media, not fucking with your text files or anything else. Unless they write the DRM to check every single file on the system regardless of file extension or metadata to see if it is a file that is supposed to be protected by the DRM system.

      Point 2: No, DRM has nothing to do with sending data over the network. It's intended to prevent running unlicensed media. There may be DRM for downloaded content, but it has nothing to do with the download per se.

      Point 3: Yes, it is possible that a USB key ON THE DRM BOX won't work if they make every manufacturer have to agree to adhere to a DRM protocol. I suppose they could even make the CD drives and floppies and hard drives work that way. It will be ten years before everyone throws away their existing systems, and meanwhile every piece of DRM-protected media will be cracked and distributed via non-DRM-compliant hardware so that isn't going to work either.

      I'm sure Windows trolls would love all this stuff to work perfectly and kill Linux and OSS, but it's not going to happen.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    71. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1


      Exactly my point.

      All you need is one hacker (in China, in the Russian Mafiya, in bin Laden's cave, wherever) "not found out" and every piece of DRM media ever made will end up cracked and available everywhere. Even forcing ISPs to not transmit DRM-protected media won't help because after being cracked and encrypted, the media is not identifiable as being DRM data.

      Do remember what the article said: the scheme IS A FAILURE ALREADY - it will just be a PITA for people until it's finally killed.

      Only clueless Windows users are going to be seriously affected.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    72. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Petrushka · · Score: 1

      To my knowledge, only the import DVD players from China sold over the gray market offers unlimited changes to the player's DVD region as a feature.

      Wow, really? I'm guessing you're in the US? Sounds like an odd situation to be in. Where I am, in NZ, just about the only DVD players I see that aren't multi-region are the ones built into Apple or Dell computers. So, for example, if I were to move to the US (just supposing it were still possible to get a visa without bending over in all directions), would I not be allowed to bring my DVD player with me?

      Ah well. In that case, go China-free-trade-agreement go!

    73. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by flushtwice · · Score: 2, Insightful
      If you're running Linux and you haven't tried RealPlayer lately, I'd highly recommend giving them a second chance.

      I'll go along with that statement. After I started having trouble with meeting all the various dependancy nightmares of the VLC player, I decided to just ditch it for a while and check out my other options.

      At first I laughed at my own joke of installing Real Player... Now I'm still scratching my head in confusion because this isn't the pure concentrated evil I had experienced while using it under Windows.

      It's easy too: To make it work under an RPM based distro (such as Fedora or Mandriva), Install Firefox if you haven't already. Download and install RealPlayer10GOLD.rpm (Yes, as root), then download RealPlayer10GOLD.bin into your home directory, make it executable (chmod 700 Rea[tab]) and run it (./RealPlayer10GOLD.bin) as user. Enter your newly created directory (cd RealPlay), and run (./realplay) once to initialize it. Close it, and Fire up Firefox and go try a site that uses Real media.

      It works really well, and I kinda feel bad sometimes because I know that it's not nearly as positive an experience for Windows users, and they will continue to bash the format for the pure evil that they feel is embedded in the Windows application.

    74. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by MacDork · · Score: 1
      To all you people that spend your spare time in front of your computer or watching that 60" Hi-Def ... I say switch that little bastard off, go kiss your significant other right on the lips, and go out for a nice long walk. In the long run, you'll both be better off without Hollywood running the show.

      I don't have an SO you insensitive clod! :-) Seriously though, the computer can be a good way out of **AA homogenous mind-control hell. It's all a matter of how you use it. The tools are so good/cheap/ubiquitous for musicians that amateur/independent music exists to shame anything the RIAA has available. No need for RIAA assistance or studios, just grab a copy of Logic Pro and do your thing. The computer allows me to check the RIAA Radar, to ensure I buy no music from baby-litigators. Finding good free/independent music is easier with collaborative filtering. I like iRate myself, but other collaborative ranking systems are available that make the process of separating wheat from chaff easier. The "music industry" as it was 10 years ago is now useless to me. I'd rather find tunes on iRate and paypal the cash for a CD at the band's website or through CDBaby.

      As for video, the process seems to be in it's infancy. Already though, shows are popping up on P2P that were canned by the major networks but attracted a fanbase online. It won't be long before producers decide to release on P2P first and approach networks later.

    75. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by InvalidError · · Score: 1

      Last time I read about hardware DRM on PCs, it went like: secure BIOS -> secure OS -> secure apps, with the 'secure' flag being turned off by the first layer that does not clear.

      As for TNC, sounds like this would very likely break PS2/PS3/Xbox/Xbox2/etc.'s online gaming and heaps of other stuff, like appliances and equipment running embedded Linux or other network-enabled OS. If TNC ever goes live, most ISPs that invested milion$ in it will also have invest in a rollback soon thereafter due complaint floods and bulk service cancellations.

      Securing the PC and online world to the extent these bits of nonsense intend to is futile. 100% copyright enforcement would slow progress down well beyond what these people can imagine. They are the kamikazes of short-term profit.

    76. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by shmlco · · Score: 1
      Even forcing ISPs to not transmit DRM-protected media won't help because after being cracked and encrypted...

      Huh. You're right. It can't be identified. Of course, you're now receiving an awful lot of data that can't be identified as trusted data coming from a trusted source.

      Hmmmmmmmmm...... no red flags there.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    77. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by log0n · · Score: 1

      I don't have cable. I watch only the movies I think are worthwhile (a lot of foreign with a few summer blockbusters (netflix) - professional background is in TV & film). I'm also a musician (with a better ear and mindset of what's quality than the average joe) so I know good music when I hear it, and know when to avoid it w/o listening in the first place. Even with all of these personal attributes, I don't need any of these things to live.

      Sarcasm aside, your failings are you depend on those in the first place. If TV, movies, music (all for entertainment) are so important that you can't cope with unplugging from them, you're really leading a pretty empty existance. They control you who you are, rather than you controling who you are.

      $.02

    78. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      One of the reasons why Amnesty International infamously (and intemperately) referred to the US's detainee system as the "gulag of our time" is that the network of prison camps is quite a bit larger than just guantanamo, There are also (larger) prison camps in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well a number of prisons in "undisclosed locations." And should it be necessary, more cages can be built, more leash-holders can be trained, and more people can be exposed to the joys of "water-boarding."
      But perhaps you might get llucky, and remain in a United States prison as a warning to those hackers who might dare to follow in your footsteps.

    79. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by bogjobber · · Score: 1

      Guess what? Some people actually object to copyright infringment. It's more than just "taking the chance that you will get caught." While you seem to have no problem with it, very few people will resort to downloading all their music. Most people I know do it casually, but they still buy CD's. People that follow the law shouldn't be punished by taking away their fair use rights.

      And what is up with you calling non-techies sheep? That is just condescending. Just because people don't have they same level of technical knowledge does not make them inferior.

    80. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't matter. I won't run Media Center. So since I won't run this box, why should I care?

      Their aim is to get DRM into everything.

      Eventually you'll have no choice.

      It's better to care now than wait.

    81. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Kazymyr · · Score: 1

      As long as DRM-enabled hardware runs non-DRM-enabled software...

      Therein lays the heart of the problem. Soon enough you won't be able to run non-certified binaries on DRM hardware, and DRM will be a requirement for the binaries to be certified... erm, digitally signed.

      And don't think of it as a doomsday scenario, it's already happening on certain embedded devices (see the 2nd generation TiVo hardware).

      --
      I hadn't known there were so many idiots in the world until I started using the Internet -Stanislaw Lem
    82. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by radu124 · · Score: 1

      I hope you're just being paranoid, but if this comes to be true, living in the US or even setting foot in the US will really suck.

      If I were you I would just move to Soviet Russia.

    83. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by The+OPTiCIAN · · Score: 1

      > Is there really anything worth watching on TV anymore?

      BBC World. Everything else worthwhile can be downloaded.

      --


      Believe with me, my saplings.
    84. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by InvalidError · · Score: 1

      I do not buy into lock-in mania.

      Yes, lock-in mania has been in full force in some specific area and to some extent in game consoles... but these devices were originally meant to be special-purpose/fixed-function.

      Although lock-in always sucks, the kind of damage and inconvenience the above examples may cause are nothing compared to what the "Secure Computing Platform" DRM for PCs would. In this case, DRM will most likely create many more serious issues than the hypothetical "theft" it is meant to stop.

      PC stands for Personal Computer, much of "personal" part is gone once you lose the ability to do whatever you want on it.

      Things are going to be really entertaining once entertainment industry people start hitting DRM brick walls in their everyday life, preferably at critical moments during production.

    85. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by HeroreV · · Score: 1

      Why did I get modded as flamebait? Everything I said was true.

    86. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by chefren · · Score: 1

      There is an alternative you know. Go to and old-fashioned record shop and get real service, good recommendations and the ability to listen to more then just the "best of" clips of an album.

    87. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by IchBinEinPenguin · · Score: 1

      DRM uses asymetric encryption.
      Data to be protected is encrypted with a public key, and decrypted with the private key.
      The private key is held in the trusted hardware, so you can'g get at it. In fact, the data may remain encrypted all the way to the 'trusted' monitor.
      Sure, you can copy the encrypted files all you wnt, but you can't decrypt them w/o the trusted HW.

      The problem is this.... To distrbute a movie to 10,000 computers you either have to encrypt it 10,000 times (ouch, CPU time, bandwidth!) or encrypt it with a key that's shared by all 10,000 PC's.
      If _one_ of those 10,000 PC's is 'comproised' then the original data leaks out of the DRM world and DRM has bought you _NOTHING_.
      DRM is designed to make honest people pay again and again for the same thing. It won't do a thing to stop 'piracy'.

    88. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by grahammm · · Score: 1

      If they want a system which only plays DRM content then they had better make the mechanism for DRMing the content available to everyone at a reasonable (preferably free) cost. The indie musician releasing their own tracks should have just as much right and opportunity to DRM their works (and hopefully to be able to set the rights as freely copyable if the so desire) as the large studios.

    89. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by jacksonj04 · · Score: 1

      Yes, but you don't have the balls to post as anything other than AC. I think my comment has more weight than yours.

      I use Windows as my primary desktop because it is the best platform out there for what I need to do. For graphical work, I use the Mac Mini which is sat next to me, then I move the files to where they're needed through the Gentoo file server sat upstairs.

      Sheep use one OS regardless, some people use the best tool for the job. What do you do?

      --
      How many people can read hex if only you and dead people can read hex?
    90. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by McDoobie · · Score: 1

      People who DELIBERATELY remain ignorant about critical aspects of how thier data is handled ARE SHEEP! Furthermore, like pebbles in a pond, thier bullshit ripples back onto legitimate users(yes, the sheep should NOT have computers.) like me. What's one of the results? DRM going into everything from a general purpose computer(thus making it nearly useless) to my grandmothers fucking hearing aid, without so much as a whimper of protest.

      I heartily cheer on the windows hackers and virus writers. I keep hoping that one day we'll get a virus that'll shut down at least %85 of all windows computers online for at least a week. Then maybe the sheep will finally get thier shit together. Until then, the legitimate computer users should continue to flame, harass, debase, and basically piss on the sheep.

      In other words, these people have deliberately made themselves inferior. So fuck 'em. Heh.

    91. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by fbjon · · Score: 1

      You are so correct, it's almost sad.

      --
      True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
    92. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by djiin · · Score: 1

      ...assuming that much of the cultural production of our day has any value.

      This may actually be the crux of the entire problem. When cultural artifacts become popular they become more valuable. The valuable artifacts seldom need protection from copyright infringement because many people want to buy their own copy to enjoy.

      It is only the less inspired entertainment commodities which provide momentary distraction and are essentially disposable which are in danger. I am not so sure that it would be such a loss to lose those things. The high value items which have their own innate quality by virtue of the love and care which went into their production are the very items which will endure no matter what the law says.

      If there was not such a push to cynically exploit cultural artifacts for money we might not have the problems we are experiencing.

    93. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by 6th+time+lucky · · Score: 1, Interesting
      It's easy too: To make it work under an RPM based distro (such as Fedora or Mandriva), Install Firefox if .....

      Can anyone see why linux is not being generally accepted... Step 1 (arr pee what?), step 2 (yes step 3), step 4, step 5 (after 3 hours of RTFM searching), step 6 (eyes glaze over), step 7, step 8 (numbness setting in), step 9... ohhh it works... oh no it doesnt, lets try compile from source...

      On windows, download, install (yes, reboot), enjoy pure evil...

      Gratification is quick, and even if its bad, its still good.
    94. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by jonadab · · Score: 1

      > Well, you're wrong, because once they finish rolling out their Treacherous
      > Computing crap the "USB" on the DRM box will only work with "Trusted"
      > "USB" keys.

      So you shut down the Longhorn system, move its hard drive over to another, non-DRM system, mount it as another filesystem, and copy the data.

      Fundamentally, DRM can only *really* work if the file format is sufficiently obscure that nobody can figure out how to read or convert it. Encryption can raise the barrier, but for something general-purpose like this, the key has to be stored on every computer that supports the DRM, which means it's going to be public knowledge.

      Companies have been trying to make copy-protection work for decades, and throwing quite a lot of resources into it. They've inconvenienced a lot of legitimate users, but they have NEVER come up with a scheme that actually prevents people from copying the data. The reason they haven't come up with a way to do that is because there *isn't* a way to do that. It's impossible.

      --
      Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
    95. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by stoborrobots · · Score: 1

      Do you have a URL to back this up?

      Does this help?

      https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org/downloads/TN C/

    96. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by tepples · · Score: 1

      The indie musician releasing their own tracks should have just as much right and opportunity to DRM their works (and hopefully to be able to set the rights as freely copyable if the so desire) as the large studios.

      Try telling that to independent game developers who want to get their games published on a console.

    97. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Bob+Uhl · · Score: 1

      I don't watch TV (I've neither cable nor an antenna). I get my movies from Netflix. I get my music from the CD store or online (emusic.com is very sweet). And I can build my own box cheaper than I can buy an equivalently-featured one. I'm not too worried.

    98. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      China, one of the most undemocratic superpowers in the world, will soon be the last bastion of content freedom.

      Well what do expect from a country which doesn't really care for human rights, let alone copyrights?

      Wake up.

    99. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1


      Oh, a brilliant remark.

      So you're saying encryption is bad because it isn't open to the world.

      Brilliant. /. really needs some sort of intelligence filter.

      Speaking of "trusted data from a trusted source", do you remember the virus Microsoft shipped to South Korea one time? Just because it's DRM'd doesn't mean it wasn't subject to being hacked before being signed. THAT's proper security thinking.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    100. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1


      If you think a US prison is better, you haven't been in one.

      I have. Oh, yeah, you get TV and the like. Piss a guard off and you get worse than "water-boarding".

      Where do you think these asshole MPs that run the military prisons come from? Most of them are US prison guards and US cops. And the prison system in Iraq was designed by US prison administrators whose prisons have been sued repeatedly for cruel and inhumane conditions.

      There's no way unauthorized distribution is going to be prevented by US laws of any kind. That's a pipe dream by people who don't understand the nature of black markets and who have masochistic complexes where they like being subjected to oppression by their "leaders."

      Punks, in other words.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    101. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The mafia is always ready to feed the people when the law goes too far. Like prohibition, prostitution, gambling. The problem is that the mafia shoots people to protect their access to the market. And their product liability amounts to "tell it to the fishes". When our government and its corporate sponsors drive us into the arms of the mafia, we're screwed, not saved.

      This was moderated higher that your post. Read it and pay attention. Like corporations, competition between countries is real, even if they seem friendly at first. You scoff at sending pig sperm into space? Don't underestimate China's brilliance and/or their motivations. It is natural for every country to want to better its position in the world, and China is very secretive about what it's doing (ever hear of the Great Firewall of China?). Again, don't trust China to save you. This has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with government.

      China IS in fact moving along quite nicely. They have progressed extremely rapidly in the last 5 years.

      So if you really want the US's help, go live there. There'll be plenty of Americans there to sort out your problem for you, I'm sure.

      If I actually lived in China and thought the US could help (as previous posters seem to think China can), this would be sound advice.

    102. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by shmlco · · Score: 1
      You're missing the point. It doesn't matter if someone halfway across the worlds hacks an encrypted DVD, as if you want it, you still need to receive it.

      It doesn't matter if they encrypt the crack and scatter all the pieces among all the different p2p servers out there, as you, sitting at home, still need to receive all of those pieces.

      So to an ISP's data monitoring system, downloading an aac (known data) from iTunes (known source) is one thing. In a word, legal. Downloading a ton of obscure encrypted data from N number of unknown and potentially suspect sources gives an entirely different signature.

      One that could be used to "flag" an account for future notice...

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    103. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1


      Irrelevant. If the ISP starts trying to prevent people from downloading encrypted data of any kind, that ISP is going out of business.

      And they can "flag" anybody they want - it's "what are they gonna do about it" that matters. Most ISPs can't even manage their clients as it is.

      Oh, sure, I can imagine all sorts of Federal laws requiring this crap - and I have no doubt the Feds are going to pass them. They probably will entirely outlaw P2P of ANY kind, whether it has commercial uses or not.

      It's irrelevant. Unless they make the entire Internet illegal OR so totally open that every piece of data on it must be examined and tracked by the Feds, it's not going to stop file sharing. It's that simple. There's always going to be a way around it and DRM is the least of our worries.

      That doesn't mean we shouldn't oppose it, but it's not going to matter one way or the other, because the government is this country no longer listens to ANYBODY who isn't a big campaign contributor or other form of corporate or wealthy influence. It's that simple.

      The bottom line is: sooner or later this government is going to have to be trashed totally - either by a Second American Revolution (not likely, since none of the morons today have any clue about the first one) or by someone simply having enough and nuking Washington with a smuggled nuke "borrowed" from Russia or the Israelis - very likely, in my view.

      Anybody who thinks everything is going to be tied down so tightly you can't do anything just doesn't understand human history. It has NEVER worked that way, and it never will - until we Transhumans fry the lot of you and remove the issue entirely.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    104. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by shmlco · · Score: 1
      We can agree to disagree, but if you think someone nuking Washington is going to improve things, that people aren't going to demand that things become locked down to the point where it never, ever, happens again, then I have to wonder what Hans Christian Andersen fairytale version of history you and your fellow anarchists been feeding yourselves.

      Soviet Russia managed to lock things down for over half a century, without the 24/7 eyes-and-ears-everywhere monitoring technology we could have now.

      Yeah, they eventually took themselves down, but only because they overspent trying to keep up with us. And I don't know about you, but I have no wish to live the rest of my life in "that" half-century.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
    105. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by flushtwice · · Score: 1
      Heh heh... Yeah, I suppose to a non-linux user it looks a little like some cryptic casting of runes, but unless you're using a self-inflicted bizarre system configuration, this one actually does work as advertised.

      I could have just as easily made my Linux instructions read: "Download, install, and enjoy," but I rather like the nuance of the experience since it lacks the hijacking of your registry to make it the default player for virtually every media type out there, and of course the part where it makes you register your copy ("Please enter a valid E-mail address!"), the screen where you have to opt-in/out of solicitations, the reboot, the uncomfortably long wait while your anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, and who-know what else sniffs it over to see if it's got legs...

      Yeah... It's instant gratification, and you deserve every moment of it! ;-)

    106. Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1

      Russia didn't lock down technology because they didn't have any. That's the issue here. Look at how much trouble China is having locking down the Internet.

      Not to mention that some people think the Net was instrumental in breaking down the Soviet system (I'm not convinced myself, but there were cases where dissident groups in Eastern Europe got support by being able to contact foreigners via the Net.)

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
  2. Not to be confused with... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  3. Not afraid by yotto · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Don't buy it. Don't very buy it.

