To those who don't mind DRM and are addicted to the entertainment industry
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"The hilariously named 'Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property' has finally released its report, an 84-page tome that's pretty bonkers. But there's a bit that stands out as particularly crazy: a proposal to legalize the use of malware in order to punish people believed to be copying illegally. The report proposes that software would be loaded on computers that would somehow figure out if you were a pirate, and if you were, it would lock your computer up and take all your files hostage until you call the police and confess your crime. This is the mechanism that crooks use when they deploy ransomware."
After reading a fair bit of this 'report' is seems to be a neat combo of 'pie in the sky' theories on how much IP 'theft' costs, some crazy ideas on how to reduce IP theft, a lot of 'f-you china'. Plus some extras for those with some strong political beliefs (eg, return to protectionism, anti-UN sentiment).
The BBC reports that this Commission is a "non-partisan private commission" and the report is published by
a "National Bureau of Asian Research" on behalf of the Commission. According to Wikipedia, this National Bureau
is actually a nonprofit whose mission is to strengthen Asia-Pacific policy. This might explain the 'f-you china'
aspects of the report and maybe also the protectionist and anti-UN sentiment. What is more curious is that the
commission does not seem to have been formed by Congress nor the current Administration but members comprise
Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. (former Ambassador to China, Governor of the state of Utah and republican primary hopeful)
Michael K. Young (former Deputy Under Secretary of State) and Slade Gorton (former U.S. Senator).
After reading a fair bit of this 'report' is seems to be a neat combo of 'pie in the sky' theories on how much IP 'theft' costs, some crazy ideas on how to reduce IP theft, a lot of 'f-you china'. Plus some extras for those with some strong political beliefs (eg, return to protectionism, anti-UN sentiment).
What I consider "theft" is giving a drunk-driving actress $14 Million Dollars to play Cat Woman, or $1 million dollars to show us her "14 year-old boy boobies" in Swordfish. Now that's theft.
I don't know why the MPAA, RIAA, makers of ebooks etc. haven't thought of this yet.
Turn over DRM to the IRS. They will simply deny you the right to use your computer or iplayer or tablet if they don't like you. Their you are illegally using something until you prove differently mentality should stop a lot of legally purchased MPAA product and DRM epubs from being used.. Reference Sony's root kits on optical media example of a few years ago. Then they can seize your puter, ipads, DVD's if you refuse to comply.
They will demand that you tell them about your toilet habits and your prayers before they will let you use a DVD again. You'll also have to report your DVD usage on form 2145.DVD-12 appended to your 1040 form, and you'll have to pay a DVD user fee and .epub fee quarterly.
And it can be all covered up for years, because no one there will have knowledge of it.
It is our future though unless H_TeXMeX_H has never bought or rented a film, gone to the movies or watched television that is paid for and/or has adverts.
It is our future though unless H_TeXMeX_H has never bought or rented a film, gone to the movies or watched television that is paid for and/or has adverts.
Yes, you sure can trust these companies with the nearly unlimited power you give them. They will use it to screw you over no matter if you did anything or not. They say suspected of being a pirate, and there are no details on how this is determined. There is no way in hell I would even install malware like this on my system.
As for me buying and renting, of course I have, but things are getting out of hand now, and I will boycott them from now (or a while ago) on. This is not unlike a digital inquisition.
Last edited by H_TeXMeX_H; 05-28-2013 at 02:35 AM.
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If you don't have, or have never had, things on your computer that you shouldn't have then you have nothing to worry about. Seriously if they took control of peoples PCs there would be an outcry of massive proportions. If there wasn't then the people involved are sheep ready to be led to a slaughter.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k3lt01
If you don't have, or have never had, things on your computer that you shouldn't have then you have nothing to worry about.
Do you still know the whereabouts of the original discs for every piece of music in your collection?
If you've owned and used a Windows PC do you have receipts for every piece of software on it?
Can you prove that every piece of media on your PC is being used as per the license agreements and produce those license agreements in a court of law?
Businesses have been fined thousands because they can't find the original install disc of a piece of software on an old PC stuck in the corner. If other media goes that way it's not a matter of having had anything you shouldn't have it's a matter of having 100% proof you have a license for everything you use.
Distribution: Debian Wheezy, Jessie, Sid/Experimental, playing with LFS.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 273
Do you still know the whereabouts of the original discs for every piece of music in your collection?
If you've owned and used a Windows PC do you have receipts for every piece of software on it?
Can you prove that every piece of media on your PC is being used as per the license agreements and produce those license agreements in a court of law?
Businesses have been fined thousands because they can't find the original install disc of a piece of software on an old PC stuck in the corner. If other media goes that way it's not a matter of having had anything you shouldn't have it's a matter of having 100% proof you have a license for everything you use.
No matter what I answer here someone will call BS.
Anyway this is about DRM not music CDs I purchased back in 1987 when I got my first CD player. Not only that as far as I am aware none of the big labels have DRM on CDs anymore anway because the cost outweighed the benefit and none of the small labels can afford it either.
As for my personal PCs I have none with Windows on them atm but I do have the original install discs from Acer that come with my old laptop and I still have the letter from my Macromedia with my name, address, and key on it for my copy of their product which I bought through my employer which is a government department. Needless to say it isn't installed on anything now anyway because web development technology has come along way since 2002 when I bought it.
Like I said, if you haven't got anything you shouldn't have you have nothing to worry about.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k3lt01
Like I said, if you haven't got anything you shouldn't have you have nothing to worry about.
I'm sorry but that just does not follow. You may be OK (I've no reason to doubt your word) but how does that mean that every innocent person is OK?
If the content-provider for the media somebody downloaded goes bust do you think they should have their computer shut down until they can provide receipts to the RIAA/MPAA? Do you think somebody should have their PC locked if they receive a file through email or a malicious website link? How about somebody who downloaded mp3s of their favourite artist who has now changed record label? How about the person torrenting Slackware that finds out it's not Slackware because their cable box gets hacked shut by the RIAA/MPAA and is held to ransom until they can prove they wanted Slackware? How about the person who inserted the Sony CD whose PC then locked up -- are they criminals?
In the US I know that you are innocent until proven guilty, or at least that's how it was or is supposed to be. Nobody can investigate or accuse you without some reasonable suspicion, or better yet proof.
This isn't about me or others being guilty and worrying because we will be caught. I guarantee you that I will never be caught even if I were guilty. This is about the entertainment industry mounting an offensive against all of its customers. What gives them the right to install anything on my computer without my permission, much less malware ! It is beyond imagination what they want, it is the very essence of madness and oppression.
This attitude that the media and politicians are putting out "If you are an honest man (nothing to hide), you have nothing to fear or worry." is pure BS. They want to monitor your every activity and even if they suspect you of anything, you are automatically guilty ... like the strikes rules they put out on piracy. You just have to be suspected not proven. I ask what these politicians have to hide ... I'll bet they have a whole lot to hide ... much more than I do. The only difference is that they have the power.
I don't see this leading anywhere, so I'm out of here.
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