Peoples thoughts on DRM

[Wombat]

It's not illegal to watch DVD's on linux, it's just few people were prepared to pay / had the money for the licence for the creation of the software

I'm sorry, why do you think I should have to pay for a license to watch a video I already bought? People know how to write software to play DVDs. They even give it away for free. But it's illegal in the US.

[Wombat]

Wombat, the issue with things like damaged media, is a problem. Maybe with items such as DVD-audio discs / SACD they might not have as much of an issue replacing the damaged media. I don't know.

You know. I know. They'll still refuse to replace it.

With vinyl get a scratch or a jump and you are screwed anyway. No one will replace it unless it's a manufacturing defect.

So why is it illegal for me to copy a friend's record? Or a copy of my own record, and use the copy instead?

[Fluff]

You know. I know. They'll still refuse to replace it.

So why is it illegal for me to copy a friend's record? Or a copy of my own record, and use the copy instead?

Hmm, that's a hard one.

From that cassette law that allows you to tape a cd. That is equivalent to making an mp3 from the cd and giving that to your friend. As it is not a 1:1 copy. There is a loss of information. That should be ok.

I think if you copy a cd to cd-r, then copy that cd-r, repeat 10 times. You should be able to notice a loss of quality. Therefore it is not a perfect 1:1 copy, there will be jitter errors, due to the format standard. Even if it is 'digital'. That should be allowed too, and included under the cassette law.

If record companies were to release master quality material i.e. 24bit/96khz or equivalent. I believe that should be heavily protected as it is with SACD / DVD-A. DRM or equivalent.

Havent really answered the question though.

[KvHagedorn]

DRM is universally bad. The problem is that DRM cannot distinguish intent. The techological path to make a backup of something so that your toddlers don't destroy the original is the same path that one would use to make illegal copies for the rest of the world. You can't block one without the other. Don't impede my fair use.

In other words, DRM is counter to the principle of innocent until proven guilty, is a fundamental shift away from freedom, and as a precedent, if accepted, will lead to further erosion of freedom. It is much more than a nuisance, it is a hole in the dike.. but the FBI is beating up the boy trying to stick his finger into it.

[Wombat]

Hmm, that's a hard one.

From that cassette law that allows you to tape a cd. That is equivalent to making an mp3 from the cd and giving that to your friend. As it is not a 1:1 copy. There is a loss of information. That should be ok.

What law is that? Doesn't cover us anymore. Also, if the CD were copy-protected, the DMCA makes it illegal to make that tape

I think if you copy a cd to cd-r, then copy that cd-r, repeat 10 times. You should be able to notice a loss of quality. Therefore it is not a perfect 1:1 copy, there will be jitter errors, due to the format standard. Even if it is 'digital'. That should be allowed too, and included under the cassette law.

Once again, there's no cassette law.

[UtwigMU]

I read some good article on DRM. Problem with any encription or key scheme is that normally encryption works like this:

A gives some info to B and encodes it with key C. Provided B has key C, B can decode information. D doesn't have the key and thus cannot decode information.

With DRM it's different.
Some content maker wants to sell you content but wants you to prevent decrypting it. But in order for them to sell you content, you need to be able to view content, thus they also need to supply you with key. So as long as you can acess content you can copy it or reverse engineer the key and thus encryption schemes don't work.

[Gurm]

Wombat,

Please note that there is currently NO valid CD-audio protection scheme that actually works, and any CD's protected in this manner are deemed "defective" and subject to immediate refund. But you can rip them anyway, no problems. Just hold down "shift" when you put them in the drive.

Also please note that DVD-Audio has been cracked.

[Wombat]

Please note that there is currently NO valid CD-audio protection scheme that actually works,

Yes, I'm aware of this. And though they're easy to defeat, the fact that it's illegal to do so is absurd.

and any CD's protected in this manner are deemed "defective" and subject to immediate refund. But you can rip them anyway, no problems. Just hold down "shift" when you put them in the drive.

Or a sharpie or whatever. What happens later, when they're illegal AND difficult to crack?

[Gurm]

Yes, I'm aware of this. And though they're easy to defeat, the fact that it's illegal to do so is absurd.

It's not, actually, because they aren't actually CD's. Philips, thankfully, has sided with the consumer. If you find one that's copy-protected, you are under no obligation to continue owning it, and won't get in any trouble for bypassing the copy protection on it.

Or a sharpie or whatever. What happens later, when they're illegal AND difficult to crack?

Don't buy them?

[Nowhere]

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#DigitalRightsManagement

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/can-you-trust.html

hmmm...