    Or something. Look, if you want to use your media the way you want and not be locked into DRM, don't buy this. Also don't buy RIAA CDs or download from sources you think are too restrictive. If enough people do it, they'll have to change their DRM. If (as I suspect will happen) everybody else in the world is fine with the DRM, then they won't have to change and that will suck. But you don't have to use it, so it shouldn't matter to you.

    1. Re:Not afraid by arose · · Score: 1

      You don't have to communicate?

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    2. Re:Not afraid by yotto · · Score: 1

      Who was talking about communicating? I was talking about willfully allowng DRM'd hardware in my office. I can communicate just fine without it. Hell, some people communicate without computers at all.

    3. Re:Not afraid by KnightMB · · Score: 1

      I certainly agree, only buy music from sites that use non-DRM (ogg, flac, whatever) formats. I buy music from http://ind-music.com/ because it supports Independent Artist not on labels, the artist make a ton more money per song and it uses the wonderful ogg vorbis files which works on any OS or portable music player, no DRM included, doesn't get much better than that. Just my $0.02

    4. Re:Not afraid by Decameron81 · · Score: 2, Insightful
      "Don't buy it. Don't very buy it.

      Or something. Look, if you want to use your media the way you want and not be locked into DRM, don't buy this. Also don't buy RIAA CDs or download from sources you think are too restrictive. If enough people do it, they'll have to change their DRM. If (as I suspect will happen) everybody else in the world is fine with the DRM, then they won't have to change and that will suck. But you don't have to use it, so it shouldn't matter to you."


      The problem is that DRM is not always announced as being part of the product the way it should be. There's a lot of people that end up buying new hardware with similar features without even knowing it in the first place.

      DRM is sneaky.
      --
      diegoT
    5. Re:Not afraid by happyemoticon · · Score: 1

      I am quite far from swallowing the RIAA's load. I mostly listen to bands on independent labels. I figured out that the RIAA's music sucks five years ago and never looked back.

      I don't watch tv.

      My best friend manages a theater.

    6. Re:Not afraid by arose · · Score: 1
      Who was talking about communicating?
      Me.
      I was talking about willfully allowng DRM'd hardware in my office. I can communicate just fine without it.
      Yes, so far other hardware exists you can. If there is no demand for DRM free hardware there is a high posibility that all hardware you can buy will be DRMed. Wasn't that what you were taling about?
      Hell, some people communicate without computers at all.
      Some still do, but I would find the need to do so crippling even now. When "everyone" (think "everyone uses IE") is on the net there will be a significant portion of people and institution that you will not be able to effectivly communicate without it.
      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    7. Re:Not afraid by SA+Stevens · · Score: 1

      When "everyone" (think "everyone uses IE") is on the net

      1998 called, and wanted to know if it could borrow some of whatever you're smoking.

    8. Re:Not afraid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There have been massive amounts of content produced, and many high quality ones. Since people are bemoaning the reduction in content - BUY USED. This gets you the content you want, and generally the older content is DRM-free. You get music/movies you may have missed and you will likely still enjoy, and you don't fatten the pockets of those that are continuing to attempt to screw you. Sales of used CD's/DVD's don't add to their profit.

      You can have the best of both worlds with used media. There are many places where you can buy used media for much less than purchasing new. They haven't been able to outlaw that yet.

    9. Re:Not afraid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Eventually some nerd with no life will build a bomb and suicide bomb some RIAA office, and all will be well.

    10. Re:Not afraid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You won't once almost all email/chat/etc goes through the DRM system because Outlook and Outlook Express enable DRM protection by default. Don't forget that by 2011 your ISP will probably require a Trusted System in order to even get on the internet.

    11. Re:Not afraid by despisethesun · · Score: 1

      iPods can play .ogg files? Since when?

      --
      This poo is cold.
    12. Re:Not afraid by msuarezalvarez · · Score: 1

      Hmm. Your definition of 'everyone' seems to be rather restricted! Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population and any sensible estimate of the number of people connected to the net.

    13. Re:Not afraid by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      I figured out that the RIAA's music sucks five years ago and never looked back.

      No, what you figured out is that YOU don't like popular music.

      That matters for shit to those of us who DO like popular music. Which is called popular music, by the way, because a good many of us actually enjoy it.

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    14. Re:Not afraid by arose · · Score: 1

      I'm not talking short term nor worldwide.

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    15. Re:Not afraid by arose · · Score: 1

      Why the hell do you think "everyone" is in quotes, I'm well aware that IE isn't (and hasn't been) used by everyone on the net, yet that is still the popular belief and it will take some time for this to sink in outside of those most interested. Now think of a situation where you can only reach peple by "outdated" communication methods (non-DRMed anything on the net is spam by default, if you are allowed to connect at all): will you be able to convince them to abandon the computer that "just works"?

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    16. Re:Not afraid by SA+Stevens · · Score: 1

      No, my point was that your 'everybody will be on the net' hype sounds like Dot.com triumphalism.

      Not gonna happen.

    17. Re:Not afraid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But if you don't buy it the terrorists will win...

    18. Re:Not afraid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "you will not be able to effectivly communicate without it."

      Damn man, ever hear of a phone?

    19. Re:Not afraid by arose · · Score: 1

      I'm not effective with a phone :-/

      --
      Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.
    20. Re:Not afraid by happyemoticon · · Score: 1

      Oh sir, please forgive me for not prefixing my humble opinion with a suitable acryonym to declare it as such! (IMHO)

      And by the way, your favorite band sucks, and they have no musical talent. In my opinion.

  4. uhhh by FuBaR+Technician · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Time to buy stock in AMD. I imagine they'll be happy to support the market share that Intel doesn't want to.

    -TLAY

    1. Re:uhhh by wot.narg · · Score: 0

      I for one welcome our new AMD-who-have-replaced-Intel-in-my-market-share overlords!

      --
      Roses are red
      Violets are blue
      In Soviet Russia
      Poems write you!
    2. Re:uhhh by FuBaR+Technician · · Score: 1

      What do you think Apple has to say about this? I don't think they would want to buy into their competitors scheme...but then again who ever thought they would go with Intel either?

      -TLAY

    3. Re:uhhh by bigberk · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately it's not that simple. First, typically nobody cares what we think as we who know are a minority of computer users. Second, Intel is a brand that is already well established which includes established marketing, established vendor channels and established long term relationships with other companies. Third, stocks don't go up just because the company has a good future.

    4. Re:uhhh by FuBaR+Technician · · Score: 1

      True...they do have the joe six pack pc guy at bay, and the corporate entities that are tied in...but for us nerds that actually build the servers and home pc's (or at least order them)...we will know better. I imagine that if this goes through as professed in the article that they will shoot themselves in the footsies a bit.

      Either that or we could develop the Xecuter4 for use with the pc (including cool LCD front panel with switches).

      -TLAY

    5. Re:uhhh by miscz · · Score: 1

      Third, stocks don't go up just because the company has a good future.

      but they will and that's the point of buying them now :P
    6. Re:uhhh by bigberk · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, they will not necessarily. Everyone thought China's economy was so hot but their stock market dropped 50% in the past year. And Chinese stock experts starting realizing they were paying far too much, even for good companies.

      In 1999, even stocks of good companies with solid futures was overvalued and the tech stocks today are still lower. Don't fall into the trap with stocks, thinking that they HAVE to go up.

    7. Re:uhhh by downbad · · Score: 2, Informative

      AMD is a member of the Trusted Computing Platform Alliance.

    8. Re:uhhh by mrchaotica · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You realize that once Treacherous Computing is common, it'll be all-too-easy for the RIAA's politicians to mandate it by law, right? Saying "there'll always be AMD" just doesn't work.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    9. Re:uhhh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AMD has started up the SCO tactics. In their earning report a few days back, the CEO brags, "We have 100% share of the dual core server market because we out executed our competitor". A week before that, the CEO claims, "We cannot break into any market because Intel doesn't play fair."

      This stream of conflicting statement is just made to put the best spin for whatever audience is around.

      AMD is going SCO-stal

    10. Re:uhhh by Kazymyr · · Score: 1

      Well then there'll be Via. Or some other Taiwanese/Indonesian/3rd world company that the US laws don't touch.

      --
      I hadn't known there were so many idiots in the world until I started using the Internet -Stanislaw Lem
    11. Re:uhhh by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      But if you try to import one of those chips, it'll be confiscated and you'll get convicted of smuggling.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    12. Re:uhhh by Kazymyr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why does everything have to be so US-centric? Maybe people in the rest of the world don't want to have the DRM-ridden Intel platform pushed on them - then they'll have alternatives. As for those in the US, maybe the next time they'll think twice about whom they vote for.

      --
      I hadn't known there were so many idiots in the world until I started using the Internet -Stanislaw Lem
    13. Re:uhhh by Osiris+Ani · · Score: 1
      "We?" Too many geeks seem to forget that AMD processors aren't just our little secret, and that Intel has not yet cornered the consumer PC market, despite what you might have heard. If you step into a Best Buy, Circuit City, or CompUSA storefront - where the average end-user is likely to pick up a machine - you'll find HP, Compaq, and eMachines desktop and notebook systems with both AMD and Intel processors.

      In fact, right now, both circuitcity.com and compusa.com list AMD Sempron-powered Compaq Presarios among their top sellers in the desktop computer category. It's not merely geek-chic now... but in all honesty, it never really was.

      Choose something else as your lost cause; this one never qualified.

  5. Biased by tsa · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Wow, I haven't seen an article this biased in a long time. This is not journalism, this is flaming.

    --

    -- Cheers!

    1. Re:Biased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who pretended was a journalist here?

    2. Re:Biased by vettemph · · Score: 1

      But you have to appreciate the honesty.

      --
      The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
    3. Re:Biased by MankyD · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's called an "editorial". Notice the sub title in read the reads "Comment"? Editorials have been since the beginnings of journalism. Sheesh.

      --
      -dave
      http://millionnumbers.com/ - own the number of your dreams
    4. Re:Biased by northcat · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yeah, the Inquirer should've spouted marketspeak like pussies instead. We all know that spouting marketspeak like pussies is true journalism.

    5. Re:Biased by VON-MAN · · Score: 1

      What? You expected some spokespersons in the article?

    6. Re:Biased by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

      It's not biased if you're right. It's biased if you're wrong and are just pretending to be right.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    7. Re:Biased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It really is amazing how a sensible anti-DRM position stands out, isn't it? I wonder why.

      It's about fucking time the media offers up an intelligent alternative to the faithfully regurgitated corporate PR fed to mainstraim media. Go check the 'science and technology' section of any major media outlet. Virtually every story was almost entirely ghostwritten by a PR firm employed by a corporate behemoth. "Microsoft this", and "Intel that". Total crap, the whole lot of it. And you decide to piss on someone who actually has the chutzpa to think for themselves. Congratulations, you officially qualify for "sheeple" status.

      Hurray for independant media!

    8. Re:Biased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To attempt to report on a travesty without bias, you are essentially lending your credibility to it.

  6. Now Remember Kids by realcoolguy425 · · Score: 5, Funny

    People are inherently averse to getting screwed, in the way that Intel is doing mind you, and if you try to screw people, they will avoid you.
    I thought people on slashdot were inherently incapable of being screwed... Please see previous articles on roleplaying.

    1. Re:Now Remember Kids by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Sodomy qualifies as "screwing".

  7. 'East Fork's' internal codename... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    ...was 'Sharp Stick Up Butt' but the ad folks thought 'East Fork' would go over better.

  8. With as much populatrity as linux has in.. by guildsolutions · · Score: 2, Insightful

    the server domain, i find it very hard to ever imagine Intel doing anything with purpose to hurt linux. Intel makes hardware, I doubt they really care what OS the hardware runs, as long as they sell chips. Intel may hate AMD and program there compilers to hate AMD, but I seriously doubt they would maim there own hardware to knock down a OS that doesnt support DRM. Besides, who's to say they cant code linux to adapt to it?

    1. Re:With as much populatrity as linux has in.. by Haley's+Comet · · Score: 1

      I would strip the DRM support from the kernel myself (like cutting off a rotten foot...) What I want to know is if someone will find a way to remove the DRM chips (or whatever)?

      --
      The Illuminati would kill me, but I'm not rich enough to take notice of.
  9. Tinfoil hat? by Gothmolly · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sunday is a slow news day, but geez. This is news? So Intel (or Microsoft/Toshiba/Sony/Phillips/Haliburton) is making a media PC? Um, who cares?
    My CDs play well on my $29 stereo, and in my car. FM radio, where it isn't ClearChannel, sounds just fine. Perhaps the drones who are EMPOWERING Intel to make this move are going to suffer. Why must your PC converge with your TV?

    Why must you have 55" plasma, Dolby 11.1 surround, with Foomatic DSP and Orgasmatron effects? Christ, step outside and go for a walk, see a local band, read a book, play with your dog, have sex with your wife. This is your life, man, and its ending 1 minute at a time.

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
    1. Re:Tinfoil hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      What if I want to go outside and step for a walk? Or see a book and read a local band? Or play with my wife and have sex with my dog?

      Or... wait a minute.

    2. Re:Tinfoil hat? by k.ellsworth · · Score: 1

      Your are missing the dog's opinion...

      --
      Putting a windows cd backwards, plays evil messages, but it gets worse, putting it right, installs windows.
    3. Re:Tinfoil hat? by dr.matrix · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Right you are. I can definitely imagine living without listening to the next Britney clone yapping, or seeing the next Spielberg "blockbuster" with Tom Cruise alternating between his two facial expressions.

      (If I seem to be a bit scathing, that was intentional.)

      In any case, I have a feeling that this is going to end much the same way as it did with DVDs: in theory, it is illegal to crack CSS, but nobody gives a damn as long as you don't make a torrent out of it afterwards (which is something entirely different from fair use).

      So far for my 2 cents.. (Eurocents, of course :)

    4. Re:Tinfoil hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You must be new here and have bough somebody else's UID.

      We all know ./ 'ers don't have wives (or lives). Something about your parent's basement...

      And for the record, I'm waiting for Dolby 37.9 - nothing less!

      Seriously... I think I can say I was an easrly adopter of those convergence PCs as you name them. I've had a HTPC for 5 years, and I finally gave up on it recently. Analog capturing sucks, the software sucks, it just sucks all around - it doesn't come even CLOSE to my cheap satellite PVR. It's a major hassle, waste of time and money. I wish I had never bothered. (Ok, I'll admit having XBMC too, but a PC-based home theater device? no thanks!).

      Perhaps HDTV would change the overall picture, but since none of the channels we watch (foodtv, teletoon, etc) are going to be in HD anytime soon, plus we don't get OTA here (just 4 or 5 crappy chans over cable and not much better over sat), it's not worth buying yet - not until we have some sort of HD DVD that's semi-mainstream (affordable players and some stuff to watch).

    5. Re:Tinfoil hat? by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Christ, step outside and go for a walk, see a local band, read a book, play with your dog, have sex with your wife.

      This is Slashdot. Even if by some stroke of luck (or unluck, depending who you ask) that a slashdotter is married, the sex probably isn't happening.

    6. Re:Tinfoil hat? by Speare · · Score: 1, Insightful
      My CDs play well on my $29 stereo, and in my car. FM radio, where it isn't ClearChannel, sounds just fine. ... Why must you have 55" plasma, Dolby 11.1 surround, with Foomatic DSP and Orgasmatron effects? Christ, step outside and go for a walk ...

      My 8tracks play well on my $290 stereo in my car. AM radio, where it isn't rural religious propaganda, sounds just fine. ... Why must you have 25" color TV, stereophonic, with VHF and UHF bands? Christ, step outside and go for a walk ...

      My LPs play well on my $2900 hi-fi. The wireless, where it isn't soap company serials, sounds just fine. ... Why must you have a television set, with live comedies once a week? Christ, step outside and go for a walk ...

      My chamber orchestra plays well on a $29000 salary, right in my parlour...

      --
      [ .sig file not found ]
    7. Re:Tinfoil hat? by squoozer · · Score: 1

      Phew for a minute there I though to said have sex with your dog and play with your wife.

      I know geeks have touble finding a partner but gawd that pushing the limits.

      --
      I used to have a better sig but it broke.
    8. Re:Tinfoil hat? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 1

      Tom Cruise alternating between his two facial expressions.

      Um ... he has another one?

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    9. Re:Tinfoil hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      > > What if I want to go outside and step for a walk? Or see a book and read a local band? Or play with my wife and have sex with my dog?
      > > Or... wait a minute.
      >
      > You are missing the dog's opinion...

      Your dog definitely prefers steak?

    10. Re:Tinfoil hat? by dr.matrix · · Score: 1

      Um ... he has another one?

      Besides "Arrogant Smirk", you mean? Yes, in WotW, he clearly did "Panicked Sheep", too..

    11. Re:Tinfoil hat? by masdog · · Score: 1

      I think he smiled once in Top Gun.

    12. Re:Tinfoil hat? by bheerssen · · Score: 1

      "Why must your PC converge with your TV?"

      Umm... why indeed? Have you ever tried to get broken glass out of a carpet? It's a real pain in ass.

      --
      (Score: -1, Stupid)
    13. Re:Tinfoil hat? by australopith · · Score: 2, Funny

      >step outside and go for a walk, see a local band, read a book, play with your dog, have sex with your wife.

      First 4 down, now I'm gonna play with my wife...hey, wait a minute.

      --
      Just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe, aye.
    14. Re:Tinfoil hat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see why you say "but nobody gives a damn" (about CSS), because of the many easy, commercial software products available to help people exercise their rights. Oh that's right, they get sued out of existence. The DVD-CA cares very much about CSS cracking staying below a certain threshold of ease / popularity, and the first person to market with a mass-market solution will likely suffer the same fate as 321.

  10. Will there always be an alternative? by tepples · · Score: 1

    If (as I suspect will happen) everybody else in the world is fine with the DRM, then they won't have to change and that will suck. But you don't have to use it, so it shouldn't matter to you.

    "Don't have to use it"? What happens once all cable/sat/OTA decoder boxes start to come with Windows Media Center features powered by the East Fork platform? Then how will you get your TV?

    1. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by yotto · · Score: 2, Interesting


      What happens once all cable/sat/OTA decoder boxes start to come with Windows Media Center features powered by the East Fork platform? Then how will you get your TV?


      You won't? Can you live with out TV? I can. I mostly do now and losing the little I do watch doesn't scare me.

    2. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Cid+Highwind · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Then how will you get your TV?

      Over the internet, from people in countries with sane copyright law, same as a lot of /.ers do now.

      --
      0 1 - just my two bits
    3. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Can you live with out TV? I can.

      How do you get your tornado warnings?

    4. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by mingot · · Score: 1

      Loud sirens. How about you? I hope you're not counting on appliances that are plugged into your walls for them . . .

    5. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by maxdamage · · Score: 1

      I compleatly agree.
      I have been TV free for about two years. I get all my news from online and in newspapers(Imagine that, I READ to LEARN!)

    6. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yet you can't spell...

      i hate people that think they are god's gift simply because they do not watch TV. Is there a lot of crap on TV? yes. is there a lot of nonsense and made up stories in the newspaper or magazines? absolutely. anything untrue on the internet? not that i've ever seen, but I'd imagine so.

      imagine that, i watch tv, and although my grammar sucks, my spelling is spot on.

      get your own opinion and stop plagiarizing the trendy position.

    7. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I read about you in the onion. Your the guy who doesn't have a tv and has to tell everyone how superior he is to everyone else.

    8. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by maxdamage · · Score: 1

      I hate people who criticize peoples spelling/grammar and can't be assed to use proper spelling/grammar when they do it. Please die.

    9. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by fitten · · Score: 1

      anything untrue on the internet? not that i've ever seen, but I'd imagine so.

