Start saving. Now. Put 15-20% of every penny your earn in the bank (or IRA, or other investments). You'll be debt free and have enough to retire on by the time you're 45.
Sadly, I don't have a time machine, so I'm on the "work until I'm 65" route.
Ever since I started college, my grandmother never fails to cut out the dave barry column and send it to me
And if this were digital media, it would most likely be ILLEGAL under the DMCA or other such bassackwards legislation. If the newspaper had their way, this would fall under some DRM scheme. It's certainly where we're headed...
Nice country we live in, huh?
Sorry for the off-topic rant... but this is exactly the sort of "fair use" thing that's worth fighting to keep in the new world of Digital Restrictions Management.
Frankly this is the only application of the DMCA that I've seen to date that I think is reasonable. You've got people creating devices to decrypt copyrighted material that people could legitimately pay for and play in any manner they wanted to.
So by that logic, Jon Lech Johansen and Dmitri Sklyarov are criminals too, right?
I don't think so. If all these guys did was create the tools, then they're no more criminal than Jon and Dmitri were. Now if they were using those tools for copyright infringement, that's another story (and that's what they should be prosecuted under).
The problem with the DMCA is that there's already laws against copyright infringement. It's redundant and goes a step (or a mile as the case may be) beyond what is needed.
So pressplay subscribers haven't even topped the 50,000 mark, while Kazaa, the leading file-sharing service, has 60 million users.
That seems to imply that Pressplay subscriber numbers is at least in the tens of thousands. Quite frankly, I'm shocked that it's even that high given the restrictions they put on the use of the content.
The liner notes of Nirvana's first album Bleach says "Recorded in Seattle at Reciprocal Recording by Jack Endino for $600".
It's a great album. Captures everything they were about in their prime. It's not the best recording I've heard, but it's more than OK and I'm guessing the've made their $600 back.
But other forms of music require a bit more than a four track and a couple of cheap guitars. Into techno/electronic music? Expect to spend more $$$ getting that to sound right. Jazz can probably be done cheaply. Point and record is how the best sounding recordings are generally done.
IMO, any band that spends millions on recording is trying to get something that just isn't there. If you can't capture the essence of what your band is for far less money, then I suggest that the recording process is being used to hide the band's shortcomings.
... we'd be hearing about building owners calling for new laws outlawing the tools involved, i.e. files and blank keys. After all, their assets could be compromised by the use of these tools and therefore those tools should be banned! It should not matter that there are legitimate uses for these tools and everyone knows that anyone who owns and/or uses a metal file is a criminal and should be prosecuted!
What was a sci-fi fantasy/warning is quickly becoming a reality. In the future there will be one corporate entity indistinguishible from and intertwined with the government.
Before anyone goes crazy (yea, when has -that- ever happened here), please go read the article. Here's a useful quote...
Serebryany obtained the documents while working part-time at a law firm in California that performed legal work for DirecTV.
I'm -sure- they had to have had a non-disclosure agreement in place, especially working with a law firm. They guy broke the law and stole coroprate trade secrets. He should be arrested.
Now if he'd bought himself a DirecTV receiver and reverse-engineered the thing himself, and then got arrested, I'd scream "foul!". But come on... this is no Dmitry Skylarov case. This sounds like a case working the way the law should work.
DirecTV is usually cheaper than cable for comparable service levels, and is available with free installation. The boxes are often free to new subscribers as well. Unlike cable, DirecTV hasn't raised their rates multiple times a year (in my town, standard cable rates have nearly doubled in the past three years, DirecTV hasn't budged.)
As just a datapoint... my DirecTV bill went DOWN last year. When was the last time that happened to someone's cable bill?
Dude, my dish points straight through a stand of oak trees. You appear to be full of crap.
Dude, there's no one whos dish points through trees and still has it work. It just doesn't work that way.
More than likely, you're misjudging the angle and the dish is actually pointing OVER the trees. Remember, the dish is just a reflector that collects the signal and directs it to the LNB. Draw a line from the LNB (that thing at the end of the bar in front of the dish) to the dish, then reflect off the dish at the same angle... that's where the signal is coming from. It might LOOK like your dish is pointed right into the trees, but if you're getting a signal, I guarantee that its not. In all but the most northern parts of the US, the angle is at least 30 degrees.
I hate to get into a semantic arguement with you, but what exactly makes a PPV different than my regular programing other than the cost? I pay $60/month for 744 hours of access to a couple hundred channels. Or I can pay $3.95 for 2 hours of access to a single channel. Is not my monthly satellite bill simply a longer-term pay-per-view with more channels available?
By anyone's (except Hollywood's) definition, fair use rights allow me to record those signals for private use. Now Hollywood may not want me recording anything that comes out of my satellite receiver, but just because they want it to be illegal doesn't make it so.
Your arguement about burning a CD from the library is straw man.
While the agreement allows program providers to prevent any recording of pay-per-view or video-on-demand programs, users of hard-disk-based recorders like TiVo would be allowed to record and then watch such a program up to 90 minutes later.
