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U.K. Group Wants DRM'd Media Labeled
peterfa writes "The BBC reports that the U.K. 'All Party Parliamentary Internet Group' wants companies to label their DRMed products. Consumers will see a label on the product before they buy. The label will spell out clearly just how easy it is to copy media, and what they can and cannot do. This is in response to Sony BMG and their virus-like DRM. The group claims the industry is turning media into a rent system, rather than a purchase system."
I wonder what their response will be to the request to label their products and how their DRMed, and make it "crystal clear" (nice irony) to the consumers. I propose they go even further.
I've encountered a couple of CDs which had some message to the effect, "while every attempt has been made to ensure an enjoyable experience, blah, blah, blah, ... we cannot guarantee this disc
will play on every and all of your devices." And, all of those
(btw, the print is so small, it's unreadable) actually did play
on my computer, and not in my car, and I had to go through a few
hoops to return what the store claimed was "non-returnable".
Since they are knowingly creating a corrupt version of what is or should be a standard format (compact disc), it should be their responsibility to allow the consumer to know positively for sure what devices and manufacturers their product will be guaranteed to play on. This, in addition to the clear and explicit list of how the tracks may be copied, .... all of the other suggestions in the
article.
From the article: "The group claims the industry is turning media into a rent system, rather than a purchase system." If that's the case, and it does appear that's the industry's direction, they're changing the rules as they previously existed, even more reason they should list the constraints and restrictions of their product. By visual inspection alone, it is impossible to look at a CD and know whether it is of the "corrupt" ilk.
Does it seem ironic there are laws requiring "explicit lyrics" warnings on CDs, and not information that explains whether or not you can even play the damn things?
(would have posted this a moment sooner, took me a second to find the "Read More..." link. ;-) )
This is about as fair they can make it. Label it as crippleware so we can all know what not to buy.
1. "Infected with DRM".
2. "Statutory warning: DRM is injurious to your sense of fair-play".
etc... and meanwhile:
Why not label devices and products that support DRM? That would be a more effective step to 'inform' consunmers, one would've thought...
-
If you keep throwing chairs, one day you'll break windows....
They should go one step further and include information on how to crack the DRM on each label.
I got my Linux laptop at System76.
I have never bought anything that contained DRM, but if I did accidentally buy something, I would simply demand a refund.
Anything with DRM should have a message on it similar to the "WARNING: SMOKING KILLS" warning. I don't want a small label I have to search for - it should be big, clear, and standardised. The exact same logo/warning message should appear on every product. Something like "Warning: This product uses Digital Rights/Restrictions Management" would do the job.
Anyway, if anyone accidentally buys a product with DRM, they should be entitled to a refund. It is for all intents and purposes a defect, if you thought the product you were buying was a movie/music that you could use however you like.
The label will spell out clearly just how easy it is to copy media
I'd suggest a color coded advisory system.
"The group claims the industry is turning media into a rent system, rather than a purchase system." Uh oh, I hope they don't give out late fees (knowing Sony, they probably would). Or "ripped the songs and shared them all over the internet" fees.
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing.
Well, this is refreshing. I mean, lets face it, vendors are peddling crippled products for their convenience, not the customers'. Often, people don't even realize what they're buying, so it would be nice to have a notice.
This reminds me of a prediction I made about the iTMS - I think a lot of people are OK with paying $.99 per song *now*, but in a few years when perhaps they've gone through a couple more computers, and the iPod isn't as in-style as it is now, there will be a backlash of customers realizing that they paid for something they cannot easily use on "other" players (the burn-to-CD-and-rerip technique notwithstanding). I can visualize a similar diffculty with these crippled CDs - they will want to play them in a laptop or similar device that won't handle the DRM gracefully, and only then will they discover they paid for something only to find that it doesn't provide the value expected. It makes sense to notify the customer of what they are buying up front, rather than hiding it and hoping they never notice (obviously, some never will).
But, as my sister told me when we discussed this, they will likely chalk it up to "technology has moved on" and view it the same way they view VHS as not playing in DVD players, and simply rebuy the same movie/album, again. I sure hope that doesn't become the mainstream attitude - it will give the record companies and movie studios yet-another-reason to implement DRM any chance they get.