      You're joking... right? The Internet is the largest source of false/mis- information on the planet.

    10. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, capitalization is an important part of spelling, unless your name is e.e.cummings.

      You spelled..
      'yet' - 'Yet'
      'i' - 'I'
      'god' - 'God'
      'yes' - 'Yes'
      'absolutely' - 'Absolutely'
      'anything' - 'Anything'
      'not' - 'Not'
      'imagine' - 'Imagine'
      'get' - 'Get' ...all incorrectly.

      And yes, your grammar does suck the bloody dismembered balls of a goat.

    11. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by NormalVisual · · Score: 1

      Actually, for a large part of the U.S. that's subject to a lot of tornadic activity there aren't any sirens, and so we do in fact have to get that info via radio or TV.

      Having said that, a good battery-powered radio is handy for such things, and learning about and paying occasional attention to the weather outside ("hmm, mesocyclone - better keep an eye on that...") helps too.

      --
      Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
    12. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by phsdv · · Score: 1

      I guess you must be sarcastic after your remark:anything untrue on the internet? not that i've ever seen But I'll bite anyway. I hate people that think they are better because the can spell or write gramatically correct. I KNOW I can not, and defenitely not in your language. And with me many more. So stop bitching about it!

    13. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by masdog · · Score: 1

      The National Weather Service Website? The radio?

    14. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Henny+Penney · · Score: 1

      I would like to discreetly announce that the sky is falling.

      Thank you.

    15. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by msuarezalvarez · · Score: 1

      'god' - 'God'

      Maybe his god's ego does not require capitalization...

    16. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yes, your grammar does suck the bloody dismembered balls of a goat.

      At least my English is better than your Geberquen.

    17. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      Actually, you used too many linebreaks, then you turn it into that satanic "poetry" that mr E uses. This of course makes it harder to read, but prose is all about making shit as longwinded and boring as possible.

      Of note is that the wankmeister did fuck up his anti-caps deal, take a look at

      "do not watch TV. Is there a lot"

      As you might notice, it following after capping some words, so he's a closet cassosexual.

      But of course any trolling never beats the spelling thing in illiciting hulk-smash responses.

      --
      the sun is god
    18. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > But of course any trolling never beats the
      > spelling thing in illiciting hulk-smash responses

      illicit (adj.) - illegal
      elicit (v.) - to provoke

      I think you meant the latter.

      (Don't you just love watching the halt leading the blind...)

    19. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Goth+Biker+Babe · · Score: 1

      What happens once all cable/sat/OTA decoder boxes start to come with Windows Media Center features

      I develop software in set top boxes for a living. We produce millions of the buggers. So far I don't think there's one that uses Microsoft software.

    20. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by Shaper_pmp · · Score: 1

      "Over the internet, from people in countries with sane copyright law, same as a lot of /.ers do now."

      Right. And when the US uses the heavyhanded threats of (for example) trade sanctions (as, I believe, it already has in the past) to force those countries into line that aren't already lined up behind it champing at the bit, what then?

      That attitude is just another example of "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist..."

      --
      Everything in moderation, including moderation itself
    21. Re:Will there always be an alternative? by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      I'm sure I've never written that word before, and I don't have any recollection of there being 2 version of it either. Oh! They varry (nope, don't think I've written that either) in Ls too, infinite Gazi fun.

      --
      the sun is god
  11. The ironic thing... by Randseed · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The ironic thing about all the various forms of DRM, copy protection, etc., is that the more intrusive it gets, the more it is going to actually encourage piracy.

    I'd love to use something like iTunes. Unfortunately, because of the DRM, the fact that the files aren't compatible with Linux, my Palm, and whatever else I want it to be with, I'd rather just pirate the damned thing. Then I get it in a format I know works.

    Computer software. If the first damned thing that I'm going to do is scour the net for a "nocd" patch to get rid of the ridiculous SecureROM crap, then I'm more likely to grab the entire package. Add to that a point-of-sale variation on DRM, the no-return policies, and the fact that so much of the software out there sucks, doesn't perform as advertised, crashes, or is incompatible with hardware it should work with, and people are more likely to pirate the software.

    The content companies can keep shooting themselves in the foot. Hopefully, the U.S. government will eventually come in and slap all these companies down with anti-trust violations and the like, but I'm not holding my breath. Microsoft, the RIAA, et al. donate a lot of money, you know.

    1. Re:The ironic thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      History will repeat in 5...4...3...

    2. Re:The ironic thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cue the Apple fags screaming... "buy a Mac!"

      Oh wait... no... Apple sold out to Intel to get this DRM shit too.

    3. Re:The ironic thing... by Agent+Green · · Score: 1

      The thing about iTunes that I like is that if I choose to rip a CD that I already own so I can use it in an iPod, then those files are free and clear to be copied as I see fit...or played on any other player. The encryption only follows the stuff I've purchased on the site (which have been sourced from codes from pepsi and stuff).

      I spend most of my iTunes time previewing tracks to see if the actual CD is worth buying. No sense in paying actual money for compressed content.

      --
      // Agent Green (Ian / IU7 / KB1JQO)
      // IEEE 802.3: All 10base Are Belong To Us
    4. Re:The ironic thing... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Have a google for Pymusique. I'm using it successfully on my Linux box to purchase music from iTunes. I can play the files easily on my system too.

      I'm not going to let a company refuse to sell me something because they don't like my choice of computer.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    5. Re:The ironic thing... by argent · · Score: 4, Informative

      The ironic thing about all the various forms of DRM, copy protection, etc., is that the more intrusive it gets, the more it is going to actually encourage piracy.

      That's one reason iTunes has worked so well. The DRM is so weak that Apple actually tells you an easy way to get rid of it, Mix up new tracks with your existing MP3 collection to make killer compilations. You can burn songs from the iTunes Music Store an unlimited number of times.

      Oh, they make a token effort to discourage blatant fair use, enough to convince the labels that they're in charge, but it's really run on the honor system.

    6. Re:The ironic thing... by argent · · Score: 1

      Apple sold out to Intel to get this DRM shit too.

      That's one theory. Personally I think the Intel switch is part of something Jobs has been trying to do since he came back to Apple: kill the classic Mac OS. Remember, he tried back in '97, but he got slapped down by Adobe and so this time he waited until he could get the ISVs on his side. When he got that, and pulled the last OS-9 bootable Mac from the Apple Store ... and nobody screamed ... then he knew he could pull it off. Changing processors is no problem for his NeXT-derived API, but it's "a little more work" for Carbon, and OS-9 compatible Carbon code won't make the jump at all.

    7. Re:The ironic thing... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      If you use Hymn (or JHymn) you can remove the DRM from iTMS music tracks. They are then normal AAC tracks which can be played with FAAD (which has an XMMS plugin).

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    8. Re:The ironic thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have a google for Pymusique. I'm using it successfully on my Linux box to purchase music from iTunes. I can play the files easily on my system too.

      Uh, I googled Pymusique without much success. One of the pages _did_ claim to link to a site hosting Pymusique development, but the link was broken.

      Has DVD Jon been sued again?

    9. Re:The ironic thing... by polyp2000 · · Score: 1

      I'm not going to let a company refuse to sell me something because they don't like my choice of computer.

      I have a different logic; If a company doesnt like my choice of computer then they just lost a customer.

      --
      Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
    10. Re:The ironic thing... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Hmmmm, Pymusique itself seems to have been drowned out by the news stories about itself. Due to the nature of the program, adding "download" to the google doesn't help much. ;)

      You can get hold of it from fuware.net but there's a handy mirror here.

      Hope this helps. You can also find packages for Ubuntu in the Universe repositories. I expect rpm's exist for other distributions.

      Hope this helps, It's not as beautiful as iTunes, that's for sure. But I can buy my music now and that's what I care about.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    11. Re:The ironic thing... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      If you're going to use iTMS music anyway, you might as well use HYMN.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    12. Re:The ironic thing... by argent · · Score: 1

      If you're going to use iTMS music anyway, you might as well use HYMN.

      You still need iTunes to use HYMN. Unless something's changed, HYMN needs iTunes to work.

    13. Re:The ironic thing... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Actually, it has. There's another piece of software around that can get the decryption key directly from iTMS. It actually registers itself as another "computer" on your account. I've got a copy of it, but I got it a while ago and it's a command-line app at version 0.1. If you want it, respond (either here or email) and I'll send it to you.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  12. We like and support this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    -- Hollywood Film Makers and Companies selling data which can be copied with 0 cost, to masses of millions of idiots.

    "If you don't give me $10M, I refuse to write any more symphonies" -- Beethoven.

  13. AMD? by verbatim_verbose · · Score: 1

    Maybe this will give AMD a good chance to kick Intel down a notch. If people dislike the DRM, there has to be money to be made selling components/systems without it...

  14. So... by ms1234 · · Score: 1

    ...why not use AMD instead? This must be a huge selling point for them in the future?

  15. no no no by H9000 · · Score: 1

    I will not touch it, even I get it free of charge.

    1. Re:no no no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't work for Intel anymore but I believe they canned their free "HomePC" programme for employees.

  16. Go away, you're not 21 by tepples · · Score: 0, Troll

    step outside and go for a walk

    "I don't have any legs, you insensitive clod!"

    see a local band

    "Go away, you're not 21." A lot of towns don't have venues for independent music apart from places that serve a lot of alcoholic beverages. Besides, what happens when all the local bands get sued for infringement through subconscious copying?

    have sex with your wife

    Not everybody can afford to take care of yet another child.

    1. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not everybody can afford to take care of yet another child.

      Go buy some condoms, ya cheap bastard.

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
    2. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not everybody can afford to take care of yet another child.

      a contraceptive is a lot cheaper than a kid.

    3. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by Mad+Marlin · · Score: 0, Troll

      Gothmolly: have sex with your wife.

      tepples: Not everybody can afford to take care of yet another child.

      You could always stop being Catholic.

    4. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by revmoo · · Score: 1

      Cheap?!?!!

      Condoms are roughly $1 a piece where I live, that's nothing close to cheap.

      --
      I would expect such blatant racism on Fark, but on Slashdot? Mods please ban this asshole.
    5. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by urmensch · · Score: 1

      I bet you can find a health clinic where they give them out for free!

    6. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by yotto · · Score: 2, Funny


      Condoms are roughly $1 a piece where I live, that's nothing close to cheap.


      Not to mention that you have to actually talk to the woman sometimes. I mean, I've got UT to play and /. to post on! Now you want me to talk to /you/ as well? And to top it off, I gotta pay a whole dollar to have sex? Man, I'm glad I have a right hand!

    7. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by karnal · · Score: 1

      have sex with your wife

      Not everybody can afford to take care of yet another child.


      Hell, then have sex with MY WIFE. She's fixed.

      (yes, it's a joke)

      --
      Karnal
    8. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Go buy some condoms, ya cheap bastard.

      Or simply use the Billings Ovulation Method. More.

    9. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by lakeland · · Score: 1

      There's plenty of ways to get them cheaper if the cost is a real issue for you. A number of clinics will give them away, and (depending on your doctor) you can also get a perscription for them, which brings them down to something like 10c each.

      Alternatively, the pill works out cheaper.

    10. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      You could always buy them in bulk...

      (...and since this is Slashdot, resell them since you won't be using them all!)

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    11. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 1

      Or simply use the Billings Ovulation Method

      Congratulations! You're a daddy!

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
    12. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by Scooby+Snacks · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You can't afford $5 per year?

      --

      --
      Runnin' around, robbin' banks all whacked on the Scooby Snacks...
    13. Re:Go away, you're not 21 by ph43drus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not to mention that you have to actually talk to the woman sometimes. I mean, I've got UT to play

      I play Quake with my fiance. She doesn't like deathmatch, but coop is much more fun than single player (I'm hoping Quake4 has a good coop mode).

      and /. to post on!

      You probably can't talk her into /. (I mean, this is a pretty scary den of idiots and trolls, see the LA Times Wiki debacle).

      And to top it off, I gotta pay a whole dollar to have sex?

      You don't need to pay a buck to have sex with her, it's more of an insurance plan against a possible liability of tens of thousands of dollars per year for the next 18-24 years.

      Man, I'm glad I have a right hand!

      Try your left hand sometime. And no, it isn't cheating.

      Jeff

  17. will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have been forced to circumvent content "protection" for years now as a linux user. I have to commit the Heinous crime of using decss to watch DVD's on my linux laptop as well as the frighteningly horribly act of circumventing the DRM on some CD's in order to perform the equally horrible crim of listening to the CD's that I own on my music gear.

    Yes, I am worse than all the serial killers on death row, I am a linux user.

    and to top it off, I am evil enough to share with friends and relatives on how to do the same thing. I distribute the weapons of mass destruction such as DVDDecryptor, DVDShrink, and yes, even a CD ripping tool that uses Lame and cdparanoia for windows (Oh why doesn't someone stop me!) sothey too can commit the terrorist acts of ripping CD's, DVD's and other horrible crimes that threaten freedom and our way of life.

    Yes, I am a linux user, and no one can stop me.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by giorgiofr · · Score: 0

      AHHHHH please someone think of the children! This lunatic is on a rampage! Next thing you know, he's installed on your precious machine! And clearly the DVDs he watches depict people torturing computers! PANIC!

      --
      Global warming is a cube.
    2. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by Living+WTF · · Score: 1

      I am worse than you. I run Gentoo via coLinux under Windows XP SP2. And for circumventing these *play* restrictions, I use mplayer & mencoder. Win32 versions of course.

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
    3. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by knipknap · · Score: 0, Troll

      ripping CD's, DVD's

      Has this apostrophe in plural words thing also something to do with you being a Linux user?

    4. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Looks as if they already have, Linux user!
      Darn near every application you've posted above runs on Windows only!

    5. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      I'm a windows xp user, and some new dvd's I got just wouldn't play
      "either the shit is broken or YOURE A PIRATE"
      the helpful mr wmp error message says.
      I love the great confusion with dvd-players and dvd-players.

      --
      the sun is god
    6. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      You laugh now, but I'm worried that sooner or later they really will be declaring us "terrorists."

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    7. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by thenerdgod · · Score: 1

      Hmm

      "Yes, I am worse than all the serial
      killers on death row, I am a linux user."

      I think you forgot to mention Hitler. How can we have a rational discourse if no one compares someone else to Hitler!

    8. Re:will not hurt me at all for I am a criminal. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I imagine your shit is broke!
      Haven't seen a DVD yet that wouldn't play or rip on my system.
      Try new firmware, ASPI drivers, getting rid of WMP and it's associated DRM etc.
      Upgrading WMP from the original that came with your computer is probably the worst thing you can do, unless you love DRM issues.
      I'd happilly purchase that XP with WMP removed if they sold it here in the U.S. as it's the worst peice of crap you can install on a media playing PC.

  18. Intel hurting by mfloy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Intel has beginning making a number of bad choices like this lately. They need to focus what got them where they are - providing quality processors. Too much attention is being put into small niche additions like this.

    1. Re:Intel hurting by jbolden · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What got Intel where they are is making custom chips for large company's niches. Pretty much there have been 4 main surges

      1) Being a cheap memory supplier for IBM mainframes
      2) Designing a CPU with a 20 bit and not a 16 bit address scheme
      3) Integrating Risc technology into CISC and thus killing the advantage of RISC
      4) Winning a speed war

      _____

      I can see from there perspective why:

      5) Moving computer technology into the mainstream of all media

      might seem like an option for a major surge. An expensive CPU in every: speaker, TV, video screen, etc... is a dream come true for them. They would love to see incredibly complex DRM requiring massive realtime computation become mainstream.

    2. Re:Intel hurting by dr.matrix · · Score: 1

      providing quality processors.

      When did Intel do that? I can't remember.

    3. Re:Intel hurting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, AMD is hurting.
      Go check profits over the last year.

      Marketing - Advantage Intel
      Performance Desktop - Advantage AMD
      Mobile processors - Advantage Intel
      Platforms - Advantage Intel
      Manufacturing Advantage Intel

      Percentage of systems that are laptops is increasing. In fact this year, laptop will outsell desktop. In other words, AMD dominates the shrinking market.

  19. RE: Intel Cutting out Linux by Siddly · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I've often said that you can always tell where the most objectionable regimes are, their names start off with "The Democratic Republic of .....". We now hear "Freedom" and "Democracy" dripping from the lips of politicians like the sweetest sauce. May be no one owns these politicians, but like whores, they are paid. Freedom is a straight-jacket and Democracy is more of a Shamocracry. Perhaps we are moving into a world where the unauthorised writing of software will be a criminal offence.

  20. In other news... by Afecks · · Score: 0, Troll

    The MPAA and RIAA announced a joint merger with Merrick Biotech to start production and mandatory implantation of the new DRM-enabled retinas and cochleae. In the following months there will be a nationwide campaign and everyone will be expected to report their local genetic compliance facility for the implants.

  21. Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by suitepotato · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...or does fair use still exist? If they haven't, then ANY CD or DVD I buy I reserve the right to rip to another format for more easy use, keeping the original copy safe and secure. That simple. If they don't like it, petition the SCotUS to reverse itself. Otherwise, they can fark off.

    No way, no how, will I use WMV or any other format w/DRM. Not now, not ever.

    Am I surprised by any of this? Nope. They fought the VCR, the cassette tape, the eight-track, private ownership of film cameras, etc. Even after repeated court rulings setting down that the people had the right to make archival back-ups of media such as floppies, the software companies still tried to use copy protection that made it impossible to make such an archival or fair-use copy.

    Here's fair-use compatible DRM: I get a file of information as usual such as name, address, phone, e-mail, secret questions I know the answer to, etc. I also pay them X$ for whatever. Public key encryption is used to ensure only the key holder can access it. I can copy the encrypted file to whatever device I like that can read and act on my key. Without my key, it won't work.

    Want more security? A simple USB device with a unique hardware key adds an extra layer insuring that only the person with that dongle and password for both hardware and stored software keys can play it. If I lose it for good, I revoke my software key on the server and inform them and prove who I am and get a new copy issued when I get a new USB key. They don't give a new copy until I permanently revoke my software key and prove my identity and that I bought a copy previously attached to that key.

    If I gave my USB dongle away with the previous copy, then when the system connects in and asks the server about my software key it finds it revoked, it won't play the file and suspends the old key on the USB fob.

    An open community such as that operating the various PGP/GPG key servers would handle the software key side, the hardware keys would be made to adhere to an open standard using well documented public key encryption standards and algorithms, and the IP owners handing out encrypted copies would have no control over either. They'd not be able to unilaterally revoke your right to usage of the copy you paid for and you'd not get that encrypted copy until you paid.

    Go ahead and P2P the encrypted files all you want. Unless you can break PGP encrypted files trivially, it won't help. They'd be useless without both the hardware and software keys that matched the file.

    If they used this, and the content was what I wanted, I'd pay and get my personal copy.

    Yeah, I know. I can dream though...

    --
    If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
    1. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by suitepotato · · Score: 1

      I hate to reply to myself, but I meant I'd not use the current DRM with any format. If they had fair-use compatible DRM where I could put the electronic file(s) on any device I could plug my key into and give my password without having carte blanche to revoke my rights, then I'd try it.

      --
      If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
    2. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by spectecjr · · Score: 1

      Am I surprised by any of this? Nope. They fought the VCR, the cassette tape, the eight-track, private ownership of film cameras, etc. Even after repeated court rulings setting down that the people had the right to make archival back-ups of media such as floppies, the software companies still tried to use copy protection that made it impossible to make such an archival or fair-use copy.

      You know why they do that, don't you?

      It's because for every 1 person who wants to make a backup, there are at least 10 if not more who will just copy it without paying for it. At least copy protection helps reduce that ratio.

      --
      Coming soon - pyrogyra
    3. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by giorgiofr · · Score: 0

      At least copy protection helps reduce that ratio.

