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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."

36 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. a match made in heaven . . . by cashman73 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    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?

    1. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by negRo_slim · · Score: 3, Insightful

      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?

      Meh. They're perfect bed fellows and we all know it. They both excel at exploiting an ignorant public.

      --
      On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
    2. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by spyder-implee · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I wonder why anyone would care? Why would anyone want to Pirate the Olympic broadcasts? Do you have to pay to watch the Olympics in China? Is this more a matter of making sure there is nothing broadcast which might undermine the Chinese government? Say for example an athlete making a speech about human rights after winning a gold medal.

      --
      Take what ye can. Give nothing back!
    3. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      If they are paid enough, I'm sure they'll causally ignore it.

      A fine example of standard corrupt business finest.

      Just think, now you can use Bittorrent to bypass two evil organizations at the same time!

    4. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by oldspewey · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why would anyone want to Pirate the Olympic broadcasts?

      Spite? Simply to piss off MediaSentry?

      --
      If libertarians are so opposed to effective government, why don't they all move to Somalia?
    5. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 4, Insightful

      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.

      --
      Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
    6. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by Random+BedHead+Ed · · Score: 5, Funny

      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?

      Meh. They're perfect bed fellows and we all know it. They both excel at exploiting an ignorant public.

      No kidding - I've no need of organizations that exploit an ignorant public like China and MediaSentry. I'm perfectly content with the US government and Apple.

    7. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by spyder-implee · · Score: 5, Informative

      Interesting, I assume your in America? Here (Australia) we pay nothing to watch the Olympics & there would be civil outrage if that ever happened.

      --
      Take what ye can. Give nothing back!
    8. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by SL+Baur · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Why would anyone want to Pirate the Olympic broadcasts?

      I'll name one. Compare TV coverage in the United States versus a truly free country like Japan. Exclusive broadcast rights truly sucks, big time.

      Are you allowed to change channels if you do not like the particular Olympic event being shown?

    9. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by SL+Baur · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Funny that you should bring up Adolph Hitler. This is a replay of the 1936 Olympics and I was in Beijing the week before the Olympic commmittee traveled there to choose it - there was an army of people out picking up garbage and what not. I guess they did not have vacuum cleaners large enough to clear out all the dirty[1], polluted air though.

      Indeed, Media Sentry + PRC is a match made in ... well somewhere I'd rather not go.

      [1] On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the least polluted air and 10 is max polluted, Los Angeles CA USA, where I lived for almost 2 decades ranked about a 5 when I moved away. Tokyo Japan ranked about a 7 when I lived there 2000-2003, and Beijing in 2001 ranked 10. I hope someone does not die in the marathon, but I won't be watching to find out.

    10. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by dnoyeb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The Olympics sucks. I wont even bother watching them. The coverage is fucking pathetic. If you are not interested in one of the top billing events, you can forget seeing the event at all. last time around I tried like hell to watch TaeKwonDo to no avail. I could only catch some of it in Canada since I live in Detroit. Otherwise, it was a waste.

      This time I would like to see some mountain biking. My hopes are not high.

      Pay per view Olymipcs. The thought is laughable.

    11. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by spyder-implee · · Score: 3, Funny

      People who don't know how to use the remote.

      --
      Take what ye can. Give nothing back!
    12. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by gnick · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Isn't this typical of most current governments?

      I'd love to disagree with you (you're the only foe I've managed to acquire on /. so I guess I just want to nurture the relationship =) ). But I can't - At least not entirely. Governments are a necessary evil - It makes good sense to organize a system of laws/enforcement, public services, national defense, etc. But, once established, it is a constant struggle to keep the government a public service entity instead of a mechanism for oppressing the public in favor of those that have the most influence over the "public representatives".

      Also, I believe that the system in America isn't entirely broken. We have a lot of uninformed people electing bad representatives, but our elections are at worst slightly rigged (too much, but better than many and we're working on it - Even a 1% majority would stifle crooked polling IMHO - Major problem, but the world has no system that's unscammable). The biggest exploitation here is people not bothering to research dodgy information they've been fed and acting on bad pretenses. And, this happens much more on the corporate level than the political level which gives the major corps power to lobby/endorse/bribe the government reps.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    13. Re:a match made in heaven . . . by houghi · · Score: 3, Funny

      I hope someone does not die in the marathon

      All that these marathon men are asking is: Is it safe?

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  2. BWAHAHAHA by DragonTHC · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is such a crock.

    China doesn't own the broadcast rights to the Olympics. The Olympic Committee does.

    I wonder what other compromises the Olympic Committee made in Red China?

    Besides, Media Sentry is a joke. They will soon be hacked out of existance.

    --
    They're using their grammar skills there.
    1. Re:BWAHAHAHA by Darkness404 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Exactly, rule number 1 of running something online. If you make hackers mad, they will hack. I believe that Scientology learned that

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  3. Re:Why still 'MediaSentry' by kcbanner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Obligatory blog plug: http://www.caseybanner.ca/
  4. If we're lucky ... by aeschenkarnos · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... the Chinese Government will blame these idiots for the (inevitable, unstoppable) YouTubing of the Olympics, and have them all beheaded.

    1. Re:If we're lucky ... by cashman73 · · Score: 4, Informative

      This is a perfect opportunity to point out that TVU Networks has a freely-available player, and loads of Chinese channels streaming across the internet at any given moment,... Good luck, MediaSentry guys! ;-)

  5. This is rich by Enderandrew · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
  6. Re:Tell me again by negRo_slim · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Some would say to help hasten and spread democratic ideals due to the large cultural exchange bound to happen with so many journalists and tourists in the country. Then again I'm sure PRC helped grease the wheels behind the scenes.

    --
    On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
  7. Re:Tell me again by aeschenkarnos · · Score: 5, Funny

    Indeed! We'd never have let Nazi Germany host the Olympics!

  8. Re:Why still 'MediaSentry' by Rhapsody+Scarlet · · Score: 5, Informative

    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, or the Security Systems and Standards Certification Act becoming the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act. 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.

  9. Re:Why still 'MediaSentry' by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    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? Just call them what they are and reference the fact that they are in fact that company that used to be called MediaSentry.

    Mea culpa. I refer to them as MediaSentry. I don't think a crook should just be able to change its name and clean up its reputation that way.

    --
    Ray Beckerman +5 Insightful
  10. Re:Who'd want to pirate the Olympics? by SanityInAnarchy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If I want to watch people running, I can go to my local park and do so for free.

    Out of curiosity, does this kind of fallacy have a name yet?

    Try this: Why would anyone pay for WoW? If I want to play a game, I can fire up GnuChess for free.

    Although, it would still be more interesting to watch what the athletes do in their time off...

    --
    Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
  11. Re:Why still 'MediaSentry' by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Ray Beckerman +5 Insightful
  12. Enough, already by AdamHaun · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is there a way to hide copyright/RIAA/MPAA/piracy stories? They don't seem to show up under any consistent category or author. I know I can just scroll past them, but then I'm still stuck reading the summary of every blow-by-blow account of the copyright wars. I know, the *AAs are evil, copyright terms are too long, yeah, I get it, I got it ten years ago, I don't need to hear it repeated ad nauseum.

    (Cue -1, Cares About Quality Of Slashdot mods)

    --
    Visit the
  13. sprit of freedom and openness my arse by Brain+Damaged+Bogan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    FTFA:
    "Aren't they supposed to be held in the spirit of freedom and openness?
    Not in China."
    yeah, blame china... The IOC doesn't have a track record for sending takedown notices / sueing to people displaying anything remotely Olympic branded:
    http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/ioc_sues_website_using_olympics_logos_552593
    http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-7217512_ITM
    the IOC are just as bad as the MAFIIA, but they've got a perfect scapegoat to trial DRM this time around because the West aren't big fans of china as it is, so the IOC spin doctors say "we didn't want drm" publicly, while privately supporting the concept. /rant

    --
    -- Sex is the antonym of pringles. Once you pop it's time to stop.
  14. Re:Why still 'MediaSentry' by Vectronic · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just call them what they are and reference the fact that they are in fact that company that used to be called MediaSentry.

    Oh, I get it, so you'd rather it was "SafeNet (Formerly Known As MediaSentry)"... What difference does it make? I'm sure a lot of people still refer to them as MediaSentry, either because they prefer to, or because they still think it's called that, internally and publicly, most likely because that is what it is still called.

    Besides, there's no Wiki for SafeNet yet, only a line: "SafeNet - Owner of the online investigative company MediaSentry."

    Considering I don;t really give a damn, and wont bother to invesitage further, I find it interesting that A: There's no Wiki, and B: On the MediaSentry wiki, it says they were hired for this, and C: http://www.mediasentry.com/ does not redirect to http://www.safenet-inc.com/ it only mentions that SafeNet now owns MediaSentry, but MediaSentry still exists as a company.

  15. The Olympics are pointless... by actionbastard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Sig this!
  16. Events for Hacker Olympics by Nymz · · Score: 5, Funny
    • Crack official websites, and alter front page.
    • Sneak cameras into events, and post cam torrents.
    • Crack DRM on region-limited video of events.
    • Moderate this post as funny, as quick as you can.
  17. Victims don't have a choice. by right+handed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    M$, because life is too short to type icrosoft frequently.
    1. Re:Victims don't have a choice. by sm62704 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      These thugs punish innocent people.

      How do Chinese censorship laws differ from American drug laws? If the Chinese "thugs" punish innocent people, the American secret police (AKA "undercover agents" and "plainclothes police") and the masked thugs from the DEA also punish innocent people. I was one of their victimes last year; searched without warrant, made to stand in the July Illinois heat for an hour, and let go because there were in fact no drugs.

      Glass houses, folks. If you're American, rather than working to free the Chinese, how about working to free us Americans?

      --
      mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
  18. A merger in the future I think by richardkelleher · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Based on their compatible corporate moralities, I would expect SafeNet to merge with Blackwater any day now. Then RIAA could have ARMED criminal thugs with international immunity to carry out their agenda. I suspect they would like that.

  19. New meme alert! by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 3, Funny

    MediaSentry and DRM: good enough for the Commies!

    --
    Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  20. China see, China do? by janrinok · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    --
    Have a look at soylentnews.org for a different view