MediaSentry Hired By People's Republic of China

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "MediaSentry, now called 'SafeNet,' the RIAA's illegal, unlicensed investigator of choice, has been hired by the People's Republic of China to provide DRM for the Olympics coverage. The PRC says it 'owns exclusive rights to the broadcast of all audio and video content via online and mobile distribution channels across Mainland China' and wants to protect it from 'piracy.' I wonder if the Chinese government is aware of MediaSentry's track record — i.e. all the good things it has accomplished so far for the Big 4 record companies."

Comments

a match made in heaven . . .

[cashman73]

I wonder if the Chinese government is aware of MediaSentry's track record

I wonder if MediaSentry is aware of the Chinese government's track record?

Re:a match made in heaven . . .

[SanityInAnarchy]

Do you have to pay to watch the Olympics in China?

I don't know. Didn't we have to pay to watch them here?

Not as in "pay-per-view", but as in "over broadcast TV"?

Even if we're talking about actually-free channels (do any still exist?), there's still the matter of ad revenue. If people just put clips up on YouTube, that means Google gets the revenue, instead of the Chinese Government.

Re:Why still 'MediaSentry'

[kcbanner]

Because changing your name shouldn't rid you of all the shit you threw at various fans. Changing your name after you know you fucked up is kinda a dick move, so they deserve this sort of treatment.

This is rich

[Enderandrew]

China is arguable the largest pirate nation on the planet, who has next to zero respect for intellectual property of other nations.

Now that their money is at stake here, they want to protect their content.

Funny, that.

Re:Why still 'MediaSentry'

[NewYorkCountryLawyer]

Everytime I see this company mentioned on Slashdot, they're still referred to as 'MediaSentry (now SafeNet)'. Why? Is it because the MediaSentry name is still so evocative?

It's because the name change is just a cynical attempt to try and get rid of a name that has 'negative connotations' attached to it, like Palladium becoming the Next-Generation Secure Computing Base [wikipedia.org], or the Security Systems and Standards Certification Act becoming the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act [wikipedia.org]. The new name is just designed to confuse people, so we list it alongside the old name to emphasize to everyone that nothing has changed, SafeNet is MediaSentry.

Well spoken. I'm not as eloquent. So I just say that a crook shouldn't be able to clean up his reputation by changing his name.

The Olympics are pointless...

[actionbastard]

In this day and age, competitions like this serve no purpose except to exploit the participants in these 'games'. Many, if not most, of those participating are hoping that they excel -just enough- to 'win the gold' so that they may secure lucrative product endorsement contracts with multi-national firms. Rarely, if ever, do any of these participants return for another try at Olympic glory after they have achieved -or failed to achieve- the brief stardom of the podium.

If they do return and win, they may land contracts for a breakfast cereal or two of note and they may appear on the box for a year or two until they have been largely forgotten by the public. Then they go on to write an 'inspirational' book about their 'struggle against all odds' to achieve Olympic stardom. Finally, as their notoriety reaches its nadir, they sign on to do a reality-based television show on the E! channel that exploits their pathetic downward spiral and their life on the lecture circuit 'inspiring' people.

Victims don't have a choice.

[right handed]

No kidding - I've no need of organizations that exploit an ignorant public

I think you misspelled oppress above. People do not chose to live in China, inadequate state education, or to be the targets of RIAA attacks. Please do not insult people stripped of their homes and political prisoners with such trivializations. These thugs punish innocent people.

China see, China do?

[janrinok]

Are you suggesting that Twitter has no right to comment on the actions of the PRC or MediaSentry? If you are, then you are following in the footsteps of the PRC and their wish to control information and suppress free speech.

I agree that Twitter is being stupid when he engages in one of his "single-person, numerous-monikas" conversations, but if he wishes to join in an intelligent conversation that he has as much right as you or I to do so.

On the other hand, if you were just informing the GP that Twitter uses a specific monika then I am confused with that fact's relevance to the topic under discussion.