      BZZZZT wrong. It actually makes lots of people pirate stuff just for the sake of it, just to stick it to the companies. So the ratio increases. If they wanted to reduce it for real, they would go for something that pleases the user and makes him not want to pirate stuff anymore. Please wake up.

      --
      Global warming is a cube.
    4. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by squiggleslash · · Score: 2, Informative
      The Supreme Court hasn't reversed itself, it's just you don't have the "rights" you think you do.

      In particular, you have the right to not go to prison for the limited situation of making a copy of a TV programme as it airs. However, you do not have the right to not go to prison for producing equipment that circumvents an access control mechanism enveloping that content. You see, while SCOTUS ruled it's not illegal to time shift TV programmes, they didn't rule anything beyond that. They didn't even rule that you have any right to do so. And the law has changed several times since that ruling anyway.

      So far as I've seen, the DMCA has withstood challenges to that particular part of the law.

      What we need is a bill of rights for content users. And while a large proportion of those demanding such rights are those who enthused about blatent anti-content-makers systems such as the original Napster, we don't have a lot of credibility right now, whereas Hollywood does every time they're able to get a few million people to watch their latest movie.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    5. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by spectecjr · · Score: 1

      BZZZZT wrong. It actually makes lots of people pirate stuff just for the sake of it, just to stick it to the companies. So the ratio increases. If they wanted to reduce it for real, they would go for something that pleases the user and makes him not want to pirate stuff anymore. Please wake up.

      No, actually, it doesn't. Most people don't think like you do, believe it or not.

      --
      Coming soon - pyrogyra
    6. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by vidarlo · · Score: 1
      An open community such as that operating the various PGP/GPG key servers would handle the software key side, the hardware keys would be made to adhere to an open standard using well documented public key encryption standards and algorithms, and the IP owners handing out encrypted copies would have no control over either. They'd not be able to unilaterally revoke your right to usage of the copy you paid for and you'd not get that encrypted copy until you paid.

      A open DRM standard can never work, because anyone would be free to decrypt and share the content once someone had a key. A open API allows you to dechipher a pgp message, and forward it as plaintext to someone else... This is exactly the same problem as with normal DRM, it only takes one person breaking it, before everyone has access. And the fact that there is _always_ the analogue hole.

      But no, it'd not work better because it was open. Think a bit about what you say. A open interface lets anyone with the proper key dechipher the content for any purpose, not just playback!

    7. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by Ogerman · · Score: 2, Informative

      Public key encryption is used to ensure only the key holder can access it. I can copy the encrypted file to whatever device I like that can read and act on my key. Without my key, it won't work.

      You don't seem to understand how public key encryption works. In your scheme, devices can only decrypt the files if they have YOUR private key. But if you hold and control the private key, it's no longer DRM because that private key gives you access to the non-encrypted data and you can do whatever you want with it at that point. DRM is always, without exception, based upon a shared secret. Somewhere, whether it's in software or hardware, there's a master decoding key hidden. DRM is by nature incompatible with Open Source because of this. Always has been, always will be. Either you have control over your own hardware/software or you don't. There's no middle ground.

    8. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by LibrePensador · · Score: 1

      Don't take it bad, but your post shows that you neither understand how DRM works or how public cryptograpy works.

      Further, it shows that you are willing to go to extreme lentghs to appease publishers of their fears, which they market has historically shown to be just that, fears.

      --
      Pragmatism as an ideology is not particularly pragmatic in the long term. Keep it in mind when you dismiss Free Software
    9. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you're saying they think like you?

    10. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by maxpublic · · Score: 1

      It's because for every 1 person who wants to make a backup, there are at least 10 if not more who will just copy it without paying for it.

      I'm sure you have a cite for this figure, published in an accredited, peer-reviewed journal? Something not sponsored by the RIAA or MPAA?

      No? Imagine my surprise.

      Max

      --
      My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
    11. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Prove it. Cite (non-RIAA-funded) sources, or take a statistically-valid survey, or something. Otherwise, STFU because you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

      (Also notice that I don't make any claims of "how most people think.")

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    12. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      You know that will never exist, right?

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    13. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by Mr2001 · · Score: 1

      ...or does fair use still exist? If they haven't, then ANY CD or DVD I buy I reserve the right to rip to another format for more easy use, keeping the original copy safe and secure. That simple. If they don't like it, petition the SCotUS to reverse itself. Otherwise, they can fark off.

      Have you been living under a rock for the past 7 years? I'm surprised a Slashdot poster and 3 moderators would let this inaccuracy past, after all the publicity DRM has gotten here.

      The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, commonly referred to as the DMCA, was signed in 1998 and makes it illegal to circumvent "access controls", even if you don't infringe the copyright on the protected content. The European Union Copyright Directive (EUCD) was passed soon after and is basically equivalent to the DMCA in the countries where it's been implemented.

      Fair use still exists, but you can't legally exercise your fair use rights if you have to break encryption to do so. Take DVDs, for example: the content on a DVD is encrypted. You can make a copy of that content (in encrypted form) under fair use, but it'll be useless because you can't copy the CSS key to a DVD-R. To make a copy you can actually play, you have to decrypt it - i.e. circumvent an access control. That's illegal.

      The DMCA fundamentally shifted the balance of power WRT what you can do with content that's copyrighted by someone else. Instead of your rights being defined by the government, they can now be defined by the corporations that publish content, because whatever restrictions they decide to implement in hardware or software now have the force of law.

      Here's fair-use compatible DRM: I get a file of information as usual such as name, address, phone, e-mail, secret questions I know the answer to, etc. I also pay them X$ for whatever. Public key encryption is used to ensure only the key holder can access it. I can copy the encrypted file to whatever device I like that can read and act on my key. Without my key, it won't work.

      Other responses have already addressed why this system won't work. You seem to forget that the purpose of DRM is to keep you, the customer, from accessing the content you paid for, except in the specific ways the copyright holder wants you to. If all you need is PGP and a device to spit out the key, that's fine for you, but there's no way in hell Big Content will sign on.

      --
      Visual IRC: Fast. Powerful. Free.
    14. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by spectecjr · · Score: 1

      I'm sure you have a cite for this figure, published in an accredited, peer-reviewed journal? Something not sponsored by the RIAA or MPAA?

      No? Imagine my surprise.


      How about something based on tech support calls where I worked?

      The Mac version of Caesar 3 sold approximately three times less copies than unique people called in for tech support help.

      That should tell you something.

      --
      Coming soon - pyrogyra
    15. Re:Has the Supreme Court reversed itself... by Kirth · · Score: 1

      If I lose it for good, I revoke my software key on the server and inform them and prove who I am and get a new copy issued when I get a new USB key. They don't give a new copy until I permanently revoke my software key and prove my identity and that I bought a copy previously attached to that key.

      So they would have to store whatever you bought or something? Or a secret key associated to you, which they will know? Sounds very stupid.

      Besides: If I have the key I can do whatever I want. Including decrypting the bought file and putting it onto the web.

      --
      "The more prohibitions there are, The poorer the people will be" -- Lao Tse
  22. Copyright laws change by tepples · · Score: 1

    Over the internet, from people in countries with sane copyright law

    Copyright laws can and do change over time. Australia just got a copy of the Bono Act and the DMCA, and even Canada is headed toward something approximating the DMCA.

  23. They sky isn't quite falling yet. by Mantus · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This sounds a lot like the DRM built into the XBox/PS2, which both have copy control protection built into the hardware. What will end up happening is that the hardware will have the DRM built in and people will make mod chips to bypass it. Software DRM doesn't work because cracking software is a simple thing to do. Hardware DRM will stop more people from copying and using the content in manners which the provider doesn't want but the more technically proficient people will buy and install modchips and do as they please.

    1. Re:They sky isn't quite falling yet. by deaddrunk · · Score: 1

      Some guy in the UK has just got into an awful lot of trouble for selling modded X-Boxes. Mind you he was selling them with a bigger hard drive full of pirated software. However modding in the UK is illegal, so a few techies may be able to work out how to do it but they won't be able to do it for anyone else or even tell them how to do it.

      --
      Does a Christian soccer team even need a goalkeeper?
  24. Apple to intel? by ChadL · · Score: 1

    If they are just going to support Microsoft, yet Apple is using intel processors, any guess on how this will work out?

    1. Re:Apple to intel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple will do DRM right, and it will ROCK. Only Windoze and Lin-sux users will be suffering, but what else is new?

  25. My solution to DRM by 0BoDy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've solved the drm problem for myself. When in less than a year, the denve stations all swtich to hdtv streams, I suspect that will be the last of broadcast TV in my house. My family doesn't pay for cable or satelite, we just get what we get. I don't even watch tv anymore, except in hotel rooms, So I don't care. I read papre newpapers and online journals, TV has eliminated my need for it. THere's never anything on, and I can do more interesting things without it. I congratulate the folks at RIAA who have removed my need to purchase anything at all, really. I can listen to broadcast radio if I'm REALLY bored, or I can continue to break the law by putting copies of the few remaning copyable cds on my music server. I hope they DRM even more, so I have even less motivation to pick up their crap. I go to theaters to watch movies and friends to watch DVD's but I won't be a consumer for much longer, there's just no point. If I break it it's gone. I'd still buy ut2k4, a great game becuase 6-months or so after release, I don't need a no-cd crack, it just doesn't require one, it runs on linux, and is just great. I say DRM it up make me buy it 3 or 4 times, You can keep it. I don't need it that bad.

    --
    Can I be a Luddite too?
    1. Re:My solution to DRM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I love DRM because it means that I no longer purchase any drm based products such as music/video discs, VHS Tapes and I'll never purchase a DVD player and once analog tv goes dark, I'll finally be able to get rid of all the tv's in the house. Thank you RIAA/MPAA as you have finally convinced me to devote my hard earned cash to those area's where I have an interest instead of spending it upon trivalities such as TV's, Movies, DVD's, bad music and such. I will eventually be free to think of and for myself instead of what the many cretins believe I should be thinking.

      Long live the Thought Revolution. Maybe now I can ensure that my children are educated the way I desire because they wont even be allowed entry into those purviences of Publick Thought called Public Schools.

  26. At some point... by elgee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You may not be able to buy a "general purpose computer" anymore. They will all have this specialized DRM crap and who knows what else. All built into the chips, so it will be difficult if not impossible to avoid it.

  27. From another viewpoint by LilGuy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's not as evil as it may seem. Surely the intent can be viewed as outrageous to those of us who know and love linux and all the free stuff that comes with it. But this will be good for linux and open source in the end.

    There will spring all sorts of new inventions from this. Who knows, maybe we'll see a whole new industry spring up to fill the void that was once completely covered by the current industry giants.

    I can imagine though this is going to create many problems. Major ISPs may not allow you on their networks if you're not "secure". You will undoubtedly have to use MicroTel hardware at work, therefore if you try to work at home, you'll have to have at least one "secure" computer just to be able to edit your Word document.

    I can see Apple gaining a wider audience on the other hand. They're moving TOWARDS open source, not away from it. They seems to have their finger on the pulse of the people.

    I'm a bit nervous.. change is always tough.. especially when you've grown up with this industry. But in the end the great spirit of the geeks will emerge. It's too strong.

    --

    You're nothing; like me.
    1. Re:From another viewpoint by non · · Score: 1

      apple is _not_ moving towards open source. apple is merely playing the field enough not to make enemies. their attitude towards DRM is the same as anyone else who is trying to play in the content distribution space. and if you have 80% of that market already, and are looking at another, larger market about to open if, and only if, you have the right credentials (secure hardware platform), then supporting that platform is going to be one of your business activities. bet on it.

      the pulse of the people? no, the pulse of the people's purchasing decisions, yes.

      i wrote about this and linked to the inquirer article yesterday.

      --
      ...vividly encapsulates that post-Watergate/pre-punk/coked-up moment when you could trust no one, least of all yourself.
    2. Re:From another viewpoint by Ogerman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      It's not as evil as it may seem.

      No, it is as evil as it seems. It will hopefully fail as a result and leave a void to be filled by DRM-free open source software. But it's still evil in and of itself and there will likely be many casualties in the ensuing battle against freedom and innovation.

      "..But this will be good for linux and open source in the end."

      The only way that Open Source is ever going to take over the media content scene is if artists and movie producers start going independent en masse. Linux is already largely "cut out of the content market" in the US because of 1.) bogus patents related to popular (though not necessarily superior) video and sound compression formats and 2.) DRM schemes which are trivially circumvented but for which tools to do so are now illegal to distribute in popular Linux distros. For all practical purposes, Linux already can't play popular media files in the US. Granted, this doesn't stop the experts, but it does stop the casual user and is therefore a major impediment to Linux on the desktop.

      It's this simple folks: The only answer is independent media. Hollywood will push DRM till the day they become irrelevant and people will buy it up because they won't know any better. But it's going to take quality alternatives.. not fan films.. not crappy garage/bar bands. Napster, MP3.com, and friends ultimately failed because they never lived up to their promise -- to actually provide an alternative distribution medium for quality content. All they would have needed to do is foster one quality band into the popular music scene and hundreds more would have followed. The RIAA would have been history almost overnight as bands suddenly realized they no longer needed to "get signed" by a big label to rise into popularity. But instead everyone was enamoured with free beer instead of free speech and P2P turned into a giant stupid warez scene. There's still hope, but time is running out.

      I can see Apple gaining a wider audience on the other hand. They're moving TOWARDS open source, not away from it.

      Apple is using Open Source only where it benefits them directly. It's better than nothing, but they're hardly "team players" in the Open Source community. MacOS X is very much designed with platform lock-in in mind. Simply ask yourself this: Why is Cocoa not Open Source and not cross-platform? Apple also had a chance to jump on board the Linux train but they instead chose to do their own thing and not play along.

    3. Re:From another viewpoint by Insipid+Trunculance · · Score: 1

      Major ISPs may not allow you on their networks if you're not "secure".

      Doubt that will happen.ISP's like any other business are there to make money and they dont do that by kicking off customers who dont cause the ISP's any problems.In fact , over the last year the broadband market has really become very competitivein UK and all ISP's advertise the fact that you can download massive amounts of music.

      --
      Wanted : A Signature.
    4. Re:From another viewpoint by labratuk · · Score: 1

      I can see Apple gaining a wider audience on the other hand. They're moving TOWARDS open source, not away from it. They seems to have their finger on the pulse of the people.

      Bullshit. Apple will be leading the way into DRM-land. They have the most trusting and naive userbase on the planet, so it'll be a walk in the park.

      --
      Malike Bamiyi wanted my assistance.
    5. Re:From another viewpoint by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh yes the great spirit of the geeks (GSOS)

      and that great smell of the geeks aswell.

  28. AMD and trusted computing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    For all of you thinking AMD may play the good guy in this DRM nightmare, let me remind you that they, along with Intel, are a promoter of the Trusted Computing Group - link [windowsfordevices.com]

  29. I think Intel has more to lose by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think Intel has more to lose from shutting off Linux than Linux has to lose from the same transaction. That 5% linux market may not be big from Intel's perspective. From AMD's perspective it's fucking huge...

    1. Re:I think Intel has more to lose by vettemph · · Score: 2, Interesting

      But is AMD's Linux audience bigger than AMD's Windows audience?
      Personally, I'm an AMD-Linux user.

      --
      The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
  30. Like we needed another reason to switch to AMD by HangingChad · · Score: 1
    As if we needed another reason. Intel would be shooting themselves in the foot but it's their foot. All you can do is encourage them to point their weapon down range.

    Apple has been doing something similar with their QuickTime codecs. If you've tried to play one recently and gotten the error that it can't play the file or find an update. Drag feet supporting other platforms and subtly encourage people to switch. At least that's the way market droids think.

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  31. Strange Writing Style by stevenm86 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Is it just me, or is this written very very strangely? Instead of explaining anything, the article sounds like the inane ramblings of a crazed lunatic. That said, it is difficult to take its contents at face value. Could we get a somewhat more reasonable explaination of this technology, and what it really means for Linux?

  32. Boycott Intel, Boycott MS, Boycott RIAA by tbuckner · · Score: 1

    We still have AMD, don't we? MS can suck it. And there's mountains of great music without DRM, if you can live without the stuff on MTV. Go to www.garageband.com There are enough free MP3's from unknown but very good artists at that site alone to make you forget about the Top 40.

    1. Re:Boycott Intel, Boycott MS, Boycott RIAA by tepples · · Score: 1

      Go to www.garageband.com There are enough free MP3's from unknown but very good artists at that site alone to make you forget about the Top 40.

      How can somebody who writes music, performs it, and makes it freely available for download, such as on garageband.com, make sure that he or she is in fact writing original songs and not subconsciously copying?

  33. Isn't DRM mandated by law? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some comments seem to imply AMD will take advantage of this...to sell more CPUs or other hardware.

    TFA says MS is working woth Intel on this system to degrade video and audio if insufficient rights are detected, or the subsystem is somehow disabled.

    But if such things are mandated by US law, how can anyone sell product without it? (AMD, others).

    Personally, I think it will fail, because people will start getting pissed when something goes awry and the far end can't see something in hi-res even though they should be able to...there will be a backlash against it.

  34. 13-year old? by silverhalide · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Am I alone here in thinking that this article is written by a 13-year old? While I respect the fact it's an "editorial", it is riddled with name calling, over-used cliches, and a dire lack of supporting facts. It seems the author is beginning from the "I HATE INTEL AND EVERYTHING NOT LINUX!" stance and going from there. Could someone point us toward a more objective evaluation, or at least a less childish editoral of this new platform?

  35. i always buy AMD anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    for running Linux exclusivly.

    in your face Wintel!

  36. Prepare the tools to kill that crappy thing by bart416 · · Score: 1

    Oh well, linux got on an xbox
    Linux can be installed on sutch thing too then :)

  37. Yes, but by HermanAB · · Score: 1

    does it run Linux? ;-) Linux is the veritable Rosetta Stone of computer systems. Someone is bound to port it.

    --
    Oh well, what the hell...
    1. Re:Yes, but by despisethesun · · Score: 1

      And unfortunately if they have to break the hardware DRM to do it, it will be illegal to actually use it.

      --
      This poo is cold.
    2. Re:Yes, but by HermanAB · · Score: 1

      You mean like DeCSS? As if that is going to stop anyone.

      --
      Oh well, what the hell...
    3. Re:Yes, but by despisethesun · · Score: 1

      So you'd prefer to have to break the law to exercise your rights as a consumer? Or do you think it's ridiculous like most people do? I have no problem using DeCSS either, but it sure would be nice to not have to worry about it.

      --
      This poo is cold.
    4. Re:Yes, but by HermanAB · · Score: 1

      Actually, some laws are in conflict and when that happens, the question is up in the air. I don't think it is illegal to use DeCSS for example, since property rights and how you are allowed to enjoy your property is ancient law going back thousands of years to Roman times.

      --
      Oh well, what the hell...
  38. Wiseguys by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The mafia is always ready to feed the people when the law goes too far. Like prohibition, prostitution, gambling. The problem is that the mafia shoots people to protect their access to the market. And their product liability amounts to "tell it to the fishes". When our government and its corporate sponsors drive us into the arms of the mafia, we're screwed, not saved.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Wiseguys by doubledoh · · Score: 1

      Damn good point. We need smaller government so that it can't be sponsered by corporations or any other monied special interest groups. We need to vote for libertarians.

      --
      I think, therefore I doh.
    2. Re:Wiseguys by Master+of+Transhuman · · Score: 1

      You need to vote for anarchists with guns and bombs and nanotech. The fucking big-L Libertarians are sucking up to the Republicans and Demos who are behind all this DRM crap. I just read a very nasty story about the Libertarian Party pulling some shit which has pissed off a lot of small-l libs. Read "Regime Libertarians" here.