They should just label it as it is...or perhaps people can just produce a few hundred thousand labels and label the products on their own. Here are some anti-DRM labels from the Defective By Design folks.
Copy this media and face the wrath of Captainnnnnnnnnnnnn COPYRIGHT!
of cigarette warning labels.
You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
Who want to bet that Recording industry will make "DRM" labeling the next 'fad' like "Explicit Lyrics" or "Rated R"?
Yeah, I can see those assholes rubbing their hands together now... (petting white fluffy cat is optional)
"Don't let fools fool you. They are the clever ones."
I thought about this idea some time ago, and came up with a system where the media's friendliness was measured according to three aspects:
The media should contain no measures to prevent or deter duplication, nor should it require measures on the part of the playback platform to support such deterrents.
The media should contain no measures to prevent or deter redistribution, nor should it require measures on the part of the playback platform to support such deterrents.
Usage of the media should not be monitored, metered, or compromise the user's privacy or usage habits in any other way, nor should it require measures on the part of the playback platform to support such monitoring.
Each aspect would represent one leg of an iconic triangle. The triangle logo (and sub-permutations thereof) would be trademarked so it could only lawfully be used by the authority performing the evaluations. So all you'd have to do to know which media were safe would be to look for a complete triangle.
Schwab
Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
Definitely, DRM products should be labeled.
Notice, however, that genetically modified food is not labeled. That was accomplished by corrupting the U.S. government. Probably that will happen in the case of DRM, too.
Any label which baldly (and boldly) states that the CD or DVD is somehow crippled may lead to reduced sales of that CD or DVD. So it will never be permitted. The MPAA/RIAA/EtcAA won't have to try very hard to make sure it doesn't happen.
In the old days I'd buy records and copy them to tape - only play the record once. Later I'd buy the cd's and rip 'em to mp3's. Until I bought a few 'unrippable' cd's. I can't be bothered searching for notices, stickers etc... got burnt to many times. :-)
Now I just obtain unrestricted mp3's wherever I can eg AllofMp3.com. They say the return royalties to the artist, and that's good enough for me. I'm sure the RIAA etc.. are more than willing to sue if they think they have a case
I'll buy from the labels when they make media that's usefull to me.
Found on some "what's new" notes for a product I was rolling out
"Optimised query by using where instead of joins"
"If consumers even know there's a DRM, what it is, and how it works, we've already failed"
- Peter Lee, Disney executive
To be fair, wordings on these labals should be made as remarkable as those we found on cigarette packs:
"It can induce heart disease, nerve breakdown, breakage of furniture such as chairs, and ultimate humiliation from friends, after the content within crashes you computer into miserable useless mess...."
For instance, she said, UK law allows people to make copies of parts of copyrighted works for the purposes of critiquing or reviewing them.
"That's an exemption thwarted by DRM systems," she said. "The technologies are extending beyond the law they are supposed to uphold."
Uhh.. I was under the silly impression that it was the duty of the police and the courts to uphold the law. If you're going to start talking about DRM as "upholding the law" then shouldn't the government be doing it? Ahh shit, I just made the case for government mandated standardized DRM didn't I? Bugger.
How we know is more important than what we know.
...in the UK, anyway.
It's better that the consumer be forewarned about what they can and can't do with the movie/music that they bought, than to buy it first, and then frustratingly run into it later.
But are there going to be different versions of the same CD?
1. Paul Oakenfold, with DRM copy protection
2. Paul Oakenfold, without DRM copy protection
Are they going to be the same price? If so, then what incentive would a consumer have to buy the DRM version?
Maybe what will happen is that ONLY the DRM version is sold. But then what do you do if (as the article mentions) you need to copy it to review it (which is allowed in the UK)? Buy the same CD twice? "Yeah right. I can't do my job because I can't make a copy of the CD. What do I do? Thank god for the PirateBay!"
But at least somone is thinking of the consumer so that he's not smacked in the face by DRM.
Respect the laws of physics, for the laws of physics have no respect for you.
By visual inspection alone, it is impossible to look at a CD and know whether it is of the "corrupt" ilk.
I look for the Philips Compact Disc logo. If it's missing, then the product may be incompatible. I wish more people refused to buy stuff without the logo. It would enforce a standard upon the industry. Use the logo or don't sell.