So much for fair use. Unless they agree to allow people access to the signals for whatever purpose they want, then it's NOT consumer friendly.
With the signal that comes out of my DirecTV box (which, for the sake of argument, is no different than a cable box), I can...
- Record it on a TiVo-like device
- Record it on a VCR
- Split it and re-direct it to other parts of my house
- Send it via analog wireless a receiver elsewhere in the house
- Record it on a PC
If I can't do those things, all of which I do regularly (except for the VCR), then this is NOT a consumer friendly solution.
A digital connection is fine... as long as there's absolutely NO restrictions on what I can do with that data. There are already laws against me saving a copy and sharing it with the world over the internet. They really need to just leave it at that.
Between the dates mentioned (Jan. 1, 1995 to Dec. 22, 2000) I bought hundreds of CDs and LPs. "Up to $20 per claimant" does justice to someone who bought 5 or 10 CDs during that time... but completely screws those who bought a lot more.
I read the section on my legal rights which states...
If you do not wish to be a member of the Settlement Group, you may exclude yourself by writing to the Compact Disc MAP Antitrust Litigation Administrator as outlined in the Notice of Proposed Settlement . Your request must be postmarked no later than March 3, 2003. The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing to determine if the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate on May 22, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 2, United States Courthouse, 156 Federal Street, Portland, Maine 04101. If you remain a member of the Settlement Group, you or your counsel have the right to appear before the Court and object to the Settlement. However, you must file a Notice of Intention to Appear and Object as outlined in the Notice of Proposed Settlement. Objections must be filed by March 3, 2003.
I'd assume that I could opt out of the settlement group and then file a claim independently... but that sounds expensive and time consuming in order to (doubtfully) recover what would be, at most, a couple bucks per CD/LP (maybe $1K total if I calculated that way).
The other option, and maybe more preferable, would be to become a member of the settlement and then show up a the courthouse to object (Portland, ME is a couple hours away... could be an interesting/educational trip to be sure). Maybe if we could organize a small army of people from nearby with LARGE music collections to come and (hopefully) testify/object. What do you think folks? I'm game.
He didn't go to ebay because if you read the aricle, the chain of events went like this...
- Seller posted auction with "buy it now" option - Some bids were made, so "buy it now" went away. - Scammer/buyer contacted seller and offered to buy it for a fixed price. - Seller accepted (as a private transaction it would seem), thus screwing ebay and violating their rules.
I'm not at all surprised he didn't go to ebay with his tale of woe.
And it's an AWESOME sounding recording (the vinyl anyway). The man still has it and the album has some really great covers that you wouldn't think would work, but they really do... such as Nine In Nails' "Hurt" and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus".
Plus, the record was released way before the CD way... by at least a couple weeks if I recall correctly.
Slashdot Mirror
Amen to that! Usually the best races in any series on any track all year long.
-S
Start saving. Now. Put 15-20% of every penny your earn in the bank (or IRA, or other investments). You'll be debt free and have enough to retire on by the time you're 45.
Sadly, I don't have a time machine, so I'm on the "work until I'm 65" route.
-S
I'm stunned that bidding is up to $78 (and that the reserve isn't met yet). Is a low number really worth more than squat?
Sheesh... how much effort does it really take to get "excellent" Karma? It's friggin' easy.
Watch this....
I officially designate this message as the mod point dumping spot. Mod this up an prove just what fools the bidders are...
-S
And if this were digital media, it would most likely be ILLEGAL under the DMCA or other such bassackwards legislation. If the newspaper had their way, this would fall under some DRM scheme. It's certainly where we're headed...
Nice country we live in, huh?
Sorry for the off-topic rant... but this is exactly the sort of "fair use" thing that's worth fighting to keep in the new world of Digital Restrictions Management.
-S
So by that logic, Jon Lech Johansen and Dmitri Sklyarov are criminals too, right?
I don't think so. If all these guys did was create the tools, then they're no more criminal than Jon and Dmitri were. Now if they were using those tools for copyright infringement, that's another story (and that's what they should be prosecuted under).
The problem with the DMCA is that there's already laws against copyright infringement. It's redundant and goes a step (or a mile as the case may be) beyond what is needed.
-S
Oh yea... as if they're going to go through all of that trouble and deception and not collect and forward personal data.
Right.
-S
That seems to imply that Pressplay subscriber numbers is at least in the tens of thousands. Quite frankly, I'm shocked that it's even that high given the restrictions they put on the use of the content.
-S
Lawyers, Guns, and Money.
Not cheap.
-S
It's a great album. Captures everything they were about in their prime. It's not the best recording I've heard, but it's more than OK and I'm guessing the've made their $600 back.
But other forms of music require a bit more than a four track and a couple of cheap guitars. Into techno/electronic music? Expect to spend more $$$ getting that to sound right. Jazz can probably be done cheaply. Point and record is how the best sounding recordings are generally done.
IMO, any band that spends millions on recording is trying to get something that just isn't there. If you can't capture the essence of what your band is for far less money, then I suggest that the recording process is being used to hide the band's shortcomings.