      --
      Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
    3. Re:Wiseguys by rubycodez · · Score: 1

      just the mafia? you'll be delighted to know that the U.S. Government also shoots people to protect their market and those of its corporate sponsors, Product liability has been waived for a number of incidents and accidents which have killed, maimed, brain-damaged, infected and irradiated tens of thousands its own citizens over the years. Also, there are places where gambling, prostitution, and the production of alchohol is legal, as long as the government gets its cut.

    4. Re:Wiseguys by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Yes, the US government is another mafia - when it does those things. We're caught in a war between the families. Personally, if the family on whose turf I live weren't less able (so far) to destroy me than is the one across the Pacific, I'd be switching. But the US mob is a lot less scary than the Chinese one. If you disagree, just wait until the Chinese one has the money and weapons that the US one has. It's really no contest.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

  39. Records management by donsaklad · · Score: 0

    The records management forum at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html has a number of active contributors who write about it.

  40. No mention of the term "East Fork" on intel.com by mark-t · · Score: 1

    So wtf is the article talking about?

  41. Luckily these were not around when... by ashyanbhog · · Score: 1, Funny

    when basic maths and science rules when were being hmmm... "innovated"...... else i would have had to use the DRM protected calculator...

    more importantly ... adam and eve and not intel, microsoft or IBM discovered sex... else Intel would have made our d*ck drm protected..... (the kissing and fon*dling part would have been bundled free just like IE and WMplayer is),,,,, IBM would have sucessfuly implemented its "on-demand" pay-per use model every night and I would have to buy a new "UCS - user create license" from Microsoft everytime I had a kid, because kids would have been born as 90-day trial versions...

    sheesh

    Bless the day Stallman was born with his weird ideas

  42. Records management by donsaklad · · Score: 0

    Threads of deliberation at the records management forum http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html have a number of contributors interested, concerned or affected by it.

  43. I don't speak for Intel by DanielCarden · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I work at Intel in an unrelated group as a Validation Engineer although I have knowledge of this project. There is a plan for Linux support of this content distribution service, although the team responsible has found it much harder to develop for Linux than Microsoft. They have good relationship with Microsoft and Microsoft may make enhancements requested by the team. For Linux there are tons of different options out there which makes their job much more time consuming. Linux support will follow windows support by ruffly 6 months.

    1. Re:I don't speak for Intel by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There are several problems with that, and it is being slightly disingenuous to say what you did. Intel's official position is that they are putting out roughly a framework, and you can do with it what you want. www.dlna.org is the vehicle for this, as I am sure you know.

      The thing that you don't address is, is Intel going to put out a free (beer) or free (speech) version of the DRM'd WMV codecs? Not on your life. Since they are only officially blessing the MS DRM scheme, that is a heavy bias as to what people should encode in, and if history is any guide, they will. MS will quickly become the defacto standard.

      Now, Intel very well may release the framework for Linux, and if you can comment, will they spend the time and effort to port the proprietary codecs? If not, you can be pretty sure that MS will not. So, you end up with something about as usefull as an uncustomised CRM package, IE pointless.

      Also, can you care to explain to me how the MS and Intel co-marketing scheme will not lead to a pro-MS bias?

      It is a really subtle sort of alienation the kind that MS is _SO_ good at, and I mean this in the most respectful way, they are good. Intel could have fixed this problem, a $300 mil campaign for a media PC without DRM would have been just as effective. I have debated this with several Intel people in positions of power to do things about this, and they repeatedly show an unwillingness to display any sort of backbone here.

      There are two companies that are in a position of stop this DRM evil, Intel and MS. We can pretty safely assume MS will not go there, but I was honestly hoping Intel would. My bad.

      If they had stood up and planted a stake in the sand, used their massive (really) software engineering team to build a better mousetrap without DRM, they would have won the day. They are cowards and money grubbers, and they sold us all out.

      -Charlie

    2. Re:I don't speak for Intel by DanielCarden · · Score: 1
      There are several problems with that, and it is being slightly disingenuous to say what you did.
      I don't understand what you are saying.
      The thing that you don't address is, is Intel going to put out a free (beer) or free (speech) version of the DRM'd WMV codecs? Not on your life.
      Why are you sure they will not. I was told this is the plan. Intel puts out a lot of free software in case you didn't know.
      if history is any guide
      History tells me that empires tend to fall. I hear a lot of buzz around Linux. It seems like an up and coming star. Everything else in its path will fall. :-)
      Now, Intel very well may release the framework for Linux, and if you can comment, will they spend the time and effort to port the proprietary codecs? If not, you can be pretty sure that MS will not. So, you end up with something about as usefull as an uncustomised CRM package, IE pointless.
      Intel will make it work for Linux and if propriety codecs are necessary then that will be ported. Secret keys are what is going to make it work, and that will stay secret.
      It is a really subtle sort of alienation the kind that MS is _SO_ good at, and I mean this in the most respectful way, they are good. Intel could have fixed this problem, a $300 mil campaign for a media PC without DRM would have been just as effective. I have debated this with several Intel people in positions of power to do things about this, and they repeatedly show an unwillingness to display any sort of backbone here. There are two companies that are in a position of stop this DRM evil, Intel and MS. We can pretty safely assume MS will not go there, but I was honestly hoping Intel would. My bad. If they had stood up and planted a stake in the sand, used their massive (really) software engineering team to build a better mousetrap without DRM, they would have won the day. They are cowards and money grubbers, and they sold us all out.
      Well we have a fundamentally difference of opinion about DRM. I think DRM is good and you think it is bad. With DRM I have the choice to watch movies like the Matrix, Batman reborn, and revenge of the studs (that was humor). With DRM I don't have that choice. I don't see the evil in DRM that you do.
    3. Re:I don't speak for Intel by DanielCarden · · Score: 1
      I meant to say: Without DRM I don't have that choice.
      Intel will make it work for Linux and if propriety codecs are necessary then that will be ported. Secret keys are what is going to make it work, and that will stay secret.
      Let me also change this to add some qualifiers: If I understood correctly and the plan doesn't change then Intel will make it work for Linux ...
    4. Re:I don't speak for Intel by despisethesun · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Without DRM you do have that choice. DRM just takes away the ability to do those things on your terms, like fair use allows.

      --
      This poo is cold.
    5. Re:I don't speak for Intel by Alsee · · Score: 1

      I don't see the evil in DRM

      There's no problem with DRM. The problem is the broken and evil DMCA. The problem is innocent NONINFRINGING people facing prison.

      I have a question for you. A question I have asked of at least a dozen different DRM proponents. A question that not a single one has ever answered.

      Do you support the DMCRA? It would amend the DMCA to say that innocent NONINFRINGING people do not go to prison. Pretty simple really. So, do you support the DMCRA? Or are you going to say that innocent NONINFRINGING people SHOULD be imprisoned?

      Once the DMCA is fixed and innocent noninfringing people no longer face prison, then natural market forces will operate normally and resolve any DRM problems.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  44. AMD beats Intel by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The new AMD CPUs, especially the Athlon 64 X2, are so good that they are already bit a large chunk out of Intel's market share. This trend will likely continue and Intel will be out of business sooner than we think. One thing is for sure: My next machine will be an AMD. You get so much more performance at a much better price with Athlons than with Pentiums.

  45. I wrote that piece by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 2, Informative

    If you have any questions, mail me, or post em here and I will try to get them all.

    -Charlie

    1. Re:I wrote that piece by Great+Contribution · · Score: 0, Troll

      Article was crap. I'd mod parent troll if I had mod points.

    2. Re:I wrote that piece by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Article was crap. I'd mod parent troll if I had mod points."

      And who says the community moderation system and points allocation system doesn't work? :)

      -Charlie

    3. Re:I wrote that piece by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      Why do you assume its Intel->MS co-operation?

      What about Intel->Apple?

      Not that IntelApple wouldn't be as bad for linux, yet it is still a minor, but significant point.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
    4. Re:I wrote that piece by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Intel tried to go with Apple, but from what I was told, Apple told them where to stuff it. Originally, Intel wanted to make a big happy prison for us all, to consolidate the little less happy prisons the others were making.

      THe wardens did not play nice, and MS stepped in with currency by the cubic meter, and a match made in hell was born.

      Sort answer, no, no Apple for now, they have no reason to dilute their brand. From the Apple side of things, they are right.

      -Charlie

    5. Re:I wrote that piece by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Looks like you had that one coming.

    6. Re:I wrote that piece by geekee · · Score: 1

      Isn't Apple going to design their own box with their own proprietary DRM video scheme, like they do now with music? At least anyone can licens WMV. No one can even license fairplay.

      --
      Vote for Pedro
    7. Re:I wrote that piece by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yes, but Apple controls a percentage of the desktop that you can count to on one hand after an industrial accident. MS controls a little over 40 times that, Intel a little less than 40 times.

      If you were worried about one group ramming standards down your throat, would you put money on the guys controlling 2% or the two controlling ~85% each?

      -Charlie

  46. Digital TV, et al by jd · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The FCC has ordered that all TVs have digital receivers and that analog TV will be switched off "sometime soon". At that point, if you want TV, you WILL use DRM-based technology, like it or not. There will be no alternative source within the United States.


    This is actually the very doomsday scenario that caused the British Government in the 1940s to ban the use of cable for broadcasting. Dissent will be impossible, you WILL see the content that is proscribed and no other, for no other content will exist.


    In the same way pirate radio simply doesn't exist in the US, pirate TV will not do so either. If more people had access to multicast streams, it would be very easy to set up dissenting sources of media, but that isn't going to happen.


    Sure, there are technologies like DeCSS around. They are banned in the US, under the DMCA, but they are around. Eventually, though, they are bound to fail. The penalties will become too severe, there won't be any safe havens left for developers to operate in. (DeCSS only exists because other countries haven't gone DRM-crazy yet.)


    There is also the fact that Intel is a near-monopoly. In the same way Microsoft killed off Netscape, Intel CAN kill off all non-DRMed media by simply refusing to play it - or, worse, creating a log of un-DRMed content and sending the list to "interested parties". The technology for this exists and would certainly be in the spirit of the DMCA.


    Does this mean Intel are evil? Not necessarily. "Can" is a long way from "will". There is no proof of intent to cause harm. Harm is inevitable, when you go down this kind of road, but there is no proof that that is why Intel is going there.


    Personally, I believe Intel see this as a way to make money off the RIAA and MPAA - sponge off of their paranoia - and therefore solidify control over their corner of the market. I don't see this as Intel trying to censor or trying to "cut Linux out".


    Nonetheless, once the technology is out and branded with the Intel logo, it will be used to censor (by the RIAA and MPAA) and will be used to cut Linux out (by Microsoft and possibly SCO). The long-term consequences are inevitable, even though I don't believe Intel are doing this for those reasons.


    Intel is out to make money, and the most money comes from having the most power. The same is true of all the other companies. Power is not an end in itself, it is a means of becoming filthy rich and staying that way. It is necessary in order to attain and maintain that state. Without power, alternatives can thrive and that will reduce profit.


    Intel are no more evil than Star Trek's Ferrengi and are driven by much the same belief system. Their "crime", if it can be called that, is to ignore the consequences of that belief system. It doesn't affect their profit margin, so is of no consequence to them, regardless of how it impacts others.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    1. Re:Digital TV, et al by Kent+Recal · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In the same way pirate radio simply doesn't exist in the US, pirate TV will not do so either. If more people had access to multicast streams, it would be very easy to set up dissenting sources of media, but that isn't going to happen.

      Oh, I disagree. p2p radio of today (e.g. peercast) will be p2p video of tomorrow.

      'nuff said.

    2. Re:Digital TV, et al by Coryoth · · Score: 2, Funny

      Dissent will be impossible, you WILL see the content that is proscribed and no other

      So we will only be able to watch proscribed content eh? We will all be forced to watch kiddie porn and snuff films? I agree, that sounds pretty bad.

      Jedidiah.

    3. Re:Digital TV, et al by surprise_audit · · Score: 1
      you WILL see the content that is proscribed and no other

      I don't think you really meant that, right?? "Proscribed" is more or less equal to "banned"...

    4. Re:Digital TV, et al by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In the same way pirate radio simply doesn't exist in the US

      I have yet to live in a city that didn't have at least one interesting pirate radio station. That includes small towns in Maine, and a couple reasonable sized cities (Pittsburgh, Washington DC)

    5. Re:Digital TV, et al by Anonymous+Brave+Guy · · Score: 1
      Oh, I disagree. p2p radio of today (e.g. peercast) will be p2p video of tomorrow.

      And the big media firms will no doubt try to control the Internet as a result, before they adapt or die.

      --
      If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
    6. Re:Digital TV, et al by periol · · Score: 1

      At that point, if you want TV, you WILL use DRM-based technology, like it or not

      But there are *already digital receivers out there, including ones you can buy to setup your linux mythtv box. So unless they make drastic changes to the technology (and I don't even know if that's possible) you'll be able to get TV without DRM using current hardware.

    7. Re:Digital TV, et al by jd · · Score: 1
      P2P is horrible for radio, as the bandwidth just isn't there. Video would be worse. It won't be so bad in Japan, once they have those gigabit feeds to the home, but your typical DSL or cable modem is going to barf if it tries to upload audio or video at any decent speed to a large number of users.


      Multicasting would solve the problem, as there'd only be one copy on any given data line at any given time. But ISPs are more and more reluctant to even acknowledge it exists.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    8. Re:Digital TV, et al by jd · · Score: 1
      Well, that's no different from what's been on the news these last few months, and movies are heading that way anyway.


      (Ok, ok, it was a typo. I admit it.)

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    9. Re:Digital TV, et al by Coryoth · · Score: 1

      (Ok, ok, it was a typo. I admit it.)

      I expected as much, it was just such an amusing slip...

      Jedidiah.

    10. Re:Digital TV, et al by dougjm · · Score: 1


      Personally, I believe Intel see this as a way to make money off the RIAA and MPAA - sponge off of their paranoia


      You're totaly right! When i read that bit i had a lightbulb moment :)

      Intel as a corporate entity looks at other corporate entities much as i look at other people - thinking the phrase "possible clients".
      I mean it's stupid to consider Intel as a partner in some sort of ludicrously evil plot against mankind. They make a range of products and they've seen a market for a new type of product from some "possible clients" who are moaning that they need to do a particular task.

      The problems arise of course because of the (non-existant??) evil partnership of Intel and MS as this is exactly the sort of technology that MS wants to control the Internets and everything I see. But even then is Intel really rubbing their hands together saying "finaly the evil plan is coming together!!!" or "bonus, another client for our new technology that cost us loads to R&D and we need to make some money back before our shareholders do nasty things to us!"

      I'm not defending them and i'm not saying there aren't evil plans either, just that when you take an objective look at it, it appears like very normal business practice.

      --
      Reinventing the wheel since 1979
    11. Re:Digital TV, et al by jd · · Score: 1

      A DRM chip is going to be mandatory - unless it already is. The existing digital receivers for Linux will not be able to pick up content after some (currently unspecified) future date.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    12. Re:Digital TV, et al by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The FCC has ordered that all TVs have digital receivers and that analog TV will be switched off "sometime soon". At that point, if you want TV, you WILL use DRM-based technology, like it or not. There will be no alternative source within the United States.

      That's only over broadcast. When was the last time anybody ever used a pair of rabit ears? And second of all, it won't happen until after we fix social security.

      You think people are upset about that? Try screwing with their TV's! Besides, when people start turning off the tubes, and radios, and start thinking for themselves again, and creating and enjoying their own art, (without Madison Avenue and Hollywood's constant derision on everything "not produced by themselves") then we'll see them change their tunes.

      Don't believe it can happen? --Ask Budweiser and Miller how much fun was the Microbrewery revolution?

      NY and LA keep forgetting that they exist at the sufferance of the rest of the country, not the other way round. When the rest of the country starts ignoring them, they'll change their tune. --or all starve to death when the cowpokes in podunk start charging them ten times as much for produce.

    13. Re:Digital TV, et al by periol · · Score: 1

      A DRM chip is going to be mandatory - unless it already is. The existing digital receivers for Linux will not be able to pick up content after some (currently unspecified) future date. Do you have any links or cites that you can give to back yourself up on this? The Broadcast Flag didn't make it through the courts - that was supposed to take effect July 1. It didn't.

      So, what you're saying is that there is DRM that isn't mentioned in TFA (which has nothing to do with television and is all about online content) and isn't the broadcast flag. I would love to see anything *concrete* that you can give me, because you're hinting about things I've never heard of, and I pay attention to this corner of the industry.

    14. Re:Digital TV, et al by Kent+Recal · · Score: 1

      as the bandwidth just isn't there.

      In fact, the bandwidth *is* there. It's just not sold at reasonable prices
      to Joe Average, yet. Nonetheless within 5yrs your "typical DSL or cable modem" speed will be in the 10mbit range and p2p feeding will probably be as common as unicast feeds or bittorent today.

      Multicast would indeed be the better solution but like you I don't see it happen.

  47. Yeah well by stewymcstewstew · · Score: 1
    "There is no other, and as of the last time I checked, there will not be. Intel refuse to comment on unannounced products, but others have told me there is nothing but Microsoft DRM.

    That's nothing, my buddies roomate is great friends with this guy on irc who has an uncle that works for AMD. They're releasing a chip that shoots a poisen dart into your neck everytime you even think about linux.

  48. On the other hand, by GRW · · Score: 1

    Cringley thinks that Intel is going to go exclusively with Apple and their rumoured "iTunes Movie Store."

  49. I'm feeling a little paranoid... by Jurily · · Score: 1

    Anyone remember http://www.againsttcpa.com/? So this is how it looks in reality... I wonder, when will AMD join the group?

  50. Be afraid, be very afraid. by Councilor+Hart · · Score: 1

    Is there something left that we should not be afraid about?
    All this fear mongering is getting tiresome, annoying and starting to lose it effect.
    Yes, the world is a scary and deadly place. You will most certainly not survive it. Although it might take a 120 or even 150 orbits around that big yellow thing in the sky, you still end up dead.
    However if you jump in the deep end at every occasion, you won't last that many orbits.

  51. Mod Lumpy the Criminal Insightful by fyoder · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Seriously, this sort of thing does encourage a counter culture and an escalation in the evolution of measure/counter measure. Mod Lumpy 'insightful' ('funny' doesn't net any karma, unless they've fixed that).

    --
    Loose lips lose spit.
  52. the problem is... by JustNiz · · Score: 1

    The argument 'don't buy it if you don't like it' won't stand up.

    There will always be enough consumers out there who don't understand enough about the issues and will still buy PC's using this technology.

    That group is always much larger than the 'informed' (e.g /.) group who won't go near it on principle, therefore 'Totally locked-down PC' will inevitably become the norm unless we can educate the masses somehow before its too late.

  53. Old news by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Same article was posted last week, was it not?

    And anyways; big whooping deal!

    1. It will *fail*. The cable companies, and alternate provides (like TiVO) will crush Intel, Microsoft, and anyone elses who attempts to develop a media pc. Why? Because the average consumer is much more willing to have an instant-on appliance managed by an outside operator which looks to cost very little (only $5 more on your monthly bill!) than an expensive looking ($500-$1000 at your local electronics store) box with a moderately arcane setup (all you have to do is use this IR transceiver to transmit codes to your cable box, and then program it for the right codes!, or something to do with this new 'cablecard' deal, which few people (especially the cable companies) seem to know much about)).