The logo use requires technical standards to be met. When the standards are met, then it should play with no issues an any compliant device.
Look for the logo. Get the clerk to help you look.
The truth shall set you free!
it should be their responsibility to allow the consumer to know positively for sure what devices and manufacturers their product will be guaranteed to play on.
Well I've got a great name for the effort - "Plays For Sure"!
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Right after that he says, "The same goes for codecs." After that a person from Comcast says: "The user shouldn't know or care what format they're using, because consumers don't want to be IT administrators for their own home."
What they are getting at is that the entire system must be so simple, even a moron will not have any confusion using it.
But, as my sister told me when we discussed this, they will likely chalk it up to "technology has moved on" and view it the same way they view VHS as not playing in DVD players, and simply rebuy the same movie/album, again.
Another even closer example is cassette tapes, many people had huge collections when the switch to CD's was made...
I'm not sure either how consumers will respond to the natural evolution of digital music. With ITMS stuff they would still be able to play it on a computer even if a newer kind of non-iPod came along that people really wanted, so in a way it's not as lost as tapes were after players were really phased out.
The question I have though is what would really come along that would be compelling enough to supplant the iPod for the market at large? The iPod grew because you could rip CD's and easily get them on your iPod where they are more accessible... and now the library grows through ITMS purchases (for many people, not all). So that would indicate that in the future the iPod lockin effect Apple seeks would indeed grab hold as many people's whole music libraries are digital now and they'd be more likley to buy a player that would work with it, probably a lot more likley. Between tapes and CD's you had the change to random access, but what is compelling about a change from one digital format to another? With video you can go with quality but with audio a lot of people really can't tell if an MP3 is better or worse than FLAC and so efforts for improved digital audio formats are stillborn, like SACD.
Once in digital form I don't see any given player offering so much of an advantage that it overcomes the simple ability to use all the music you already have. The only way for anyone to break Apple's hold on the market is to start selling all music in MP3's, then that allows people to choose whatever player they like and possibly have even more players, some of them more specialized. But the music industry itself is steadfast in actions that ensure Apple will remain at the helm - and they've just given Apple a few more years by contract to work on pulling the noose tighter.
Perhaps if eMusic really takes off we'd see more record companies finally wake up and sell MP3's (like Werkshop). If enough major labels did that it would free up the logjamm, and then Apple could release an official version of JHymn to unlock all the ITMS music so it would just be straight-up AAC.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Unfortuately that's not disproportionate by their own standards: There are countries where (for several years already) one could not go (or take one's kids!) to the movies without being exposed to media companies' threats of detention and rape.
I hope they have to do it like smoking warnings in massive black and white letters "DRM while pregnant can seriously harm fair use"
This is what the DRM labels are intended to be like: "Warning! This media has DRM on it. It may not be able to play on all devices and is restricted so you cannot transfer the media to a portable music player"
This is what DRM labels could look like after industry lobbyists change the law: "This media is certified Copyright Safe with DRM technology. Enjoy your media with DRM!"
And this is what DRM labels could look like for kids' products: "This has Captain Copyright's Red Tape of Approval!"
When the first wave of "enthusiatic" DRM measures for CDs came out in the UK, a few major magazines took to making note of it in their album reviews. e.g.
Major Artist - New Album
Doesn't actually work in the office CD player due to "rights management". So we've no idea. The boxart is nice, though.
0/5
and so on.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
I think DRM labels will be great - I'll easily be able to tell which CDs not to buy.
So far, only EMI Music in various territories uses Copy Control DRM. Sony-BMG Music too, though they have since quit using DRM after their rootkit fiasco. The labels on both the EMI and Sony-BMG CDs, however, are very ambigious and even when I tell people browsing in CD stores that the CD they're holding is "Copy Controlled", they just look at me funny and buy it anyways.
http://www.fedge.net/emi/
I don't know why this wasn't in the summary, but they have a website here.
I like to obtain my music honestly, but DRM is making me reluctant to continue to do so. Music companies that insert DRM "crippleware" (I love that word) are making the illegal, DRM-removed versions preferable. Who would want to pay for a hazardous CD when a safe one is available for free?
