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Western Digital Service Restricts Use of Network Drives

Posted by Zonk on from the drm-means-don't-read-disk dept.

sehlat writes "Via BoingBoing comes the news that Western Digital's My Book(TM) World Edition(TM) II, sold with promises of internet-accessible drive space, is now restricting the types of files the drive will serve up. 'Western Digital is disabling sharing of any avi, divx, mp3, mpeg, and many other files on its network connected devices; due to unverifiable media license authentication. Just wondering -- who needs a 1 Terabyte network-connected hard drive that is prohibited from serving most media files? Perhaps somebody with 220 million pages of .txt files they need to share?'" Update: 12/07 03:28 GMT by Z : To clarify, it actually seems as though this is a bad summary. The MioNET service that WD packages with the networked drives is responsible for the rights of users via the network. There are a few (obvious) ways to get around that.

6 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. This makes a lot of sense. by moogied · · Score: 5, Funny
    Western Digital understands the primary use of the drive to be media sharing. As such, they cripple that option in order to maximize drive life time and make sure its REAL primary use is back ups. I for one thank our Access-Restring Overlords..

    ^Satire.

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  2. Re:So rename your files and go on about your busin by TheLazySci-FiAuthor · · Score: 5, Funny

    You should check out some of my .txt files

    Metallica_Enter_Sandman.txt is a great "read"

    --
    Read my Very Short "Stories"
  3. Re:"The Ironside" by Ironsides · · Score: 5, Funny

    I object to that. I am not a cripple.

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  4. Re:More like... by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can't wait to hear about all the noobs out there complaining about their "crashed" computers because they tried to open a 700MB file in NotePad... : p

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    This guy's the limit!
  5. Ah, Time for the Tinfoil Hats? by tjstork · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think its because advanced aliens are against file sharing. If we don't have good copyrights, then the planet will be vaporized, as advanced civilizations basically sell travel books to each other. Piracy threatens the Galactic economy. You do know that the original Cylon - Human dispute was over DRM?

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  6. Re:A Sign of Things to Come and How to Fight. by mrv20 · · Score: 5, Funny

    LOL. Now you'll never know whether it was your point or the "Microsoft eats babies" remark that got you your insightful mod.

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