Microsoft and the xxAA members are special cases. They've caused so much grief that people (particularly Slashdotters) are willing to accept actions directed towards them which they wouldn't accept in the general case.
No, freedom of speech means that you are free to speak. You can say anything that you want to say. No one is allowed to keep you from saying it. Note that you do not have a right to speak, only the freedom to do so. And you are not free of the consequences of your speech.
Right. So tommorrow, George Bush signs an executive order authorizing summary execution for anyone criticizing the president. They don't stop anyone from criticizing the president, they just shoot anyone after they do; after all, they aren't free of the consequences of their speech.
No, freedom of speech includes freedom from prior restraint on speech, but it also must include freedom from legal consequences for speech. Otherwise it's not all that meaningful.
If you get your hands on a separate ROM or flash chip, you can read every word out of it. This only changes when the ROM is in the microcontroller package itself. Then they often do things to keep you from reading it out. But security fuses and the like can often be bypassed as well, and if the secret is of the break-once, broken everywhere variety, someone will do it.
Don't play cards with a man named Doc Don't eat at a place called Mom's Never make a wager with a Sicilian when death is on the line Never pull on Superman's cape Don't spit in the wind Don't pull the mask off the old lone ranger Don't mess with Jim (unless you're Slim) Mess not with the mouse
AND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, DON'T GET IN A PATENT WAR WITH IBM.
RTFA. He was arrested and _convicted_ for "interfering with a church", a law which likely violates the Establishment clause on its face and freedom of speech as applied. THEN he ran, seeing that there ain't no justice and believing his life would be in danger in prison.
MythTV 0.20 works fine on my multi-person household TV. I admit it took serious effort to get up and running reliably (including kernel and driver hacking), but now that it's running it's great. Including commercial skip, which actually worked from the time I got the baseline running.
From your questions in a later post:
Do the button mappings actually respect the printed labels on the remote?
Yes, on the Harmony 680 I programmed. I use an iMon Pad receiver, and the buttons on the original iMon Pad remote match except that there's no dedicated Commercial Skip buttons on it.
Can your girlfriend/partner reprogram them without editing text files?
Err, no, but she can't do that with any remote I have. Why would she? As long as fast forward, rewind, play, stop, and the menu keys work, she's happy.
Can she change the background image without leaving the program?
I think you can change the theme (which includes the background image) without leaving the program, but again, this isn't a problem. She still has the default background on her computer too. She never goes into the MythTV setup menus.
How does conflict resolution work?
There's a priority system; each channel, tuner, and show has a priority modifier, and these are added. There's also a few clever tricks like if it knows a show has a later showing, it will delay recording it to resolve otherwise irresolvable conflicts. Mostly it just works, but since I have two tuners it doesn't get a lot of stress.
The stated reason for getting rid of previews is that the laws against someone sneaking a camcorder into the theatre and making a copy that way are insufficient in Canada. Bribing a theatre employee for access to the print to make a high-quality transfer is a whole different thing, and works as well in either the US or Canada.
I have a feeling that banning previews for _Oceans 13_ will only help its draw, by reducing negative word of mouth. Same for _Potter_; the fifth book was by far the least enjoyable.
I do have a few questions which might lead to concern for a studio exec.
1) Just how much equipment, in dollars, does it take to transfer a movie to DVD or an HD format?
2) Is this equipment easily transportable?
3) How long does the transfer take?
4) How much would it take to bribe a projectionist or theatre manager to allow someone in the theatre, with the equipment, for long enough to do the transfer?
It's not innovative at all. It's been done before. Look up ""DebugStr" (a Mac function circa 1984 -- there's also one called "Debugger"). And Apple's programmers didn't invent it either; it almost certainly goes back to mainframe days.
the problem there is that you need to compensate artists for their work.
How about for every movie, the government grants the studios what they gave Stan Lee for Spiderman 1?
(That is, "Sorry, this movie didn't make a profit, no royalty for you")
It has nothing to do with stock options or Greenpeace. Writing to the Steve Jobs email address (which of course does not go directly to Jobs) has long been a way of getting a bit of positive attention from Apple when their lower level organization has screwed the pooch. I've never used it myself (worst I had to do is use a firm tone with an Apple Store idio..err, genius) but a few people on Broadbandreports.com have.
I'm sure having the address slashdotted will mean it is less useful; they'll probably stop paying attention to it for a while. Hopefully after this story blows over and volumes recede, it will continue to be a useful resource.