I took these in January. I think they believed that DRM was a feature. Hence the badge.
http://flickr.com/photos/planeteleven/160745723/
http://flickr.com/photos/planeteleven/160745724/
I think that every product that contains C.R.A.P. should have a sticker which advices the consumer not to buy it.
"If I can't have a revolution, what is there to dance about?" - Albert Meltzer
The All Party Internet Group will launch its report on Digital Rights Management at the British Library on Monday June 5th. A press release with the key aspects of the report's findings will be available on the day and will also be posted on the APIG website at that time, along with the report itself and all of the written and oral evidence received by the inquiry.
If you can not wait till 12:00pm UK time the Open Rights Group (Think UK EFF) have a lot of information about the APIG DRM Public Inquiry here.
More information on the press conference:
Balancing Opportunities in a Digital Age
Keynote speech: Derek Wyatt, Launch of the All Party Internet Group report on Digital Rights Management
10.00 - 12.00pm, 5th June 2006
British Library, Euston Road
Speakers Include:
As well as launching the All Party Internet Group report on Digital Rights Management, this seminar will look at the different opportunities, and threats, digitisation and new media provide for content creators and information providers, both public and private.
The great promise of the internet is to provide us with all the information and learning materials we might need. Free internet access is now within walking distance of close to 100% of the UK. In many senses, digital inclusion is no longer about access to technology but access to content.
Libraries and archives across the world are currently involved in a number of digitisation initiatives, enabling wider access to the works of cultural and historical importance they stores. At the same time, commercial content and information providers are seeing threats to their existing business models emerge. On the one hand, they wish their content to reach as wide an audience as possible, on the other the commercial model for providing such information is potentially undermined by both content aggregators and consumer demand for 'free' information.
Publishers and libraries both fulfil an important function in our democracy,widening access and inclusion to democratic debate and adding greatly to the public sphere. But all have commercial imperatives to consider, and intellectual property rights to enforce or comply with.
Its apparently 'Good' that DRM'd media should mandatory be labeled as such,
Its apparently 'Bad' to mandatory tag internet sex sites, as been adult.
Both things are to enable the consumer to make a informed choice, before proceding with purchase / viewing.....
Considering how many of these posts à la "I hope the spammers get raped in prison! (laugh, it's so damn funny)" can be seen highly moderated on slashdot, the majority of the peeps here probably wouldn't mind the movie industry advertising that pirates will be raped in prison, too.
Sad thing is, this was the standard for a long time! But I have the impression big corporations very happy with standards, as it enables the consumers to buy media players from other producers as well, etc. etc. Think the fuss M$ makes about OpenDocument, java, etc. It's a general trend, but the smaller corporations do win from standards, so there is some hope.
CD specific, there isn't much change the big producers will go back to the old standard, as it's so easily copied, and a new standard won't be here as well, as any copy-protection standard will have to be replaced by another because it will be obsolete in a few months.
molmod.com - computing tips from a molecular modeling
"WARNING: Will NOT play on iPod" will be understood by 99% of the population, resulting in lost sales. .. as something good .. it's ENHANCED, right?
"Contains ENHANCED DRM" will also be undersood by 99% of the population
Wouldn't it be better to do just the opposite: "This media is free from DRM" or "Play it anywhere anyhow"?
As the author says below, this statement is broadly correct, with possibly "corrupting" as the only contentious word. Through lobbying efforts, the consumer gets to make a less informed choice; this is arguably corruption. Even if this is a contentious point, it isn't a major misrepresentation, and the parent post is intended to enlarge the debate, rather than degenerate it.
Although the author has already addressed this, it's important to point out such abuse in the subject line, so that it is more readily seen by moderators.
Wikileaks, no DNS
I mean, come on!
What kind of fascist do you have to be to require certain media to bear some labels just because you don't like them?
Media want to be free, not interned by arbitrary labels just because you don't like their licences.
If they're labeled like that, no-one would ever buy them... I mean, would you talk to a Jew if all the Jews had to wear a yellow star? Would you be seen with a gay friend if he were forced to wear a pink triangle?
Your Nazi ideas will be the death of intellectual property, of capitalism and Mother's Distressed Pudding!
