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Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Tue, Nov 1st 2005 10:50am





Hollywood One Step Closer To Demanding DRM Helmets

from the did-you-not-pay-for-that? dept

Despite being beaten down repeatedly when they've tried to introduce the "broadcast flag" system, the movie industry keeps coming back for more. Their latest effort goes beyond just the broadcast flag to try to plug the "analog hole." The problem with any copy protection scheme is that, at some point, in some way, they have to unencrypt the content and let it be viewed or heard. Otherwise what good is it? At that point, of course, it's always able to be recorded in some manner. That's the analog hole. Even though those recordings are almost always of lower quality, Hollywood still views it as a huge problem. That's why they're pushing for new legislation that would force every piece of consumer electronics to make use of two different systems to try to plug the analog hole -- preventing all sorts of actions normally considered fair use. Again, this seems to only be punishing people who aren't trying to do anything wrong. The real counterfeiters will obviously find a way around it -- so this will just limit people who just want to do something completely innocent. Of course, at the same time, it will make all of our consumer electronics and computers more expensive and more difficult to use, while making the MPAA's own content less valuable. It's a basic lose-lose proposition for everyone -- and yet the MPAA is going to insist it's "necessary" because they aren't creative enough to change their business model in the face of a changing market. Suddenly, it's looking like the idea of the DRM helmet that carefully monitors what you see to make sure you are either blocked from viewing or charged for any copyrighted content you see isn't quite so far fetched.

14 Comments | Leave a Comment..


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  1.  

    STUPID, thats what it is...

    identicon
    Ben McNelly, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 11:25am

    This is sooo frustrating! I used to work for a company that couldent imort video for use on web and in poewrpoint, from VHS's that it had made profesionaly. They OWNED the material, but had to go through alot of hassle just to get the source video back into an electronic form...

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    It's only a matter of time...

    identicon
    Craig, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 11:55am

    Headlines from the Future: MPAA Sues Man Over His Memories

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    No Subject Given

    identicon
    Keegan Orange, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 11:55am

    isn't that just another way to enforce sensorship?

    If you can be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you can be told what to say or think.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    got summary?

    identicon
    John Dowdell, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 2:43pm

    Hi Mike, do you know of any summaries of the PDF other than that at EFF? (I read through their piece once and it seemed more op/ed than summary, enough so that I felt uncomfortable trusting them without corroboration.)

    If it does come to Hardware Prohibition, then I bet there will be a lot of people making Bathtub PVRs.... ;-)

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Re: No Subject Given

    identicon
    cycle003, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 2:54pm


    "...Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away"

    -Megadeth
    The Punishment Due
    Rust In Peace

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    BS

    identicon
    barry goodknight, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 4:45pm

    they can never stop the reproduction of dvd's and cd's its like the "war on drugs", its an F'ing joke. get over it already lol

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  

    Stealing my thoughts...

    identicon
    Daniel Barbalace, Nov 2nd, 2005 @ 8:42am

    > "...Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away"< br>
    --> No, they will just tax them and monitor them for inappropriate content.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  

    Re: BS

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 2nd, 2005 @ 8:44am

    It's not a joke when they throw you in jail for it. Can they stop it? No. Can they imprision you for decades when they catch you? Yes. Can they catch everyone? No. Can they catch you? Yes. And that's all that matters.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  

    No Subject Given

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 2nd, 2005 @ 9:02am

    Forget the "DRM Helmet" -- what these jerks really want is technology to wipe your memory immediately after you partake of a copyrighted song, film, or other IP. They might possibly let you keep the memory of having seen it (though that could interfere with repeat business), but it's unlikely they'd want you to retain any critical thoughts about it. So, anyone, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless DRM?"

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  

    Re: No Subject Given

    identicon
    Craig, Nov 2nd, 2005 @ 9:23am

    I'm not so sure they'd want you to forget *everything* about it, since that would greatly reduce the word-of-mouth marketing that feeds a great deal of demand for popular media. They'd end up having to convince you all over again to pony up for that song/movie/whatever, and that'd be costly.

    What's more likely is that they'd charge for each "experiencing" of the media -- each watching of a movie or hearing of a song would ring up a micropayment. And we thought action stars going into politics was bad.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  

    Next step for RIAA...

    identicon
    Brian Hageman, Nov 4th, 2005 @ 11:41am

    I'm waiting for the RIAA to push for legislation making speakers and headphones illegal to possess because "...speakers and headphones are as much a factor in the crime of piracy as a handgun is in a liquor store robbery..."

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  12.  

    Re: Stealing my thoughts...

    identicon
    cycle003, Nov 15th, 2005 @ 10:49am

    > "...Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away" >No, they will just tax them and monitor them for inappropriate content.

    touché

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  13.  

    Impact on consumer home movies

    identicon
    Home movie buff, Mar 17th, 2006 @ 2:40pm

    One consequence of these efforts to block any recording device when it detects a watermark is that home movies will now become much harder to film.

    At Home: First you will have to turn off every TV and radio in the house in case a watermark comes across while you are filming your kids.

    At the mall, ballgame, ...: Forget it, there's music playing everywhere, your camcorder will shut off before you can say Hello Mom.

    Someone should point that out!

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  14.  
    identicon
    |333173|3|_||3, Nov 28th, 2006 @ 7:26pm

    how long will it be until someone getsa broken HDMI - comliant monitor and buildis it into a broken camcorder, it might be difficult, but then a whole load of movies will be copied.
    big counterfiters will just make bit-for-bit copies, just like they do now.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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