Benscomputer.no-ip.org
As regular readers of this site are probably aware, I have diverted much of my focus towards the government
recently. However the sad fact is they are not the only organisations that are attempting to restrict our
rights. Indeed many other organisations are also trying to do so, some are evem trying to do so through lobbying
for
new laws. One prime example is the BPS, Britains answer to the RIAA and MPAA.
As some may have seen the MPAA are suing Load N' Go Video. Load N Go offer a service whereby you buy an iPod video (or similar) and they rip a DVD onto the iPod for you, they then send you the iPod and the original DVD, which is of course included in the price. The theory behind this is it saves you the hassle of doing so yourself, and is perfectly acceptable under fair use rights. However the MPAA are arguing that it is a circumvention of the CSS technology used to encrypt the DVD and so a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). To put it another way, what the MPAA want is for you to have to buy a second copy of the DVD in order to watch it on your iPod video.
This restriction of rights, and the bullying that goes with it is happening within many aspects of our life, whether it be through organisations lobbying, or well intentioned laws that are so vaguely/badly worded that they become more of a threat than a saviour. The world needs to stop for a few minutes and think about the rights that we have, impuning upon my rights is not likely to make me want to be one of your customers.
Whilst I personally believe in freedom of software and literature (This is why the site is licensed under creative commons) I accept that this is not what everyone believes in. However not believing in it does not make restricting the rights of honest, law-abiding folk acceptable.
The compensation that the RIAA are reported to be asking per-downloaded song is $750, now keep in mind that in reality their loss is $1 (you can after all buy most songs from iTunes for that, and Apple keeps a share of your dollar) they are asking for $749 of miney in compensation. If you download a single song illegally then you are a) not particularlly likely to get caught and b) highly unlikely to be a viable target for the RIAA/BPS most of the people taken to court for P2P sharing have thousands of tracks, which means the bills add up very quickly even if the plaintiffs aren't awarded legal costs.
I personally believe that these bullyboy tactics are by their very nature shortlived, every time they prosecute someone their antics become all the more public, and nobody likes a company that picks on the little people (Thats why MS sees such a drop in customers every time the BSA does a raid). It is time all this DRM hypocrisy ended, DRM only hurts the honest consumers, and people generally download via P2P because DRM deprives them of their fair use rights. I now far prefer to listen to Independant bands because I know their music is free of DRM. When I buy a CD I check for the telltale signs of DRM (i.e. If the Phillips CD Audio logo is there, there is no DRM) and if when I get home I find I am mistaken and it has DRM it goes back to the store, whether they like it or not.
One day DRM will cause major issues, in all likelihood it will be when a big vendor goes out business, there will be no-one to issue the licenses for the media that vendor has sold and the media will be useless. Maybe then people around the world will truly make their voices heard. Until that day comes I will continue to be wary of any Media purchases I make, and will continue to shun DRM in all forms.
Make your voices heard, and reclaim your rights, whether it be from a Government that is bleeding you dry, or media companies that would quite happily charge you every time you listen to a CD. Stop the corporate oppression today, send letters, emails, faxes until they realise that we the consumers have spoken, and as their main source of income they had better sit up and listen to us!
As some may have seen the MPAA are suing Load N' Go Video. Load N Go offer a service whereby you buy an iPod video (or similar) and they rip a DVD onto the iPod for you, they then send you the iPod and the original DVD, which is of course included in the price. The theory behind this is it saves you the hassle of doing so yourself, and is perfectly acceptable under fair use rights. However the MPAA are arguing that it is a circumvention of the CSS technology used to encrypt the DVD and so a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). To put it another way, what the MPAA want is for you to have to buy a second copy of the DVD in order to watch it on your iPod video.
This restriction of rights, and the bullying that goes with it is happening within many aspects of our life, whether it be through organisations lobbying, or well intentioned laws that are so vaguely/badly worded that they become more of a threat than a saviour. The world needs to stop for a few minutes and think about the rights that we have, impuning upon my rights is not likely to make me want to be one of your customers.
Whilst I personally believe in freedom of software and literature (This is why the site is licensed under creative commons) I accept that this is not what everyone believes in. However not believing in it does not make restricting the rights of honest, law-abiding folk acceptable.
The compensation that the RIAA are reported to be asking per-downloaded song is $750, now keep in mind that in reality their loss is $1 (you can after all buy most songs from iTunes for that, and Apple keeps a share of your dollar) they are asking for $749 of miney in compensation. If you download a single song illegally then you are a) not particularlly likely to get caught and b) highly unlikely to be a viable target for the RIAA/BPS most of the people taken to court for P2P sharing have thousands of tracks, which means the bills add up very quickly even if the plaintiffs aren't awarded legal costs.
I personally believe that these bullyboy tactics are by their very nature shortlived, every time they prosecute someone their antics become all the more public, and nobody likes a company that picks on the little people (Thats why MS sees such a drop in customers every time the BSA does a raid). It is time all this DRM hypocrisy ended, DRM only hurts the honest consumers, and people generally download via P2P because DRM deprives them of their fair use rights. I now far prefer to listen to Independant bands because I know their music is free of DRM. When I buy a CD I check for the telltale signs of DRM (i.e. If the Phillips CD Audio logo is there, there is no DRM) and if when I get home I find I am mistaken and it has DRM it goes back to the store, whether they like it or not.
One day DRM will cause major issues, in all likelihood it will be when a big vendor goes out business, there will be no-one to issue the licenses for the media that vendor has sold and the media will be useless. Maybe then people around the world will truly make their voices heard. Until that day comes I will continue to be wary of any Media purchases I make, and will continue to shun DRM in all forms.
Make your voices heard, and reclaim your rights, whether it be from a Government that is bleeding you dry, or media companies that would quite happily charge you every time you listen to a CD. Stop the corporate oppression today, send letters, emails, faxes until they realise that we the consumers have spoken, and as their main source of income they had better sit up and listen to us!