Ignore this signature. By order.
it would be highly ironic for stuff labelled as "Plays For Sure" to also have the DRM warning on them stating that you may not be able to play it on all devices... no doubt, Microsoft would push this as a desireable feature in that to use "Plays For Sure" you would have to seek out a "Plays For Sure" logo'd device...
Donald 'Duck' Dunn: We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline.
"my juice is flowin' like a man with a mission / my words are blowing your minds into a submission /
you can't copy my style 'cuz you ain't an original / DRM on my record 'cuz my lyrics ain't replizzable!"
well, maybe in something describing ibm's "dream drm" project, but its still drm, and being open source doesnt mean a damn if none of the companies adopt it because it doesnt do what they want and restrict people to their service...
..by making a sticker that says: Warning: This CD is DRM-ed and so provokes explicit language!
What person will donate an airborne act of love?
A translation by the new babelfish, translate.google.com:
Advertising federation holds campaign against robbery copiers for extremely doubtful
The central association of the German advertising economy (ZAW) has strong doubts against the design of the disputed clearing-up initiative of the film industry "for the protection of the original". "I consider the way of the campaign extremely doubtful", avowed ZAW managing directors Volker nickel opposite heise on-line. "Does one have to give actually so the Sporen to the medium recipient?" It gives nevertheless for creative ones also more intelligent ways to excite attention at the target group criticizes nickel the idea and its conversion by also the agency caring for the Greens to golden deer. Another form of the speech would have promised probably also opposite the anvisierten users of on-line exchange stock exchanges and DVD burners more success, meant nickel.
Indignation has above all a Spot under the slogan "robbery copier is released criminal" standing country wide campaign, in whom the fate of a threatening rape in the penintentiary is placed to growing up copyright violators before eyes. "We got, communicated several complaints in addition" nickel. The virtual local association of the SPD had accused for example due to the strip the representation of a "contempting for human beings conception of the world" to the Filmwirtschaft. The Spot is an example of a serious advertising derailing.
Due to the inputs the German advertising advice has -- that is the self control instance of the advertising economy in this country settled with the ZAW -- the company Zukunft cinema marketing (ZKM), standing behind the action, for a statement asked. "We made the experience that this way campaigns, which go beyond borders disappear fast again", describe to nickel the consequences of the request. The advertising advice raised objection in the past year against 75 marketing measures officially. The companies concerned gave way to that as a rule and withdrew complained of posters and Spots. Only in six cases the institution saw itself forced to express a public Rüge. Those equals a "spell" of the campaign, since about the measure also the mass media are broadly informed.
Irony at the edge: The ZKM communicates with the publicity campaign above all the fact that copyright infringements can be punished after the disputed reform of the copyright law with detentions "up to five years". In the maximum measure of punishment with the law novella however nothing changed. It still refers to the "professionally bad utilization" of in copyright matters protected works. The Filmwirtschaft with the campaign does not want however at all to reach these organized professional robbery copiers (alias criminals). Completely apart from the youth compatibility of the Spots come into the criticism thereby also the question arises whether the advertisement is not misleading. Into this case possibly also the law could reach against mean competition (UWG) -- if at all a plaintiff would be. In the UWG the knowing spreading of "untrue and for deception suitable data" is punished with up to two years prison.
(Stefan Krempl)/(jk/c't)
Death and danger are my various breads and various butters.
I'm not from the UK, but a US version of this needs to happen. I also think this needs to be instituted for all types of media: audio, video, and even video/computer games. We need a nice big sticker that says something about how this media contains technology designed to prevent you from copying it. And how the DMCA makes that illegal. And how you won't be able to make a backup (too bad if your kids scratch it). And how it's not going to play on your car stereo. Et cetera, et cetera.
We just need to get Tipper Gore and some Congressional wives involved. Tell them that some sinners may not be able to view the "Jesus of Nazareth" DVD due to DRM and we'd have a full out Congresional inquiry into the matter. ;-)
If this is not sold, but licensed, then you get 28 days to refuse a contract for any reason that you decide. If it isn't a contract, then they cannot restrict your use of the product (and if they are doing so, it falls foul of fraud and/or UCCTA) beyond the reins of copyright.
Since a DRM'ed disc does not conform to the CD standard, then surely it is against the Trade Descriptions Act in the UK to place those discs in the audio CD section. Therefore, they should be in a clearly marked separate section as "DRM Media".