    Also, I suspect the Windows-based media boxen will be notoriously unreliable and buggy. Also late. Look at Microsoft's IPTV initiative. It's running *way* late. Even for the providers that are already signed up! SBC's techs are sweating bullets right now:
    http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-06-07-sbc -usat_x.htm
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/06/01/ms_iptv_st rategy_in_tatters/

    While it *looks* like Microsoft is on-track with Comcast, Comcast excutives have repeatedly said they are evalutating both iGuide (their current supplier) as well as Microsoft for their boxes. And historically, Microsoft has a terrible record when dealing with cable companies:
    http://www.windowsitpro.com/Windows/Article/Articl eID/15996/15996.html

    Do you *really* expect to have any of these companies roll out a full MS solution on-time without siginificant bugs? I don't, and as soon as one supplies switches, or has a miserable failure (ready Comcast's Oregon MS set-top system freezes for a week) the whole market will break loose.

    Which, incidentially, is how Microsoft lost the *rest* of the world regarding IPTV and set-top boxes, which is especially ironic given their size (4737489372 pound gorrilla), and that most content providers started out by saying that the MS solution was their future.

    2. Intel's DRM will be cracked. Anyone play a DVD on linux? Did you do it using your licensed player, or your technically illegal libdvdcss? (Except, of course, in a few countries in the world. U.S. is *not* including). This is the primary way that people play DVDs on linux; this is not a niche solution.

    3. Most likely, Intel will provide a closed-source kernel module that will provide an API to interact with a closed-source graphics driver. Nvidia and ATI will do the same thing, as well. So you'll be able to get gimped, DRM TV on your linux box, as well.

    People have been crying that the sky has been falling for a long time. The problem is, Intel/Micosoft have never been able to deliever the 'killer' solution that ends all competition. They are always a day late and a dollar short. I really just don't consider them a serious threat.

    A *far* more serious threat to home linux theatre PCs is the arcane setup required for most linux DVR projects. Fix that mess, and you'll see cheap linux home theatre pc's avaliable at walmart.

    Not that I'm blaming the MythTV developers, or the Freevo developers. But it is hard to get those projects up and running correctly at home, and I imagine that from a developer perspective it looks easier to build an MS solution than a Linux solution, which is why the big media distribution companies are looking at MS first.

    Once they get their hands wet (as the European firms did), they give up on the MS bugs. I expect an annoucement from Bellsouth to that effect shortly.

    --
    WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
    1. Re:Old news by manno · · Score: 1

      Are you kidding me! How does this get modded insightful? Look not to thread crap or anything but RTFA, and don't just read the words but look at how the whole thing ties together. What companies do you think are pushing to have these things implemented? HBO is heavily pushing this technology. They don't like non-subscribers torrenting episodes of The Soprano's, and not buying the DVD sets as well. (and I can't fault them for that) The cable companies are going to support this ASAP your cable boxes, Tivo's, TV's, even your computer monitors will have Intel DRM chips in them. The content your cable co. sends you will be DRM'd if you want to view it you will need a DRM TV. If you want to Tivo it, you will need a DRM Tivo. the idea then is after you watched your Tivo recording of the Soprano's once already they will charge you a fee to see it again. I hope I'm describing this to you in a way that you understand. This will suck, and so will being fined or jailed for circumventing it. As to those of you who claim no to watch TV congratulations we're all glad to hear your righteous indignation, no really please don't stop, you're adding so much to this discussion, we would all love to hear more of what you don't do. -manno

    2. Re:Old news by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing it was modded insightful because I made a valid point ;-)

      Seriously, if you think about it, what I said does not conflict with what you said.

      I do not believe that Intel/MS will be capable of taking over the Home Television/Cable/Satellite/IPTV market. I do not believe that anyone will be able to keep Linux users out of this market.

      That does not, however, mean that DRM is not coming. Note that I said that even if Intel releases DRM drivers for Linux, they'll be closed-source black box drivers.

      DRM *is* coming. I skeptical that we can do much to stop it, given the industry and governmental support behind it (incidentially, as a libertarian, I cannot understand why the government is such a bring proponent of DRM (yes, yes, I know about lobbying)). Just because it is coming, however, does not mean that advocates such as myself should give up on all our causes.

      "DRM *is* coming! All is Lost! The End Is Nigh! Abandon All Ye Linux!"

      All I really said is that MS/Intel won't shut-out other competitors; indeed, given Microsoft's current Television track record I'd be surprised if they made more than a toehold into the market.

      None of what I've said now, nor what I said in my post, discusses the oncoming onslaught of DRM (with the possible exception of the statement indicating that DRM will be cracked for use on Linux, and I do *not* believe that's a good answer).

      We need to be fighting on many fronts; we will not defeat DRM is Microsoft monopolizes the set-top box market; we would then see the DRM home theater PC.

      This battle, however, is a small, but significant portion of the war against DRM. I do not see DRM winning smoothly, however; consumers did not buy into Circuit City's DiVX pay as you go DVD.

      But an *essential* point to winning the DRM battle is ensuring that Microsoft does not win a monopoly in the television/cable/content distribution market. If the possibility remains for consumers to pick an non-encumbered technology, even with a significant price *deficit*, I believe non-encumbered technologies will win out.

      But they need to have a choice; if Verizon is offering non-DRM IPTV, and Comcast is offering MS DRM cable, Verizon will win, until Comcast is forced to compete. But there need to be two sides in order for there to be competition, and if everyone is using the MS platform, consumers will have *no* effective choice.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
    3. Re:Old news by manno · · Score: 1

      I have to agree with you on those points. You're completely right, I started using Linux because the Inq. brought this same argument up a few months ago. Wouldn't you agree though that rather than invest in creating their own DRM scheme, these companies would rather just go with the MS/Intel (here-to-for MS/i) combo? I mean lets face it Apple finally faced the music and realized they will never get the benefit from economies of scale that Dell has with Intel by staying with IBM. As a manufacturer just for the sake of compatibility so users can get their media off of any MS/i box, wouldn't you be tempted to go with the MS/i "solution"? I mean Intel will be printing more of these chips than the US Mint prints in $1.00 bills. they will literally be as cheap as chips to place in your piece of media equipment and ensure your users have 100% compatibility with ~75%(no AMD) -95%(if AMD hops on board) of the new PC market? That's part of the problem, the other part is this technology is exactly the "solution" cable companies are looking for. They will start DRM'ing all their content at their customers instance, customer being HBO, not you, and me that is. So what are we going to do? I personaly don't see this as a reason to abandon Linux, just the opposite, it's what pushing me towards it. The unfortunate part is that that's going to make me an outlaw, deccs for example. I'de rather try to fight that in court than just give away what I see as fair use. I bought that DVD I should be able to watch it however I like. So I agree with what you said but I don't like the idea of having to break the law to watch TV.

    4. Re:Old news by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 1

      Absolutely;

      You shouldn't have to be a criminal to play content that you've already purchased!

      I think, however, that the MS/I solution is mostly smoke and mirrors.

      Literally *ALL* of the European cable companies had signed on to Microsoft's set-top box initiative. These companies then figured out that MS had more features than competitors, but that 1/2 of them were buggy, and 1/2 of them were delayed to a future revision.

      The *only* European company still pursuing a MS solution is the one that has *still* not deployed their next gen solution. They are hoping to have it out by 2006.

      Given that people like you and I switch to an alternate platform, I believe that content providers will continue to cater to us. When other consumers see how well we are doing with our non-crappy non-MS hardware, they'll switch too.

      Even Joe Blow has a preference for non-encumbered hardware. He'll buy the more expensive brand with *less* features if he thinks it will let him copy movies, or burn CDs.

      But he's got to have a choice; if MS/Intel take over the market completely he'll buy their crap.

      That's what happened in the Desktop market; Apple folded, and everyone lined up to deliver MS products. This has *not* happened in other markets, consoles, or set-tops, for example.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  54. DRM fails because of the copying device market by bushboy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There's some uber-paranoia going on in that article, but it was an interesting read.

    Fortunately, due to human nature being so wonderfully inept at controlling anything successfully for lengthy periods of time, I don't think we need worry about "Intel Cutting Linux Out of Content Market" or your more wild theories about lack of choice in terms of your media.

    Other markets always open up which counter DRM.

    Case in point is DVD-R, worth billions for the companies that sell the units and the media.

    Before that CD-R, before that VHS, Betamax, Cassette tape.

    These companies can afford to own Congressmen and can also afford to make DRM meaningless.

    If DRM means that people won't be able to copy their media, or record TV, then a MASSIVE segment of the entire home entertainment industry will go bust.

    Obviously that isn't going to happen.

    --
    A slashdotting - you get the stick first and then the carrot !
  55. Someone's got a plan to kill Linux... again by zlogic · · Score: 0, Troll

    This is just another plan to kill Linux (and I don't think it will be Linux-targeted) which will fail.
    SWPAT failed in Europe, Microsoft FUD isn't trusted anymore, hardware vendors are supporting Linux more and more (take a look at nVidia or ATi for instance), even Thompson's MP3 patents or the ban of DECSS disn't kill Linux.
    Even RIAA didn't kill filesharing, and I even think they've stopped filing lawsuits.
    However the idea of 10 bucks a month for completely legal and unlimited music (first offered by Napster I think) sounds great to me. In fact even though I'm listening only to pirated music I consider it to be a good bargain. If it's supported in Linux then it means I can have CHEAP content along with a FREE OS.

  56. Mac WMP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The thing about Mac WMP is that it isn't that malicious. Because of the way the Mac does applications, it's just a single file you drop into your applications directory. If you decide you don't want it later, you delete that file. No real issue.

    Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately depending on your point of view, Mac WMP doesn't support many of the licensing modes from Windows WMP, so it often isn't even theoretically possibel for you to install Mac WMP and access the content.

  57. Define Fair Use by xswl0931 · · Score: 1

    Does Fair Use mean you can make an exact copy in digital form? Or does it simply mean you can make a copy? If so, you will always be able to make an analog copy where you will lose some fidelity and quality, but it is a decision you need to make.

    1. Re:Define Fair Use by tepples · · Score: 1

      If so, you will always be able to make an analog copy where you will lose some fidelity and quality

      Not necessarily always.

    2. Re:Define Fair Use by xswl0931 · · Score: 1

      Well, laws may prevent it which would be contrary to Fair Use, but I was more talking about recording audio via microphone (worse case) or video camcorder (again worse case) assuming future devices don't have analog out.

    3. Re:Define Fair Use by prionic6 · · Score: 1

      But what if your TV watermarks everything it puts out and your camcorder can detect that watermark and will not record tha data? Same for Audio. Technology for this kind of stuff is there and is working quite good! Also, of course, TVs, camcorders and Stereos / Speakers without that technology are ILLEGAL!

  58. From yet another, more accurate viewpoint by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 1
    It's not as evil as it may seem.

    It is exactly as evil as it seems.

    Ask yourself one simple question: is this a feature that helps you? If the answer is no, then it is not a good thing to buy. Sometimes it really is black and white.

    --
    If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
    1. Re:From yet another, more accurate viewpoint by LilGuy · · Score: 1

      Maybe the intent isn't soley based upon evil intention is what I'm trying to say. Maybe they're trying to come up with a solution for the rampant piracy that plagues not just the software industry but the music and movie industries as well.

      It is a viable solution to protect those assets, but not necessarily practical as pirates are some slippery characters.

      --

      You're nothing; like me.
  59. Linux only? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why did the author make a big deal about it cutting Linux out of the content market? What about, say, Apple Computer, which has it's own eye on that market? What this is really all about is Microsoft trying to sew up the home desktop market as completely as has already done with the corporate world. Want to watch a movie? You'll have to boot up Windows, and don't even think about using one of those "alternative OSes" because it is effectively illegal under U.S. Federal law to play any commercial content on those platforms. Geez, how do convicted monopolists keep getting away with this stuff?

    I know, I know ... Congress. It was a rhetorical question anyways.

    --
    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  60. Down the hall from Hitler... by Hobbes897 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Netscape, Real and others have all fallen victim to the Microsoft bundling machine Netscape I can sympathize with, but Real was going to hell long before MS got involved.

    --
    Normality is now: overrated.
  61. How to close the analog hole by tepples · · Score: 1

    And the fact that there is _always_ the analogue hole.

    Until the major publishers of copyrighted motion pictures talk the Congress (and foreign counterparts) into outlawing possession of high-definition camcorders without a license. Do you remember the SSSCA or CBDTPA bills? Next time they might not get defeated as easily.

    1. Re:How to close the analog hole by vidarlo · · Score: 1
      Until the major publishers of copyrighted motion pictures talk the Congress (and foreign counterparts) into outlawing possession of high-definition camcorders without a license. Do you remember the SSSCA or CBDTPA bills? Next time they might not get defeated as easily.

      That day, I hope the public will rise! And I think they will. That will be completely clear as a attempt to deprieve them of dual-use techonologies, with the big difference that the good use (family film, documenting illegal events in the community etc.) will outweigh the negative (bootleg) uses by far.

  62. Great move by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    This is (I'll give you the why) a good move.

    Why? - Here in the EU we have the commission (think inquisition in Armani suits). They have all sorts of powers to fine monopolies and cartels etc (ie their hits on MS). What better proof for them than Intel using its market dominance to lock out a competitor from free trade. And since the benefit is to MS it also helps any current ideas they have too.

    This could be good!

    1. Re:Great move by AussieVamp2 · · Score: 1

      yeah, have a Microsoft sliding fine scale

      already had 1 million a day I think?

      Then double it for each subsequent offense. :)

  63. DVD players still have DRM by tepples · · Score: 1

    Go rent the movie you want to see and watch it on your DVD player.

    What if the movie that I want to see isn't available on DVD in my Region?

    I think that all the interesting new stuff is being put out by small independent bands.

    How can they tell whether what they're putting out is legal or not?

    1. Re:DVD players still have DRM by EternityInterface · · Score: 1

      I don't understand music theory, but - this doesn't apply to ambient and noiz - any kind of strange digital music, right?!

      --
      the sun is god
    2. Re:DVD players still have DRM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
      So you downloaded those six hours of pure crap from Legal Torrents too eh? I got one worthwhile album from the whole bunch (4 samplers from 2 labels). 90% and upward was static, but not the good kind of 'static used as an instrument' sort of Autechre style, or the 'static is what it is, but it's the kind of static that makes it what you want to hear' a la Torre Takemitsu. Nope, it was 'random noise generator on quiet' sort of static.

      If I'm the type of guy who reads The Wire magazine, buys electronica albums, and makes excuses for lazy music, then this sort of stuff should be right up my street, but with the exception of an album by a guy called "Izmar", the stuff on Legal Torrents was sub-ambient claptrap.

      All that said, this complaint holds no water because, bandwidth or internet connection aside, I got it for free under an open license. Which is cool and groovy. And while I'm a proponent of such distribution methods for music that would never sell off its own bat, people should have a little knowledge that if you get stuff for free, it's likely to suck.

      Notable exception, the BBC's recent 9 Beethoven Symphonies. But then again, that does exactly what it says on the tin. Most legal free music downloads don't even have a tin for a description to be plastered on. (Concerning the write up on Legaltorrents.com a paragraph for as much as 20+ albums isn't going to give you much to go on. And if it's zipped, you may not be able to pick or choose the albums you get.)

      Final note: legaltorrents has an excellent openly distributable movie (independent) called Blue. Simple stuff, nothing memorable, but it was done really well in Maya and Photoshop with good production values. Using Legal Torrents to reach an audience is smart, and great for those that would risk downloading a big file to see and indie animated movie. Link goes straight to download of torrent, beware Opera 8.02 users: Blue: A Short Film (DivX).

  64. I'm finding I like the unsigned, truly Indie stuff by Svartalf · · Score: 1

    ...much, much better than the likely to be DRM'ed stuff anyhow.

    Let 'em keep their shite. DRMing this stuff is like locking excrement in a double-locked nuke-proof safe.

    --
    I am not merely a "consumer" or a "taxpayer". I am a Citizen of the State of Texas
  65. DRM will eventually die... eventually... by Chris+Snook · · Score: 5, Insightful

    DRM is only a problem if the content is being distributed with it attached. When the artists are in charge of their own distribution, they are free to not do this. As technology drives the cost of distribution towards zero, distribution will become commoditized. Artistic effort, by its very nature, can't be commoditized. The end result will be that the artists will be in control, as customers and clients. Some will choose to use DRM, some will not. The market will take this into account when deciding who is most convenient to pay attention to, and any DRM that inconveniences consumers substantially will not be economically viable.

    The only problem is that this will take a while.

    --
    There's no failure quite as dissatisfying as a complete and total solution to the wrong problem.
    1. Re:DRM will eventually die... eventually... by lifeblender · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You have not been paying attention to (American) music or movies for the last four decades. While in theory artistic effort cannot be commoditized, in practice, formulaic works sell very, very well.

      There is a very well-defined production path for 'pop' music, as well as a few other mature genres. Specifically, check out the 'boy-band' scene.

      Many movies released are 'safe', i.e. derivatives with a guaranteed low payoff rather than a potential high payoff. This is how it has to be if movie studios are to assure their stockholders that they will pay the bills.

      Do not think for a minute that artists will rise up against this. Artists will complain and go their own ways, but way more than enough artists will go along with it.

      --
      Playing pornographics games during the day is evil! Play at night!
    2. Re:DRM will eventually die... eventually... by Cederic · · Score: 1


      But there'll always be the bands like Muse, the film makers like Darren Aronofsky and Robert Rodrigues, who do push the limits, take risk, enhance the art form.

      I want them to be able to continue to create, produce and distribute their art. I want access to it, it adds value to my life. I don't want to pay per view fees to watch the films, pay money each time I listen to the music. I do want to be able to shift the music from one form to another, as my playback devices change and improve. I do want to consolidate my movie collection into a single device, so that I don't have to hunt down the physical media, so that I can view it on aircraft, at friends' houses, when I'm stuck in a hotel for work.

      Sure, there's a lot of dross out there. But that's not an excuse for restricting access to it.

    3. Re:DRM will eventually die... eventually... by lifeblender · · Score: 1

      What you describe is what I want, too. My point is, though, that there's enough money generated through the other, crappier, ways that big companies will be willing to go ahead with DRM in order to protect those ways. The industry supporters of DRM feel that they need it for their bottom line, and history is showing them to be correct. Despite the evidence inherent in cassette recorders, VCRs, CD-burners, and other devices in that vein, there is still a viable and low-risk income stream from well-hyped formula content. When creative talent is in surplus, that income stream is the safety net for the big companies. When creative talent is lacking, that income stream is the only income. DRM is seen as a way of protecting it, just as VCRs and CD burners are seen as attacks on it.

      It does not matter what individual artists do, because an individual artist's accounts look different from those of a major record label. As long as the record labels and the movie companies need such a constant stream of income to survive, they will pursue DRM aggressively.

      It is also not a solution to suggest that artists break away from record labels or movie studios. Those organizations have shown, in many ways, that the sizes of their organizations are the best for operating in their respective industries. Their sizes are the most efficient at making money, i.e. the economy of scale for the music and movie industries favors very large multi-production companies. Because of that, artists seeking to assure future income will inevitably group themselves in organizations of that size.

      Because of that, there will always be organizations that feel they must force DRM on people.

      --
      Playing pornographics games during the day is evil! Play at night!
    4. Re:DRM will eventually die... eventually... by Chris+Snook · · Score: 1

      I completely agree with you in the short term. The salvation from this is that there are some artists who are so influential that the studios can't commoditize them before they've made their indelible mark on their craft, and drawn huge and loyal audiences.

      If the electronics manufacturers had started marketing CD players that couldn't play Nirvana when I was in middle school, or that couldn't play Nine Inch Nails when I was in high school, they would have dry-rotted on the shelves.

      If just one top-name artist establishes an unencumbered distribution channel, everyone else will have a trail blazed for them. Sure, the manufactured crap will still be DRM, but that'll be a blessing in disguise.

