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DRM Circumvention Now Lawful For More Devices
BUL2294 writes: The U.S. Library of Congress' Copyright Office has published their newest rules regarding DRM circumvention. Much to the chagrin of car makers and agricultural vehicle manufacturers, DRM circumvention, with the exception of telmatics ("black box") and entertainment systems, and anything that would run afoul of DOT or EPA regulations, is now allowed for "diagnosis, repair or lawful modification of a vehicle function." In addition, jailbreaking is now extended to tablets, wearables, and smart TVs, but not to single-purpose devices like e-readers. An exemption has been carved out for security researchers to hack cars, voting machines, and medical devices — as long as that device is not being used for its purpose and is in an isolated environment. Finally, owners of abandoned video games that require server authentication (where such authentication is no longer available) may also circumvent DRM. DRM circumvention is NOT allowed for jailbreaking gaming systems and e-readers, and does not allow for "format-shifting" (e.g. moving e-books from one platform to another).
The full text of the new rules is available online (PDF), and will be published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2015.
The full text of the new rules is available online (PDF), and will be published in the Federal Register on October 28, 2015.
If I can circumvent it, I will. I paid for it and it's mine. If you think you can stop me with your silly laws then you can go suck on a tailpipe.
TL;DR: Fuck you.
If you think you can stop me with your silly laws then you can go suck on a tailpipe.
I hear VW is hiring software engineers for their diesel engine control units... You should apply....
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
We're all going to keep on doing whatever we want, this is just preventing anyone from making a legal business out of it. Of course, there are plenty of illegal businesses doing it, and a lot of private parties offering the how-to's for free under condition of anonymity. Hell even the government wants permission to un "DRM" our devices so it can spy!
For some reason this is "big government" that nobody wants to reduce, it's "big business politics" that the other side doesn't want to eliminate. Money being spent for illusions and pretense. Go team USA.
Yeah and what constitutes "dead"?
What if a game manufacturer keeps authentication servers up (because the authentication system is part of a larger auth system) but the actual game servers are down?
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
As much as I hate the DMCA and DRM in general, I have to concede that at least some of what the Copyright office has proposed here are reasonable exemptions to DRM. Game authentication, unlocking tablets, etc. Kudos to them for that. I do understand it is a small victory, however, and easily reversible. But still, at least they are putting some thought into it and not just giving all DRM producers carte blanche.
Rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds.There upon the rainbow is the answer to a neverending story
Nevermind, here is an excerpt:
Proposed Class 23: Abandoned Software – Video Games Requiring Server
Communication
Many modern video games—which may be played on a personal computer or a
dedicated gaming console—require a network connection to a remote server operated by
the game’s developer to enable core functionalities. Before some games can be played at
all, including in single-player mode, the game must connect to an “authentication server”
to verify that the game is a legitimate copy. Other games require a connection to a
“matchmaking server” to enable users to play the game with other people over the
internet in multiplayer mode. In the case of a game that relies on an authentication server,
the game may be rendered entirely unplayable if the server connection is lost. When a
matchmaking server is taken offline, the game may still be playable, though with online
multiplayer play disabled.
...
The Copyright Office set forth the following proposed exemption in the NPRM:
Proposed Class 23:
This proposed class would allow circumvention of
TPMs on lawfully acquired video games consisting of communication
with a developer-operated server for the purpose of either authentication
or to enable multiplayer matchmaking, where developer support for those
server communications has ended. This exception would not apply to
video games whose audiovisual content is primarily stored on the
developer’s server, such as massive multiplayer online role-playing games.
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
Alton Brown once said there's only one single-purpose tool in the kitchen—the fire extinguisher. There are NO single-purpose devices in the hands of makers (yeah, I'd still say "hackers"). E-readers have been converted for all sorts of other uses. That's a rather absurd exception to the exception. For that matter, XBMC started as a re-purpose of the XBox, did it not?
Basically it applies to games where the "developer" part consists of an authentication server (to verify you have a legitimate copy of the game) and/or a matchmaking server (to find opponents), and other than that, no content is required of the server. The exemption is that if the developer stops providing either, you're allowed to hack the game to use your own.
This only applies to games where the developer involvement is limited to authentication and/or matchmaking. If the server part includes content (e.g., MMOs), then it does not apply
So a game that's pretty much self-contained is OK, but not one that requires external content.
To take a real life example - Microsoft killed multiplayer on Halo 2 for the original Xbox and Windows years ago. Under this exemption, it is legal to hack the game (but not the xbox!) to use your own server for authentication and matchmaking. But only for those versions, since the Xbone version is still operational..
TPP will take away.
I wonder what MMO they are referencing there that has audiovisual content primarily stored on the game servers. Every MMO I've ever played has kept all of that on your computer and the game server just tells your computer where your character is on the map. All of the 3d models, textures, sounds, and maps are stored on your computer. All the rendering is done on your computer, the only things the game server typically provides is coordinate data for characters and mobs, spews out numbers from the random number generator, and signals events for scripted things, and of course tracks all the stats for your character.
If somebody wants to spend their money putting what may ultimately only be superficial systems in place that make them feel more secure, why should they be prohibited from doing so?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
I played one called "A Tale in the Desert" that stored a lot on the server. Players could custom-build houses, build sculptures, etc, so the base map (stored on the players' computers) just had the terrain. Second Life stores everything on the company's servers and streams it to players as they move through the game world.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
"In addition, jailbreaking is now extended to tablets, wearables, and smart TVs, but not to single-purpose devices like e-readers."
Given that my Kindle Paperwhite has a web browser built-in, by what measure is it a single-purpose device?
I knew I needed to stop reading Slashdot and finish my PhD when I started to miss articles by Bennett Haselton.
There are lots of WoW private servers. The only problem with them, from a player's point of view, is that you're running Blizzard's shitty old binaries when you connect to them. This new law could make it more legal for people to dig into the old WoW binaries (it would probably mainly be patchlevels 1.12.1 and 3.3.5a) and plug holes and vulnerabilities. Releasing a new security patchlevel cap for 1.12.1 and 3.3.5a would make it less dangerous to connect to a private server, and this law should make said reverse engineering legal.
The beauty of buying games at GoG instead of Steam is that you download the installers from them. Archive away all the installers and you're good for the rest of your life (and beyond).