In a similar fashion, force Internet vendors like Amazon and Play to advertise those discs not in the "Audio CD" part of their web site but in their own area.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
is that there doesn't seem to be a need for them. They are peddled as "a solution to world hunger", but are pegged as to expensive (TCO wise) for the third world. They are also patented which non-GMO aren't (theoretically!) so you need a license to grow. Or they are modified to make another product more desirable (roundup-resist)
The overall effect is that the GMO's seem to be just a way to leech more money from the farming system for the companies.
Given this, why support them? That is the reason for my disdain for GMO peddling.
Dead on. Lost in the **AA's shrieking is a painful truth:
Even the hypothetical airtight DRM + broadcast flag + kitchen sink scheme has to allow the music to play at some point. That crippled DRMy CD player is at some point going to send an audible signal down a wire to a speaker. There it can be picked up. Uber-Pirate.com can burn their master, DRM-free disc there if they have to. And proceed with business as usual.
The casual copying that amateur, part-time pirates do is -- by all indications -- increasing music sales. And the professional infringement cannot (ever) be stopped technologically. It is as though people, fed up with violence, tried to make it impossible -- technologically -- for humans to harm other humans.
(btw I don't think copying "intellectual property" harms anyone; just an analogy)
My turnips listen for the soft cry of your love
Does anyone know what I can do to make Slashdot use a serif based font for the comments? This sans-serif font is making it hard to read anything where there is a large amount of text. I am using Firefox, so something that works with that would be handy.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
Stupid moderator. The guy already recognised it was offtopic, and indicated it so, but where else is the guy to get feedback on this site? Now the guy won't get an answer.
Sorry, I am not sure how to do what you want, I am using Konquerer tho. I have fuzzy eyes too.
Nice tool, any chance you know of one that can tweak colours so it shows what a normal seeing person sees? would be nice to see the world how everyone else does
the next generation of DRM (along with some of the current generation), has the ability to be "tightened" to revoke rights which existed at the time of purchase.
any labeling system has to make clear exactly how far these con artists can go in rendering your device useless.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
The comment score can be moved directly below the subject line with the following CSS code. Add it to your userContent.css file in the Firefox profile directory.
Lucky you, it's blindingly butt-ugly in every other browser.
Can I have my old slashdot back please?
I wish music stores had DRMed music in it's own section, just like there are classical, jazz, etc sections.
This way the broad public might be going to notice something is happening...
I'm hoping such labels will reveal to consumers that who have not considered the implications of DRM how draconian and unjust it is.
'Consumers will see a label on the product before they buy?'
I think when consumers see the label on the product, they just won't buy. Who wants to pay good money for bad media.
I don't want Defective Restricted Media (DRM).
Unfortunately, people won't go for that because it would preclude them from buying too much of what's on the shelves. I looked at a sampling of CDs at Future Shop recently and the only one I found with the CD Audio logo was U2's "The Joshua Tree", which is from 1987.
There are countries where (for several years already) one could not go (or take one's kids!) to the movies without being exposed to media companies' threats of detention and rape
I come from Germany and we actually have these kinds of spots right before we can watch DVDs and (as already mentioned) they aren't skippable, so whenever I want to view movie XY, they are telling me that I'm going to jail because i bought the DVD and could copy it.
Well, at least most of my DVDs won't try to root my PC.
Maybe gibibytes is a common misspelling of gigabytes? Google probably views giving the user the answer they need as being more important than requiring them to spell right.
There is no possible way for any DRM to work. Period. Everyone on /. knows you can plug a jack from your CD player to your PC's sound card. No, it won't be "CD quality" but you'll be hard pressed on any but the best equipment to tell the difference.
MP3s never are CD quality, so to put high quality MP3s on the net only requires one of the world's 6,000,000,000 people to know how to sample and post.
Of course, most schemes only require holding down a shift key, using a magic marker, or ripping with a Mac or Linux.
I don't know who's dumber, the major labels or their customers.
There are CD rental shops in Japan. Why hasn't something like this caught on elsewhere?
wearing our placards: 'Here's precisely how we're about to screw you, sure you're up for it?'
How many 'merchants' will disclose their 'profit-making secrets' to the public (yes, we used to call them 'customers' also) when they are inseparable from certain aspects of one-upsmanship and opportunism?