      --
      There's no failure quite as dissatisfying as a complete and total solution to the wrong problem.
  66. 164 posts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and no references to Balrog / Gandalf / LOTR.

    You should be ashamed. :)

  67. Sorry, but.... by mjh49746 · · Score: 1

    ...as evil as the RIAA is for their greed and corruption, and as scummy as Intel is for 'selling out', this author simply sounds way too much like a blowhard, doomsday shill. His ravings are blown so far out of proportion that I really can't take his opinion seriously. Just don't buy the f---ing thing and don't worry about it. I'd rather see the money support the indie stuff anyways.

  68. Some Intel links? by qzulla · · Score: 1

    C'mon, through me a bone here! I didn't find any good links on the Intel site about this. Anyone know of any?

    q

    1. Re:Some Intel links? by PigIronBob · · Score: 1

      'trough me a bone', or was that supposed to be: 'throw me a bone', just checking.

      --
      You never catch me alive
    2. Re:Some Intel links? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seems many want it to go through.

  69. Mod Parent Down by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please mod parent post down, as it's lacking in bias, zealotry and misleading information.

  70. big deal by jlarocco · · Score: 2, Funny

    You mean I won't be able to watch a ton of crappy tv shows on my AMD machine running Linux? Damn.

    I'll just buy a $400 windows machine with Intel for the occasions I want to watch tv or a movie or listen to a new CD. When I'm done, I'll throw it away, since that's what everyone else is doing anyway.

    1. Re:big deal by pallmall1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'll just buy a $400 windows machine with Intel for the occasions I want to watch tv or a movie or listen to a new CD.

      You've hit the nail on the head. Windows is quickly becoming a media os, useful only for (high-priced) entertainment. As Windows bloats and restricts, it becomes more useless for actual computing and business purposes. If you want a fancy TV/stereo system, use Windows. If you want a useful computer, use Linux.

      --
      3 things about computers: they're alive, they're self-aware, and they hate your guts.
  71. What about Xbox? by alucinor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Isn't the new Xbox coming from Microsoft going to be PowerPC-based? I had always thought the Xbox was an important factor in the "invade-your-living-room" strategy of Microsoft. So is IBM putting similar technology in these custom PowerPC chips, too?

    But ultimately, I think the PC will never topple the TV. While technically they could be blended into a single machine, people have been enculturated deeply to keep them separate entities.

    Seriously, what value does a Media Center PC have over a convential media center? If anything, "convential" media centers are going to increasingly get PC-like functionality and displace the computer in people's homes, not visa-versa; they're the ones coming from a point of strength.

    --
    random underscore blankspace at ya know hoo dot comedy.
  72. Bands with free test songs still exist by Phil+Urich · · Score: 1

    Bands that allow you to download their songs free of charge still exist, quite a few come to mind right off the bat.

    There's always The Trews, who offer alot of their songs including alternative versions other than the ones on their main album . . . err, wait, the page is down right now.

    Well, I remember Alice In Videoland offered actually all of their songs online in mp3 and . . . oh, the page doesn't seem to exist anymore at all.

    Well, 8mm at least lets you stream all of their songs online . . . geez, I'm not really making my point here, am I? I swear bands still offer mp3s . . . well, at least Shocknina seems to do so, and they're a new band too. I guess the problem is, to be able to offer mp3s, you often have to be an independent artist, the record companies take exception to that kind of thing. Well, I mean, Trent Reznor released his last two singles in a form that one could even pull apart and remix easily, basically giving access to something akin to the source audio . . . but that's the kind of thing only a huge but eccentric artist like Nine Inch Nails can get away with.

    --
    I remember sigs. Oh, a simpler time!
    1. Re:Bands with free test songs still exist by Kremmy · · Score: 1

      I feel the need to mention Magnatune.

  73. Free Information and Capitalism don't mix! by rscrawford · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Duh! What good is content if someone isn't making a profit off of its delivery? What, did you want to learn or be entertained? Don't be ridiculous. The only point of generating any content at all -- or delivering pre-made content -- is to get money out of you. Since someone, somewhere, stands to lose money off of delivering content to Linux, the best thing to do is to lock Linux out of being able to deliver that content. Hopefully, Linux -- and open source in general -- will be outlawed in the US soon, so that no information exchange can happen without someone profiting from it.

    Welcome to 21st century America, where the Ownership Society Owns You!

    (Me, I'm hoping to get the hell out of here while the getting's still possible.)

    --
    -- The reason it's called the right wing? Irony.
    1. Re:Free Information and Capitalism don't mix! by mjh49746 · · Score: 1

      Darl? Darl McBride? Is that you?

    2. Re:Free Information and Capitalism don't mix! by rscrawford · · Score: 1

      Dammit. I guess I should have been a lot more blatant with my SARCASM tags. Jesus Christ.

      --
      -- The reason it's called the right wing? Irony.
    3. Re:Free Information and Capitalism don't mix! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The "omg companies want all your money duh noob let's ignore any discussion lol" is kinda overdone, and has never added to the discussion save for people wasting time trying to explain to the person that they don't have a clue at all.

    4. Re:Free Information and Capitalism don't mix! by rscrawford · · Score: 1

      Wow. I'm impressed by how badly you missed my point.

      *shrug* Whatever. I'll know better next time to better indicate that I'm being sarcastic, and actually believe the opposite of what I posted.

      --
      -- The reason it's called the right wing? Irony.
  74. Add campaigns by andr0meda · · Score: 1


    We had the firefox campaign before, which was quite successfull (but not nearly enough) but can the OS movement pull off a marketting campaign by ways of word of mouth, blogging, portal posting, RSS feeds etc, with the sole purpouse of pushing linux ahead as a general solution? I`m thinking in terms of 'all you base..' etc..

    A central website with links to all the 'standard' apps that run on linux, mac and windows would be the best way to point people in the 'right' direction. Build a slogan around that, multiply, and profit!

    I know we can do this.

    --
    With great power comes great electricity bills.
  75. If you want to preview... by Brightest+Light · · Score: 5, Informative
    Try a site like Magnatune.

    They let you preview all of the songs on every album for sale, and though they may not have RIAA-signed artists, they've got a pretty good selection, and I try to shamelessly plug them every chance I get. Best of all, all you need is an mp3 player of some sort to listen to the 128kbps song previews (which are the full songs, not 30 second snippets). The prices are very reasonable, and 50% of the sale price of the album goes straight to the artist; so you can buy more music than you would on amazon, and the people who made it will get fairly compensated for their work and talent. You should check it out, you might like it.

    1. Re:If you want to preview... by c.r.o.c.o · · Score: 1

      I just checked it out, and it's amazing. This is what online music distribution is all about. I haven't bought a CD (or any music for that matter) in more than 6 years. I might just buy something from them.

    2. Re:If you want to preview... by toad3k · · Score: 1

      That site seriously rules dude, thank you.

    3. Re:If you want to preview... by FreakyLefty · · Score: 1

      There's always Ampcast - gigabytes of free music for you.

      --
      Strength through redundancy and over-design
    4. Re:If you want to preview... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When EF comes around, they will go the way of the dinosaur unless they code everything in WMV. Read the article, NOTHING but WMV will work on these pc's. MP3 will die. They will begin coding wmv's and unless they renew their MS taxes on their content every year, it simply won't work on any Intel box.

      I choose to not buy any movies or music because I have issues with the RIAA and MPAA. They will never see another dollar of mine, unless it's an advertising dollar from a radio station or a Star Wars movie. These industries have made their bed; now, at least with me... they will sleep in it.

      I have more fun gaming anyway. I don't even watch tv any more, except for cnn. The last movie I saw was Star Wars Episode III. Before that it was Star Wars Episode II LOL. Gives you an idea of how much money I give them. Lucas gets it all.

      Once in a blue moon I rent an indy film from blockbuster. I don't buy anything tho. It's mostly all garbage. Not worth the plastic it's burned on.

      Same for CD's and pop "music". I bought the White Stripes last alblum, that's it for the past year. I don't download, pirate, or steal and don't buy it. That's the best way everyone can protest it. Nothing else will work.

      You wanna kill this little experiment, don't buy a PC next year and tell everyone you know the story and warn them. If nobody buys it, intel and ms will be forced to rethink their little scheme. They can't make you buy anything. Use this freedom to get what you want.

      l8,
      AC

    5. Re:If you want to preview... by magnatune · · Score: 1

      You made my day, thank you....

      -john (the guy behind Magnatune)

  76. Upgrade/Downgrade by RedLaggedTeut · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The problem is there is nothing that stops software providers from forcing you to have an upgrade which is a downgrade. Or worse ..

    --
    I'm still trying to figure out what people mean by 'social skills' here.
  77. BS by geekee · · Score: 1

    " You may not be able to buy a "general purpose computer" anymore. They will all have this specialized DRM crap and who knows what else. All built into the chips, so it will be difficult if not impossible to avoid it."

    What you really meant is you can't do anything you want with data you received from soneone else, such as a record label. If you make your own content, or someone decides to provide you content in a different format, then it doesn't matter what DRM capabilities are built into the hardware.

    --
    Vote for Pedro
  78. Life is simpler when you don't give a shit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Until P2P came along I never bought an audio CD. I don't listen to the radio except for news, so never knew much about what was out there.

    I bought my first CD after sampling a few downloaded tunes by a group I had read about. I bought more after continued sampling of other groups - probably one CD for every 100 downloads. (Downloads either resulted in a CD purchase or went into the bit bucket.)

    I quit downloading after reading the scare stories about the RIAA lawsuits. As a result I had nothing to prompt me to buy any more CDs. To tell the truth my happiness level hasn't decreased, and I've saved quite a bit of cash.

    I visited Blockbuster this weekend for the first time in about 5 months. Thousands of titles on the shelf, but most looked like trash and none caught my interest. So I walked over to Barnes and Nobel and bought a book.

  79. Dupe ?? ...or maybe deja-vu ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...didn't I read this story here on /. two or three days ago ?

  80. I don't get it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Exactly how will this device you speak of can stop me from buying cd's, listening them with my cd player, or ripping them to my hard drive and use Amarok insted. Or watch a DVD with my DVD-player.

  81. Campus Manager by cbr2702 · · Score: 1
    My school does something similar. They scan all computers requesting IPs with nmap -O and put different requirements on you depending on the result. For Windows you can't be open to Blaster or Sasser, for Windows and Mac you need to install a virus scanner (which they have site liscensed). For Linux and other OSs they don't require anything.

    One problem with this system is that for Windows and Mac you need to disable any firewall you're running so it can accurately detect what you're running. Its pretty silly.

    --


    This post written under Gentoo-linux with an SCO IP license.
    1. Re:Campus Manager by Kadin2048 · · Score: 1

      What I still don't understand (and as I don't go there anymore I've never had much motivation to think hard on the subject) is how they keep the client computer from spoofing it's system type. Okay, so maybe at the moment it's easier to comply with the requirements than spoof them, especially if the requirements are only something like 'have a virus scanner,' but what if the requirements were 'must have this anti-pirated-music scanner and run it daily'? Then there'd be a serious market for a utility that deceived the network, by appearing to be a Linux (or BSD, BeOS, Amiga, whatever) box instead of windows.

      The whole system just seems flawed, since it depends on the client computer (which is not trusted -- otherwise why are we going through all this stuff?) to correctly report it's OS type.

      --
      "Ladies and gentlemen, my killbot features Lotus Notes and a machine gun. It is the finest available."
    2. Re:Campus Manager by cbr2702 · · Score: 1

      OS detection is only used for determining if you need patches or to run a virus scanner. If they wanted to run something that people thought was unreasonable they would have a much harder time. People would wonder especially "why don't the Linux people have to use this?". The current system works for these purposes because it is combating lazyness and forgetfulness. For other purposes it would not work so well.

      --


      This post written under Gentoo-linux with an SCO IP license.
  82. Come on linux doodz, it's staring you in the face. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1) Most folks can't set the clock on their friggin VCR.
    2) Tivo users are the power users of home entertainment.

    Aside: When he said content delivery, I thought he meant servers and network. These boxes in the article are content pissers.

    So, all the linux doodz have to do to trump intel is come up with a box that is easier to integrate than a Tivo has a wireless remote controlling an interface that is simpler than a microwave oven (most folks only know enough to pop popcorn and boil water) and makes use of NTP to set it's own clock.

    Now pay the pundit, dammit, ...beer works...

  83. Start a truly free media! by stupidkiwi · · Score: 0

    My family and I will happily live without TV, Movies and Music fro the standard channels.

    We look forward to waving goodbye to our media overlords. We already trust Aljazeera for our international news. I look forward to a truely independant film and music industry. In fact I would be happy to start working on free content. I could start a free animated childrens show. We could use advertising. The advertising is important as it would suck advertising dollars from DRM TV.

    Who is with me? Lets start the media revolution!

  84. B00Bery by Azzhole · · Score: 0

    Intel stuck it up peoples ass for years with their overpriced crap. AMD Rules.. as does Linux. " Self moderated as pure, unadulterated, flamebait" -25. Fugging dolts....

  85. Re: Intel Cutting out Linux by maxpublic · · Score: 1

    Which would explain the People's Republic of California.

    Max

    --
    My god carries a hammer. Your god died nailed to a tree. Any questions?
  86. Let them eat cake by tepples · · Score: 1

    [Licensure for possession of HDTV camcorders] will be completely clear as a attempt to deprieve them of dual-use techonologies, with the big difference that the good use (family film, documenting illegal events in the community etc.) will outweigh the negative (bootleg) uses by far.

    And how are standard-definition DV camcorders not sufficient for such uses?

    1. Re:Let them eat cake by vidarlo · · Score: 1

      [Licensure for possession of HDTV camcorders] will be completely clear as a attempt to deprieve them of dual-use techonologies, with the big difference that the good use (family film, documenting illegal events in the community etc.) will outweigh the negative (bootleg) uses by far. And how are standard-definition DV camcorders not sufficient for such uses? They is sufficient. But some people want the best. And they're typically the people with money, that'll make noise if they can't get one. Besides, how are you to control this? A foreign TV-team going into the USA? What about a us citizen that buys one while he's off to japan for a trip?

  87. National Weather Services Duties Act (S.786) by tepples · · Score: 1

    The National Weather Service Website?

    ummm... Will weather.gov still be open to the public if Congress gets around to redefining the National Weather Service's duties?

  88. Solaris -Re:So how is this going to kill fair use? by ratsg · · Score: 1

    The Solaris version works pretty well on my SunRay desktop also!

    RealPlayer 10 for Linux is several orders of magnitude better than any other version of RealPlayer I've used. There's no spyware/adware, it's fast and light, and they stick with a simple GTK UI instead of going off and writing some bizarre skinnable interface. If you're running Linux and you haven't tried RealPlayer lately, I'd highly recommend giving them a second chance.

  89. Intel -- Apple -- BSD flavor -- Linux by papaia · · Score: 1

    I am not sure how Apple will approach this, with its own MacOSX just recently announced to be moving to Intel, when - in fact - running a BSD flavor under the hood?!? What would keep Linux from following that? ... probably much easier than reverse engineering (then improving) on the SMB stuff, anyway ...

    --
    == With enough Will Power, one could move mountains. With enough Brains, one would just leave them where they are ==
  90. walking? by drxray · · Score: 1

    Why is it all the "switch off your TV" rants end with a suggestion to go for a walk? I find going for a walk *really boring*. I live here, I've seen it before, seeing it again just isn't fun. Travelling somewhere else to go walking is also generally not very exciting.

    So why not suggest something more like play StepMania, read Slashdot, write a novel, talk to a friend (OK, you can do this while walking if you really like), drink till you start spontaneously giggling, learn to skateboard, write to your representative in parliament, make a UT2004 mod, play basketball...?

    --
    Slashdot - Mutual Assured Discussion
    1. Re:walking? by Nf1nk · · Score: 1

      for the most part walks are recomended, because nearly everyone can do it, it doesn't take any special equipment, and it is a pleasant thing to do while having a converastion with someone worth talking to. On walks I find I notice neat things like the way the work crew put one of the manhole covers upside down two months ago and nobody has fixed it yet, or the neat flower that my neighbor planted.
      If you hate walking fine, read a book, write a book, troll on slashdot, anything but watch the mind sucker for hours on end.
      Oh yeah and the reason I hate TV so much is because it is so passive, you just sit there and turn into some sort of blob melting into your couch. At least with video games you are thinking or twitching as the case may be.

      --
      I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared
  91. Pirate radio and TV does exist by Simonetta · · Score: 2, Insightful

    In the same way pirate radio simply doesn't exist in the US, pirate TV will not do so either.

    Pirate FM radio does exist in the USA but only a few channels in hyper-dense markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Individual channels come and go depending upon how necessary that the FCC feels that the station needs to be shut down.

    I suspect that pirate TV will happen when NTSC broadcasting goes off the air, which is scheduled for Dec 31, 2006. Suddenly there will be millions of TVs that will be receiving nothing but static and millions of people ready to watch anything. If you want to get a message out but couldn't afford expensive television advertizing rates before, that time will be your chance. Just have your own transmitter (a small neighborhood one to start) ready to go as soon as the major commercial stations switches off.
    Since this big shut-down is tentatively scheduled to occur in 17 months, now would be the time to get the equipment ready for broadcasting whatever you want when the majors go off the air.
    Uncensored footage of the endless war, antiwar documentaries, conspiracy research, 'truth about UFOs', corporate coverups, home porn, whatever. When the television airwaves go off, there is going to be once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fill the vacuum with your stuff. Pirate and Guerrilla television will be actually exciting for the first time.

    1. Re:Pirate radio and TV does exist by Mad_Rain · · Score: 1

      Uncensored footage of the endless war, antiwar documentaries, conspiracy research, 'truth about UFOs', corporate coverups, home porn, whatever.

      You know, I wanted to make a joke about "which one of those things will get the FCC breaking down your door first?" But I can't decide! Would it be the concerned-about-nipples-on-tv FCC? Or the can't-let-the-truth-about-the-Iraq-War-slip-out FCC? Or the tinfoil-hat-required FCC?

      --
      "What do you think?" "I think 'What, do you think?!'"
  92. Mod Parent up :) by Generalisimo+Zang · · Score: 1

    Oh, how I wish that I had some mod points today.

    It's amazing to me how many people will swallow the corporate PR that is fed to them without a peep... but as soon as a person says something that goes against the corporate PR machine, they're suddenly disparaged.

    It's a sad, sad, comment on Human nature. Sort of like the "house slaves" back in the plantation era, who felt the need to argue for their master's rights.

    If the person who posted the grandparent post had issues with the article's logic or reasoning, that'd be one thing. But the grandparent poster didn't even care to address the issues involved, but simply reflexively defended his masters.

    Sad.

  93. Re: Information IS capitalism by riversky · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't really disagree is some ways but delivering content is NOT information. Europe, America, and China work because there is information. Countries without collapse and are poor. Content is the product of someone(s) and their hard work. They have the ownership right to it. The other thing is employment. A society must create jobs and compete, if something is too low cost all the inputs (labor, land etc) have to be found even cheaper. It is the race to the bottom. By the way my small consulting company runs Linux server so I don't have to pay license fees. This is the most capitalistic thing to do. It saves me money there for I could expand the business and buy a second home. Find the lowest cost solution to the problem IS capitalism (why do you think mega corps like low cost labor). I agree free is good for services like delivery vs. creator....Kind of like not tipping a waiter, why do it, they don't make the food just deliver it???? Linux to me means more profit and less control by others in services.

  94. What about Macs? by cosmotron · · Score: 1

    So, this means that people who own a mac can't watch movies, listen to music, etc? I can't believe this is going to happen, it's so stupid! I hate those damn corporations so much.

    --
    Ryan - http://www.thecosmotron.com/
  95. Keep rebuilding the wall. by adoarns · · Score: 1

    We used to have physical barriers to information flow. Clay tablets are awful heavy and camels only go so fast. You can only recopy the same drowsy bootleg tape so many times before it wears out. We all know where this is going, and it involves Al Gore, Bill Clinton, and bad metaphors.

    So physical barriers have crumbled. At this point, when it could be so *very* easy for people to freely share information, there are some interests who are diligently rebuilding the old walls, brick by brick.

    So what do we do? We go around them. As another poster wrote, commercial content is only produced by a few entities. These are the barricaded castellans of the information landscape, hiding atop their fortress hills. But all around them is the commons, the pastoral birthright of its tillers. What use of the bastioned strongholds when we can walk blissfully by the walls, thumbing our noses.

    Support non-commercial artists. Don't buy shit. Feed on the fallow ground.

    --
    Tenemus pyrobolos atqui jacimus cognitiones.
  96. Mod parent as -1, Clueless by Guido+von+Guido · · Score: 1
    It's called an editorial. An editorial is in fact an opinion piece. They are often written by journalists, and are included with all forms of journalism. However, they may also be written by editors, politicians, and others.

    This particular article is even marked as such (see the word "Comment" in big red letters about the author's name). If not, it should have been obvious to all but the most clueless by the end of the first paragraph--or the summary of the article on Slashdot.

    And yes, they are often quite biased because the author is trying to convince you of something.

    How the hell did this get modded "Insightful?"

  97. Linux Market by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    This simply means that the market share of linux, and their need for chips, arent large enough for Intel to care about.

    Not saying its true, but its how they must feel.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  98. Unless you have a TPM you don't get an IP by tepples · · Score: 2, Informative

    Do you have a URL to back this up?

    Typical description of Trusted Network Connect

  99. This is a false set of choices by tkrotchko · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Well we have a fundamentally difference of opinion about DRM. I think DRM is good and you think it is bad. With DRM I have the choice to watch movies like the Matrix, Batman reborn, and revenge of the studs (that was humor). With DRM I don't have that choice. I don't see the evil in DRM that you do"

    This is a false set of choice. That's because DRM != Watching A Movie.

    If Congress passed a law tomorrow outlawing DRM, do you think the studios would say "oh, no more content for people, we'll sit on it and not let anybody see it!" Or is DRM simply a way to ensure 5% better margins and incidentally screw everybody out of fair use?

    The answer is, without DRM, high-def (note, I didn't say high quality) video would be available, and you'd be better off as would the rest of the world. The content will be sold. I'd rather it be on my terms rather than the MPAA's terms. And I'd rather my PC not fall victim of Intel/MS's desire to increase margins just so I won't make a copy of that marvelous "Batman Begins" movie.

    I'm okay with you giving up any and all your rights just for 1080i. Don't ask me to do the same all in the name of entertainment.

    --
    You were mistaken. Which is odd, since memory shouldn't be a problem for you
    1. Re:This is a false set of choices by Groo+Wanderer · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I agree with this completely, and had you not written it, I was about to write the exact same thing.

      -Charlie

  100. Re:why not just use Linux? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Windows has real problems, it needs to be checked, and even that is not enough to ensure it's safe.

  101. Linux, Wake Up! by piecewise · · Score: 1

    I'm a proponent of Linux (and open source in general), so don't get me wrong. But why does this community (and really the open source community in general) use words like "evil" to describe competing, commercial brands?

    Instead of denouncing new technologies coming from billion dollar companies, where is the positive, open-source response? Why do people become filled with anger instead of saying, hey, we can top that!

    And why is it absurd to think that companies -- like Intel -- will do what's in their best interest? And in the best interest of their stockholders, partners, and EMPLOYEES.

    I'm so tired of the cult. I think instead we ought to focus on the response and finding ways of proving why open source and community efforts can be BETTER (if they really can consistently).

    Intel, media centers, DRMs.. they're not evil. They just serve what's in their best interest... and guess what? So does the Linux community. That's why it's typical to immediately denounce a company that isn't in love with the same things we all are.

    Despite the great labor of a number of developers, I've seen a lot more crap come out of open source than quality products. I hate to say this, but I've yet to see anything come close to MS Office (yes, I said that). And gimp is awesome --- but boy I prefer Photoshop any day of the week. In fact, I prefer Photoshop Elements bundled free with my computer over the gimp, too.

    There's plenty of shit in open source. Until the community wakes up to the importance of quality, stability, and user experience -- and not just focusing on being renegades who say, fuck those big guys! -- it will Never be mainstream. We NEED these big companies in partnership to make it mainstream and successful.

    Just my two cents.. Not out to piss people off. I've just seen this story 10,000 times on slashdot in different variations (usually bitching about Microsoft).

    --
    The next comment I write will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
  102. Why can't secure content run under linux? by geekee · · Score: 1

    There's no reason you can't license WMV, and write a software player under linux, unless linux developers refuse to support the hardware technology. The player couldn't be open source because of licensing issues and circumvention issues. It may be circumventable in linux anyway, unless the video stream to the monitor is encrypted, but there's nothing the content providers can do if someone is really determined to crack the security anyway, even with proprietary OSs.

    People who refuse to run anything but OSS or free as in beer software are SOL, but not all Linux users need be left out.

    --
    Vote for Pedro
  103. There Seems to be a Disconnect Here by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 1
    Intel is a hardware vendor.
    Linux is a software OS that runs on Intel H/W, among others.

    I don't see how Intel can be the one to cut out Linux. The only people who can do that will be those that create a closed system for content delivery and refuse to license Linux to support it. That's not likely Intel.

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
  104. Fact Checking by merky1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    After reading the article, why would Intel create any DRM solution tied to MSFT when apple has pledged support for Intel? I think that more research with actual facts would provide a better view into the problem.

    Also, maybe I don't fully understand DRM, but how would dropping the DRM into hardware help? Other than offloading a CPU during playback / record, I can't figure out the advantages. Having the DRM in hardware would require constant firmware updates to enhance the DRM / stay ahead of the pirates. If they are hoping to get a "lock" on the media PC, this is really a bad way to start.

    I'm sure this will all work out once the **AA gets involved and protects our rights to listen to their products.

    --
    --WooooHoooo--
    1. Re:Fact Checking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      q=palladium
      q=inurl%3Aslashdot%20palladium

      It's about encryption. It's like how smartcards can't be hacked.

  105. But... by Majestix · · Score: 1

    ...I dont use my pc for movies (ok some porn), or music, etc. I surf the web play games... I must be in the minority. Then again i'm an old man (36) so i should probably be put out to pasture. As the RIAA, et. al. probably consider me a non-entity.

    K

    --
    --- I was far from home, and the spell of the Eastern sea was upon me. -Lovecraft-
  106. but you liked MP3's by rust42 · · Score: 1

    unfortunately, if the music is cheap/convenient enough for the masses it will become a standard.Just as VHS took over from Beta and MP3 is taking over from CD's and other better sounding formats.
    ( Have you ever Listened to your latest MP3 against the CD equivalent as an A/B comparison - Bleccchhhhhh ! )
    and just as windows is the defacto standard because it came with their computer and required no brains to set up or operate as compared to other better systems so this will probably worm its way into the common public usage because the general public couldn't be bothered with anything that is too much like hard work and will quite happily bend over in return for convenience

  107. A socialist perspective ( yes, insert flame here ) by vandan · · Score: 1

    I see a lot of familiar arguements against DRM / content providers here, but most of them fall short, for reasons I'll try to address here.

    The main problem is that people's arguements don't hold up to their prevailing assumption that we have to work inside a capitalist model.

    For example, in the capitalist model, the content providers do own the content, and they are very much within their rights to dictate who has access to their property, and on what terms, with what software, etc. This right, under the capitalist system, is completely undeniable. People who argue for 'fair use' are missing this point. Content providers can offer you 'fair right' use if they want, but are certainly not obliged to. People can point to 'fair use' legislation in various countries, but firstly, it has no effect ( please provide example to contradict ), and secondly, the US is stamping it out where possible via their free trade agreements.

    Another thing I see posted often is that people turn to piracy only because of a lack of value, either due to poor content, or excessive pricing. This is correct. However, under a capitalist system, the market decides both the content and the price. Some people argue that we should ( and in some cases do ) have legislation to control content ( eg fairness and accuracy in news, local content quotas, etc ) and also pricing, but this is completely unrealistic. The market still dictates these factors, via astronomical donations to political campaigns ... which is another point that I have seen people raise ... these people are getting closer to the issue than most. While corruption isn't unique to capitalism, it is certainly most rampant under it - particularly with the 'anything goes' ( market ) nature of political fundraising. Critics of socialism will point to corruption in places such as the old USSR or China, but these places are very rarely considered socialist by the left - they are more often than not considered to be state-run capitalist systems ... particularly China in recent years.

    So what is a socialist's take on the issues?

    Content creators have the right to make a certain amount of profit for their work. Clearly without this profit, they would not work, would not employ people, and we wouldn't have content. However once a profit point is reached, they no longer have a right to continue extracting profit via force . This approach comes from the realisation that people, organisation, businesses, etc, don't only possess rights , but also have obligations to others and to society generally. One of the most important obligations they have is to not dominate the market and create a monopoly position for themselves. Another obligation is that they don't have an inflated 'influence' on our democratic system via political donations. Without these obligations, there is very little society can do to escape the sitation we have with a handful of huge multibillion-dollar media houses controlling all mainstream content, advertising, airplay, etc, as well as the democractic process itself. Re-read this paragraph a couple of times before replying please. It really is one extreme or the other. The nature of capitalism dictates the monopoly outcome. The biggest, most agressive, and most willing to corrupt our fine politicans will always end up on top.

    What about DRM?

    I've already asserted that content providers have a right to make a fair profit. It is yet to be seen if, under the above model, people would actually refrain from copying material to the point that the content providers could not make this fair profit point. And of course it is also open to debate what a fair amount of profit is. The point is that this should be decided by the people , and not by the market. O

  108. Content is locked in.... by BobSutan · · Score: 1
    I say captive because although it will support other shells that are not MCE 2006, it will only support other shells, but not programs. This is not the same as being open in any way shape or form, you are locked in, period. That's not to say that there will not be choices. There have to be at least two providers in each country where it launches to provide the content, but the blessed ones are the only ones. Call me absurdly cynical if you like, but I expect there is a lot of money changing hands here, and it will come out of your pocket in the end.

    This sounds a lot like a TV, but one that only works with one channel or provider. Imagine a world where you buy a TV but it only works if you have COMCAST. That's basically what their delivery service sounds like.
    --
    "On a scale from 1 to 10, people are stupid"
  109. Re:A socialist perspective ( yes, insert flame her by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 1

    Very interesting.

    Have you ever thought about posting this stuff ofver at kuro5hin.org ? It'd fit much better than here. Most wouldnt read it past the first 2 paragraphs.

    I do have one point about content. "Content" is created either by copyright (works of music, books, movies...), patents (process, how-to), or trademarks (pictures/words linking to certain product). Im unsure what your opinion who the ownership should belong to (possibly the whole of the citizens, but temporially proxy-owned by creator), but why do we allow transferrance of these 3 protections?

    If someone creates a neat new song, they've created it. Not Disney, not MGM, not anybody else. The creator created it. I understand that you can license it to others (as in a copy right) but why do we allow full transferrance of copyright, patents, or trademarks?

    I guess the problem Im trying to solve in bringing this idea up is the gathering of huge corporations that "own" these properties.

    --
  110. Re:A socialist perspective ( yes, insert flame her by vandan · · Score: 1

    Have you ever thought about posting this stuff ofver at kuro5hin.org ? It'd fit much better than here.

    I've poked around there a little, but Slashdot seems better for news. I have to admit that the discussions are better at kuro5hin.org though. I will have to spend some more time there. I am getting quite used to being flamed down at every post - hence the title of my post ...

    I do have one point about content. "Content" is created either by copyright (works of music, books, movies...), patents (process, how-to), or trademarks (pictures/words linking to certain product). Im unsure what your opinion who the ownership should belong to (possibly the whole of the citizens, but temporially proxy-owned by creator), but why do we allow transferrance of these 3 protections?

    Yes I think I accidentally blurred the lines between content creators and providers in my post. The problem is that content creators currently need content providors if they want to be able to make a successful living. This is an uncomfortable reality, and hopefully one that would be lessened greatly by breaking up the distributors and the barriers to entry into the market. From the creator's point of view, obviously the only reason they'd sign any of their rights over to others is to get entry into the market ... ie under duress.

    From a socialist's point of view, it is the workers ( the content creators ) that should have control of production anyway, so that would be the obvious goal - taking back the means of production and also taking over distribution. That doesn't necessarily mean that you'd have completely disconnected individuals all trying to do everything themselves ... it simply means that the content creators would have direct control over the means of production and distrubution ... there's nothing stopping them from joining together and pooling their expertise etc.

    If someone creates a neat new song, they've created it. Not Disney, not MGM, not anybody else. The creator created it. I understand that you can license it to others (as in a copy right) but why do we allow full transferrance of copyright, patents, or trademarks?

    This is a good question. It's logical to say that an individual or company that creates something novel or new ... something of value ... should be able to make a profit from it. But when you take their right to make a profit from their creation, and sell it on to others, there are a number of questions raised. For example, why is this being done, and what effect does it have on the creators and on society generally?

    By far the most common reason people would transfer their rights to something they've created is that they're forced to. They're either forced by barriers to entry to the market, or by the offer of a large up-front cash offer ( often combined with the threat of barriers to entry ).

    As for the effect on creators, it short-changes them considerably, and steals away control of their work. It puts them in the situation where they are perpetually dependant on the providers ... and not only them, but other creators as well. It's a positive feedback loop ... ie the actions at one point of the cycle feed back into the cycle to create the conditions for the cycle to continue, but at a greater level of energy. ie it's very hard to get out of.

    For society, the effect is the usual list ( that I gave before ) that all come from a monopoly situation: reduction in a novelty, choice, etc, increase in prices, and corruption of our so-called democracy.

    So I would say that transference of rights from creators to providers is a necessary evil under capitalism that would dissolve under socialism. As for all the area in-between, I suppose we just have to resis

  111. What else is new? by 7Prime · · Score: 1

    As usual, Americans are willing to sell their freedom for convenience.

    --
    Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
  112. DRM doesn't kill people, people do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Trusted computing will happen. There are too many reasons corporate clients want it: protection for sensitive documents and trade secrets, virus control, and dozens of others. Once it's designed and developed, the incremental cost of putting in on everything else is zero, so it'll go on as a "feature."

    Unfortunately, once it's in the platform, everyone else gets access to it, including entertainment companies that see it as a way to keep their dying business model afloat. Home users will get the short end of the stick: none of the "good" uses of DRM, but all of the crippling.

    Cory Doctorow gave a great talk at Web 2.0 last year on this very topic. If I remember correctly, his tack was to kill DRM, but that's tilting at windmills. Corp clients are where the $s are, they want it, and they'll get it (for the reasons above, not movie/music protection).

    One of the most interesting parts of Cory's talk was the history of the entertainment industry, and their resistance to new business models, even when the new model resulted in even more profits for them. That's what we need here: a new business model that the industry can see to give them hope. Otherwise, they'll just cling to their old model and DRM everything they have. Even with a new model, they're more likely to want to keep the status quo, but our legislators are who we really need to influence. We need to keep the governments out of this, and let the market decide.

    So figure out a model. Without one, this is going to be a long, hard battle.

  113. it still isn't the end of the world as we know it by Hosiah · · Score: 1
    You say "proprietary software" and I say "Linux". You say "software patents" and I say "GPL". You say "DRM! We'll control you from your hardware since we can't do it in software! Ha! We gotcha!" and I say "soldering iron". And after they outlaw soldering irons, I guess only outlaws will be able to get you a deal on one.

    Could ever a more noble law-breaker be, than he or she who steals power from the despots and turns it into freedom to give to the people? I wish Linux were illegal right now, because I'd enjoy using it that much more!!!

  114. Its okay, its okay, really it is .. by torpor · · Score: 1

    .. because Linux is being used to create content, anyway...

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  115. You also need MS Media Center Edition 2006 by KlausBreuer · · Score: 1

    Sorry, I don't have Windows.

    I'm not going to flame about here, but I find that some other OS does what I need to do, gives me some fun games, allows me to play some older DOS/Windows games (which are *fun*, even if the graphics are not exactly top notch), and allows me to watch DVDs I borrow from friends.

    DRM it? Loose me as a customer.

    --
    Free PC version of ChipWits at http://www.breueronline.de/klaus/chipwits/
  116. You'll need an Rx to get an HDTV camcorder by tepples · · Score: 1

    Besides, how are you to control this? A foreign TV-team going into the USA?

    Probably in much the same way they control prescription drugs. You'll have to talk to a licensed specialist and explain the nature of your project in order to be able to rent a post-ban HDTV camcorder.

    What about a us citizen that buys one while he's off to japan for a trip?

    Of course customs will check your bags at the border.

  117. Good! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    If you don't like it, you can live without music, TV and movies

    ...that is produced by major corporations. Independent non-DRM music is already catching on, and video's not far behind. The more the big corps lock down the "content," the more competitive the independent offerings will be. Lock things down perfectly, and watch centralized media go bellyup.

    Real movies will be a while, but I'm willing to use a dedicated device for that (or go to the big screen).

  118. The FCC is going to be a bit busy by Simonetta · · Score: 1

    If many little community television stations go on-air at the same time that the majors go off the air, the FCC is going to be mighty busy.

    Visiting a campus dorm with federal officers and future-career-destroying injuctions will quickly shut down all the middle-class DIY techno-nerd microstations. Shutting down the militant black-power gang-protected stations broadcasting from the ghetto housing projects to all the people in 'da community' with no television anymore is quite another matter.

    This may require calling out the National Guard. But there is no National Guard anymore. It's been transformed into the President's private little army and sent off to an endless war on the other side of the world.

    The primary issue that I am trying to raise is whether anyone in the NTSC decision loop is actually considering this possiblity.

  119. Ok, let's see now... by DimGeo · · Score: 1

    Looks like Microsoft and Intel are making a home entertainment box. That sounds a lot like the X-Box (ok, this won't be a gaming platform, but it will be a box for the living room), and we know that X-Box was, while not such a bad thing to buy, not really that well-accepted by the general public. Must we accept that things will be different this time? What is the real threat to fair use if not many people adopt this new thing?

  120. But where does Apple fit in? by Joseph_Daniel_Zukige · · Score: 1

    Or does it?

  121. Great Idea! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I choose to not buy any movies or music because I have issues with the RIAA and MPAA.
    because we all know that the RIAA and MPAA produce ALL movies and music in the world.

    They will never see another dollar of mine, unless it's an advertising dollar from a radio station or a Star Wars movie.
    so you'll boycott as long as you don't actually have to completely stop buying from them, eh? you're still giving the MPAA companies your money when you go to see star wars, and you're still providing a market for radio advertisers (the stations are selling your ears, after all)

    There are a shitton of indpendent music labels out there, you should give them a try instead of making lame excuses about the RIAA. You CAN buy music that they have nothing to do with. Start giving positive support to the businesses who are actually getting it right! Fuck the RIAA and the MPAA! Let's boycott the assholes!

    ...except when they put out an album I want to buy or a movie I want to see, then we can give them money, only then is it ok!

    you sir, are an asshat

  122. Re:A socialist perspective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What do you have to say about:

    1) The stock-market. (I'm reminded of "And Gates can't buy up Linux like he did with all other threats")

    2) Not making content available any more, but still having it copyrighted. What I remember of commodore64, is that 10+ years later, there were a few "5 games in 1" released for newer platforms, and that was about it. Of several 1000 games.