DRM Helmets: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
from the a-modest-proposal dept
Gordon Mohr’s latest “modest proposal” written up for O’Reilly is an instant classic. He’s come up with the perfect solution to the entertainment industry’s problems. He’s proposing that everyone be force fitted with a DRM helmet that will automatically “fog up” if the wearer is looking at or listening to any type of content that he or she does not have a license to. It’s the best solution I’ve heard so far.
Comments on “DRM Helmets: An Idea Whose Time Has Come”
Yearning for Woody Guthrie
Who’s philosophy on DRM is summed as follows:
Pete Seeger, June 1967:
When Woody Guthrie was singing hillbilly songs on a little Los Angeles radio station in the late 1930s, he used to mail out a small mimeographed songbook to listeners who wanted the words to his songs, On the bottom of one page appeared the following: “This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don’t give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that’s all we wanted to do.” W.G.
Instant classic alright...
in a walled garden, no less… phht!
DRM Helmets
Wow to even put the words an idea whose time has come with such a concept could only have been done by a band of idiiots. The DRM helmet is such a ridiculously stupid idea I can not even rant about it. I realize most of the world is retarded but really, do we have to prove it so blatantly
Re: DRM Helmets
satire…?
you know, actually a drm type helmet situation would work if they integrated it into the movie theaters. i hate drm, but it’s not long before they figure out they can put a filter on it an make you wear some looser glasses or something to see it…. makes it a little bit harder to tape that movie bootleg..
Litigation America vs MPAA
When the DRM glasses in the movie theaters give me lice, I’ll sue the theater.
Litigation America vs MPAA. Maybe they will cancel each other out?
Actually, it would be possible for the MPAA to make it incredibly difficult to copy their content. Basically, it would involve cameras in everyone’s home. And high penalties, like jail time, chain gang, or death to violators. And only MPAA approved computers and audio video equipment will be allowed on the market, and all others will be contraband, with steep penalties for possession. Computers can only be owned with a license, and they have keyloggers that report directly to the MPAA/FBI, and also report keylogger tampering, which has steep penalties.
I guess even then it would be possible, but I bet it would substantially curb piracy and innovation and freedom and all the other stuff that the MPAA / RIAA fear.
The real solution
First, you need to create an official bank monopoly, which will be controlled by the RIAA, the MPAA, and similar lobbies.
All bank accounts must be on that bank, and all citizens must have an account on that bank.
Then, every month you have to prove, minute by minute, that you did not listen to any owned song, that you did not see any owned movie, that you did not read any owned lyric and were not told any owned story. For each minute of non-infringement you can prove, you can get up to $2 of your money back.
All the money you can’t get back is transferred, at the end of the month, to the RIAA & co’s own coffers.