The difference between a Sharpie and the number is that DMCA 1201 forbids providing a "product, service, device, component, or part thereof" that
"is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure", or
"has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to circumvent a technological measure" or
or "is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in circumventing a technological measure "
(I've elided some excess verbiage)
A Sharpie obviously has a primary purpose other than marking out the data track in a copy protected audio disc. It obviously has significant commerical use besides marking out the data track in a copy protected audio disc. And they're normally sold as markers, not circumvention devices. If you provided someone a Sharpie while touting its value in circumventing audio disc copy protection, you'd be in violation, but otherwise the Sharpie is safe.
This number, on the other hand, has a primary purpose of being used in bypassing HD-DVD protection. And it has no other significant commercial use. So, if it can be considered to be a "product, service, device, component, or part thereof", then providing it falls under the prohibition of DMCA 1201(a)(2) (which covers access to a copyrighted work). I think MPAA et al would probably argue it falls under DMCA 1201(b)(1) (which covers "a right of the copyright owner") as well; they'd claim their scheme was both access protection and copy protection.
If Slashdot gets a DMCA section 512 notice, they can probably safely trash it. The number isn't copyrightable; it's not a creative work. More likely they'll get a C&D accusing them of violating DMCA 1201 (17 USC 1201(a)(2) and 17 USC 1201(b)(1) ). Then it's the 2600 case all over again -- and DVDCCA won that one.
The Declaration of Independence isn't a legal document. Besides, if offending you makes me happy, prohibiting offense interferes with my pursuit of happiness.
Take dress code: Say you remove all laws relating to exposure and decency regarding clothing. People can wear (or not wear) whatever they want, anywhere they want. You would have everything ranging from full public nudity to highly offensive clothing. (Say, racist slogans or something) Many people would not be comfortable in such an environment, even threatened. Is their right to live in an non-offensive/threatening environment less valid than your right to wear what you want?
Yes. You have no right not to be offended. Nor any right to use being the kind of person who easily feels threatened when no threat is offered to punish others.
It was Turner Broadcasting CEO Jamie Kellner, not Valenti, who made comments about bathroom breaks. But he said "there's a certain amount of tolerance for going to the bathroom", not that bathroom breaks were or should be illegal.
Give the devil his due; Valenti isn't responsible for all the evil in the world. Not even all the evil Hilary Rosen (& successors) aren't responsible for.
Further more, EU is on the way to make illegal copying into actual full-fledged theft, by law. With all extras. Let's see how will you be able to argue on a technicality then.
Abe Lincoln once posed the question "How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg?". The answer is "Four; calling a tail a leg doesn't make it so.".
Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft and the xxAA members are special cases. They've caused so much grief that people (particularly Slashdotters) are willing to accept actions directed towards them which they wouldn't accept in the general case.
In other words, "They needed piratin'"
Right. So tommorrow, George Bush signs an executive order authorizing summary execution for anyone criticizing the president. They don't stop anyone from criticizing the president, they just shoot anyone after they do; after all, they aren't free of the consequences of their speech.
No, freedom of speech includes freedom from prior restraint on speech, but it also must include freedom from legal consequences for speech. Otherwise it's not all that meaningful.
If you get your hands on a separate ROM or flash chip, you can read every word out of it. This only changes when the ROM is in the microcontroller package itself. Then they often do things to keep you from reading it out. But security fuses and the like can often be bypassed as well, and if the secret is of the break-once, broken everywhere variety, someone will do it.
Can I sit around and snoop the bus until the authorized device authenticates, then take over?
There are professional shoplifting rings. I've never heard them going after DVDs, though.
Don't play cards with a man named Doc
Don't eat at a place called Mom's
Never make a wager with a Sicilian when death is on the line
Never pull on Superman's cape
Don't spit in the wind
Don't pull the mask off the old lone ranger
Don't mess with Jim (unless you're Slim)
Mess not with the mouse
AND FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, DON'T GET IN A PATENT WAR WITH IBM.
RTFA. He was arrested and _convicted_ for "interfering with a church", a law which likely violates the Establishment clause on its face and freedom of speech as applied. THEN he ran, seeing that there ain't no justice and believing his life would be in danger in prison.
Yes, on the Harmony 680 I programmed. I use an iMon Pad receiver, and the buttons on the original iMon Pad remote match except that there's no dedicated Commercial Skip buttons on it.
Err, no, but she can't do that with any remote I have. Why would she? As long as fast forward, rewind, play, stop, and the menu keys work, she's happy.
I think you can change the theme (which includes the background image) without leaving the program, but again, this isn't a problem. She still has the default background on her computer too. She never goes into the MythTV setup menus.
There's a priority system; each channel, tuner, and show has a priority modifier, and these are added. There's also a few clever tricks like if it knows a show has a later showing, it will delay recording it to resolve otherwise irresolvable conflicts. Mostly it just works, but since I have two tuners it doesn't get a lot of stress.
Yeah, like we've never heard THAT one before.
The stated reason for getting rid of previews is that the laws against someone sneaking a camcorder into the theatre and making a copy that way are insufficient in Canada. Bribing a theatre employee for access to the print to make a high-quality transfer is a whole different thing, and works as well in either the US or Canada.
I have a feeling that banning previews for _Oceans 13_ will only help its draw, by reducing negative word of mouth. Same for _Potter_; the fifth book was by far the least enjoyable.
I do have a few questions which might lead to concern for a studio exec.
1) Just how much equipment, in dollars, does it take to transfer a movie to DVD or an HD format?
2) Is this equipment easily transportable?
3) How long does the transfer take?
4) How much would it take to bribe a projectionist or theatre manager to allow someone in the theatre, with the equipment, for long enough to do the transfer?
Looks like they have to start using mine-clearing lawyers instead. No one gets attached to them.
Or perhaps we could simply paint a fancy suit on and add a briefcase to the robot, for similar effect.
It's not innovative at all. It's been done before. Look up ""DebugStr" (a Mac function circa 1984 -- there's also one called "Debugger"). And Apple's programmers didn't invent it either; it almost certainly goes back to mainframe days.
It has nothing to do with stock options or Greenpeace. Writing to the Steve Jobs email address (which of course does not go directly to Jobs) has long been a way of getting a bit of positive attention from Apple when their lower level organization has screwed the pooch. I've never used it myself (worst I had to do is use a firm tone with an Apple Store idio..err, genius) but a few people on Broadbandreports.com have.
I'm sure having the address slashdotted will mean it is less useful; they'll probably stop paying attention to it for a while. Hopefully after this story blows over and volumes recede, it will continue to be a useful resource.
The difference between a Sharpie and the number is that DMCA 1201 forbids providing a "product, service, device, component, or part thereof" that
"is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure", or
"has only limited commercially significant purpose or use other than to circumvent a technological measure" or
or
"is marketed by that person or another acting in concert with that person with that person's knowledge for use in circumventing a technological measure "
(I've elided some excess verbiage)
A Sharpie obviously has a primary purpose other than marking out the data track in a copy protected audio disc. It obviously has significant commerical use besides marking out the data track in a copy protected audio disc. And they're normally sold as markers, not circumvention devices. If you provided someone a Sharpie while touting its value in circumventing audio disc copy protection, you'd be in violation, but otherwise the Sharpie is safe.
This number, on the other hand, has a primary purpose of being used in bypassing HD-DVD protection. And it has no other significant commercial use. So, if it can be considered to be a "product, service, device, component, or part thereof", then providing it falls under the prohibition of DMCA 1201(a)(2) (which covers access to a copyrighted work). I think MPAA et al would probably argue it falls under DMCA 1201(b)(1) (which covers "a right of the copyright owner") as well; they'd claim their scheme was both access protection and copy protection.
If Slashdot gets a DMCA section 512 notice, they can probably safely trash it. The number isn't copyrightable; it's not a creative work. More likely they'll get a C&D accusing them of violating DMCA 1201 (17 USC 1201(a)(2) and 17 USC 1201(b)(1) ). Then it's the 2600 case all over again -- and DVDCCA won that one.
The Declaration of Independence isn't a legal document. Besides, if offending you makes me happy, prohibiting offense interferes with my pursuit of happiness.
I don't think they should feel threatened by bluster on a T-shirt. Offended, sure. But no one has a right not to be offended.
It was Turner Broadcasting CEO Jamie Kellner, not Valenti, who made comments about bathroom breaks. But he said "there's a certain amount of tolerance for going to the bathroom", not that bathroom breaks were or should be illegal.
Give the devil his due; Valenti isn't responsible for all the evil in the world. Not even all the evil Hilary Rosen (& successors) aren't responsible for.
Donne was wrong. Some people's _lives_ diminish us. For many, Valenti was one of them for much of his. His death diminishes us not at all.
DVDJon and every other developer, trafficker in, or even knowing user of DeCSS -- that is, a lot of people here. Not to mention pre-Universal Sony.
Abe Lincoln once posed the question "How many legs does a dog have, if you call a tail a leg?". The answer is "Four; calling a tail a leg doesn't make it so.".