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Re: Linux: Your Computer, Your Media, Your Property

__/ [ Da'Punk-A ] on Thursday 22 June 2006 13:06 \__

> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>> Whose property is at risk?
> 
>> | How foolish was I. Thanks to the valiant efforts of Hollywood lobbyists
>> | and associated campaign contributors, our computers don't just play DVDs
>> | the way they can just play CDs. You have to buy extra software to make
>> | it happen with Windows. And it appears to be a violation of federal
>> | law to play a DVD on a Linux machine.
> 
> Damn stupid "intellectual property" laws.  You may own the disk that
> the movie's on, but you've only bought the /right/ to watch the movie
> on that disk in the way the Hollywood magnates prescribe.
> 
> Thank God that stupid law doesn't apply here in the UK, and I can watch
> /my/ movie on /my/ DVD any damn way that /I/ please.
> 
> I think...

What  about  DRM?  I understand that there is  a  law  under
consideration  which suggests labelling of DRM'd media. It's
currently done in stealth (Sony rootkits cannot escape one's
mind).

Hollywood  is taking an approach which is similar to that of
Microsoft  (or  its  affiliates)  and  their  software.  The
attitude  is:  If  you pay for Windows, you  play  by  /our/
rules;  You  will  call  Redmond every day;  You  will  have
spyware  software  (WGA)  autonomously  installed,   without
opportunity  for intervention (the EULA clearly states  this
is  legal,  much  like  a  waiver); you  will  not  own  the
software,  but  only  the right to use it; if  anything  bad
happens,  too  bad (this often applies to GPL'd software  as
well, to be fair).

Best wishes,

Roy

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