This is why eBooks coupled with insane legislation like the DMCA are such a threat. Once a digital book is comfortably readable, the textbook industry will move to eBooks, keeping the students, who are required to purchase them, from exercising the rights we have become used to.
The concept of no longer owning the book, is introduced. For a price, you get access to the text for a period of time. Still want access to it after a year? Gotta pay.
Such concepts as selling the book back to the bookstore when you're finished with the class, or selling it to another student, will become things of the past.
Sure this is a great device, but with the textbook industry drooling over the students as a captive audience, the ramifications of such a device are worth considering.
Since our friendly neighborhood Heaven's Gate folk obviously got the wrong comet, it comes as a comfort the masses will have an easier time detecting these marvellous rocks.
I think the first order of business, the only way such an oath would have any effect on day to day business, would have to be the formation of a union. Without the power of the group, such an oath would only carry the power of the individual
"I took an oath to do no harm through code!"
"How fascinating... you're fired!"
But what am I thinking... don't the MBAs take a similar oath?
go over like an uranium balloon. Unlike circumventing the viewing restrictions on DVDs, the concept of "not having to watch commercials" isn't going to take a great deal of explanation to the general public.
When the MPAA says anyone attempting to break the encryption on DVDs is a pirate, it can be difficult to explain to the laymen how innacurate such a statement is. One could go into depth about fair use rights, the definition of "pirate", as well as region coding... and on and on. However, noone is going to need any kind of geek to layman translation of this bull.
All of a sudden I'm entering into a contract when I hit the power button on my appliance which converts electromagnetic waves into pictures and sound!? Um, I don't think so. Nope, no matter how much the dictatorial corporations try to push this concept on the public, ain't noone gonna buy it.
Using a 16x9 foot screen, and IBM's 200ppi technology, at 24bpp and 30frams/sec, the video would take up aproximately 4e14 bytes. Oh, and I forgot the audio... of course that's uncompressed, but as much as I appreciate the quality of DVDs, I still loathe the compression artifacts.
Is the false positives such a system would give. A false identification would put you in the position of being guilty until proven innocent. But worst of all, such a false positive could give law inforcement the right to search your house... computer... etc. What then if they find a copy of DeCSS, or coppies of copyrighted works for which you don't seem to have the originals or receipts?
"No he wasn't the guy the system said he was, but as luck would have it he's a cyberterrorist! Lucky we caught him!"
A system like this is begging to be used as a way of getting around probable cause and illegal search and seizure.
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The concept of no longer owning the book, is introduced. For a price, you get access to the text for a period of time. Still want access to it after a year? Gotta pay.
Such concepts as selling the book back to the bookstore when you're finished with the class, or selling it to another student, will become things of the past.
Sure this is a great device, but with the textbook industry drooling over the students as a captive audience, the ramifications of such a device are worth considering.
Since our friendly neighborhood Heaven's Gate folk obviously got the wrong comet, it comes as a comfort the masses will have an easier time detecting these marvellous rocks.
"I took an oath to do no harm through code!"
"How fascinating... you're fired!"
But what am I thinking... don't the MBAs take a similar oath?
When the MPAA says anyone attempting to break the encryption on DVDs is a pirate, it can be difficult to explain to the laymen how innacurate such a statement is. One could go into depth about fair use rights, the definition of "pirate", as well as region coding... and on and on. However, noone is going to need any kind of geek to layman translation of this bull.
All of a sudden I'm entering into a contract when I hit the power button on my appliance which converts electromagnetic waves into pictures and sound!? Um, I don't think so. Nope, no matter how much the dictatorial corporations try to push this concept on the public, ain't noone gonna buy it.
Using a 16x9 foot screen, and IBM's 200ppi technology, at 24bpp and 30frams/sec, the video would take up aproximately 4e14 bytes. Oh, and I forgot the audio... of course that's uncompressed, but as much as I appreciate the quality of DVDs, I still loathe the compression artifacts.
But these things have to communicate with the outside, but what about the FCC? I'm sure they'll want a say...
I wonder if UNISYS is going to be replacing the QNX boxes they've given us for our NOAA weather ingest?
Is the false positives such a system would give. A false identification would put you in the position of being guilty until proven innocent. But worst of all, such a false positive could give law inforcement the right to search your house... computer... etc. What then if they find a copy of DeCSS, or coppies of copyrighted works for which you don't seem to have the originals or receipts?
"No he wasn't the guy the system said he was, but as luck would have it he's a cyberterrorist! Lucky we caught him!"
A system like this is begging to be used as a way of getting around probable cause and illegal search and seizure.