-S
-S
1) Go to the AVS Forum's HTPC section
2) Start reading.
The people there have already come across every issue you will encounter. They're extremely helpful. It's an absolutely invaluable resource.
Once you get your HDTV setup working, be sure to visit their HDTV section, especially the HDTV Programming section.
-S
What was a sci-fi fantasy/warning is quickly becoming a reality. In the future there will be one corporate entity indistinguishible from and intertwined with the government.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
-S
Depends on the value of the property involved, I think.
I'm not at all surprised this is a criminal matter.
-S
Serebryany obtained the documents while working part-time at a law firm in California that performed legal work for DirecTV.
I'm -sure- they had to have had a non-disclosure agreement in place, especially working with a law firm. They guy broke the law and stole coroprate trade secrets. He should be arrested.
Now if he'd bought himself a DirecTV receiver and reverse-engineered the thing himself, and then got arrested, I'd scream "foul!". But come on... this is no Dmitry Skylarov case. This sounds like a case working the way the law should work.
-S
As just a datapoint... my DirecTV bill went DOWN last year. When was the last time that happened to someone's cable bill?
-S
Dude, there's no one whos dish points through trees and still has it work. It just doesn't work that way.
More than likely, you're misjudging the angle and the dish is actually pointing OVER the trees. Remember, the dish is just a reflector that collects the signal and directs it to the LNB. Draw a line from the LNB (that thing at the end of the bar in front of the dish) to the dish, then reflect off the dish at the same angle... that's where the signal is coming from. It might LOOK like your dish is pointed right into the trees, but if you're getting a signal, I guarantee that its not. In all but the most northern parts of the US, the angle is at least 30 degrees.
-S
I hate to get into a semantic arguement with you, but what exactly makes a PPV different than my regular programing other than the cost? I pay $60/month for 744 hours of access to a couple hundred channels. Or I can pay $3.95 for 2 hours of access to a single channel. Is not my monthly satellite bill simply a longer-term pay-per-view with more channels available?
By anyone's (except Hollywood's) definition, fair use rights allow me to record those signals for private use. Now Hollywood may not want me recording anything that comes out of my satellite receiver, but just because they want it to be illegal doesn't make it so.
Your arguement about burning a CD from the library is straw man.
-S
While the agreement allows program providers to prevent any recording of pay-per-view or video-on-demand programs, users of hard-disk-based recorders like TiVo would be allowed to record and then watch such a program up to 90 minutes later.
So much for fair use. Unless they agree to allow people access to the signals for whatever purpose they want, then it's NOT consumer friendly.
With the signal that comes out of my DirecTV box (which, for the sake of argument, is no different than a cable box), I can...
- Record it on a TiVo-like device
- Record it on a VCR
- Split it and re-direct it to other parts of my house
- Send it via analog wireless a receiver elsewhere in the house
- Record it on a PC
If I can't do those things, all of which I do regularly (except for the VCR), then this is NOT a consumer friendly solution.
A digital connection is fine... as long as there's absolutely NO restrictions on what I can do with that data. There are already laws against me saving a copy and sharing it with the world over the internet. They really need to just leave it at that.
-S
Damn-it! I'm usually pretty good at prouf reeding.
Pretty damn funny typo though, if I do say so myself.
-S
My iPaq is set to remind me to sign up.
-S
It is legit. This Google search shows that website linked directly from websites of 4 states' AG offices.
-S
Between the dates mentioned (Jan. 1, 1995 to Dec. 22, 2000) I bought hundreds of CDs and LPs. "Up to $20 per claimant" does justice to someone who bought 5 or 10 CDs during that time... but completely screws those who bought a lot more.
I read the section on my legal rights which states...
I'd assume that I could opt out of the settlement group and then file a claim independently... but that sounds expensive and time consuming in order to (doubtfully) recover what would be, at most, a couple bucks per CD/LP (maybe $1K total if I calculated that way).
The other option, and maybe more preferable, would be to become a member of the settlement and then show up a the courthouse to object (Portland, ME is a couple hours away... could be an interesting/educational trip to be sure). Maybe if we could organize a small army of people from nearby with LARGE music collections to come and (hopefully) testify/object. What do you think folks? I'm game.
-S
He didn't go to ebay because if you read the aricle, the chain of events went like this...
- Seller posted auction with "buy it now" option
- Some bids were made, so "buy it now" went away.
- Scammer/buyer contacted seller and offered to buy it for a fixed price.
- Seller accepted (as a private transaction it would seem), thus screwing ebay and violating their rules.
I'm not at all surprised he didn't go to ebay with his tale of woe.
-Steve
Yea, CD does an awesome job of recreating complex high frequency wave forms, huh?
-S
And it's an AWESOME sounding recording (the vinyl anyway). The man still has it and the album has some really great covers that you wouldn't think would work, but they really do... such as Nine In Nails' "Hurt" and Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus".
Plus, the record was released way before the CD way... by at least a couple weeks if I recall correctly.
-S