^ (i.e. a point that's hard to buy hats for) being that it seems unreasonable to ask folks to behave in an unreasonable fashion. If folks are out to 'make a living off you' or some other euphemism (def: a polite lie, imo) it's not unreasonable to compare these activities to 'trying to eat you', but it might be unreasonable to expect them to go 'hungry'.
Wake up, smell coffee, pay $2.50, drink.
"If...you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning" - Catherine Aird
I looked at a sampling of CDs at Future Shop recently and the only one I found with the CD Audio logo was U2's "The Joshua Tree", which is from 1987
That in a nutshell is why I no longer go to record stores. They don't display Compact Discs for sale. I can't find them.
The truth shall set you free!
I've just examined a random sample of ten cds from my record collection and not one displayed the compact disc logo on the cd case or cover. Only one displayed the compact disc logo on the actual disc itself, which you cannot see until you've purchased the disc. All the sample were proper legally bought compact discs without any DRM on them.
From this I conclude that if I only bought discs with the compact disc logo on them, my record collection would be rather smaller than it is now - if not non-existant.
Also, I buy a lot of cds online. How do I check the packaging then?
I got stung with a DRM'd copy of Citizen cope's Clarence Greenwoord Recordings - it now has pride of place next to my monitor to remind me to check before I buy in future.
This makes me think of the (successful) EU mandated labelling of genetically modified food, how about:
"Warning: This CD may make you sterile" as a fair warning?
**Vanuatu or bust**
Could it be that some politicos actually figured out what DRM is?
Is the media-consuming public FINALLY gonna get a break from the tyrants?
Naaah. Pinch me when the UK implements a stricter version of the DMCA. This has to be too good to be true. Imagine that: constraints on the likes of Sony, Vivendi ... no ... this just can't be.
Founding member: He-Man Windoze Hater Club
Won't fix the font, but will fix the score problem if you use greasemonkey: http://lukas.fragodt.com/greasemonkey/
Whooosh.
Though I did get modded Troll... someone must have understood my point, although not the humour in it.
Ignore this signature. By order.
I do remember a small dairy farm got sued for putting "Our cows not treated with RBGH" on their labels, but really, that is the solution. While I think RBGH should be put on labels of products that use it, that's because RBGH can be clearly defined and easily labeled.
If we require music labels to put all of their restrictions on the label, they'll just have a page of fine-print legalese, each one different, so you'd have to be insane to read them all. After all, the mere existance of the legalese probably tells you there's no reward at the end of it -- you just find out what you already knew, that you're going to be raped up the ass.
Rather, I'd like it to be possible for smaller, saner labels to put DRM free labels on their CDs, or Verbatim Backup labels on their games. Respectively, a DRM-free CD is one that works the same way CDs are supposed to, with no effort made to prevent ripping, burning, or playing in car sterios, money back if it doesn't work for you. Verbatim Backup means you can burn a backup copy of the game and have it work exactly the same as the original, using standard tools (not CloneCD), and you can play it from a mounted image (Daemon Tools and the like), if not just install it entirely to your computer.
It'd be like the "spyware free" labels that exist today, only the labels would be regulated by someone less corrupt.
Can anyone find any flaws in those definitions, by the way? Any way we could get screwed by a "DRM-Free" or "Verbatim Backup" product?
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
As was so eloquently stated in the classic Python sketch:
Fuck your sales!
Wow. That's an amazingly ignorant thing to say.
"Digital Rights Management" is a euphemistic name contrived by the media industries. Any labelling requirements sould not buy into this trap.
"WARNING: RESTRICTED USE" as a compulsory warning is much clearer.
Or even better might be a counter-offensive "DIGITALLY RESTRICTED MEDIA" * to help people see through **AA propaganda.
* yes I know "MEDIUM" is the singular of media but do consumers?
No, your children are not the special ones. Nor are your pets.
It prevents unjustified duplication.
Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
I'd give it an infinite amount of time, not because of any foot dragging but because of the inherant limitations of wireless networking, including quality and number of simultaneous users.
Basically you have that now with XM radio, just not on-demand. But no on demand service will ever have the kind of eccletic collection that most people really into music would gather.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley