LONG RANT @#@$ MS Digital Rights !!!!!!!!!!

[crouse]

It's long........ so don't say I didn't warn you!

Begin rant
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Microsoft® Windows Media Rights Managment

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/drm.asp

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de.../wmsdk_faq.asp


Oh.....really don't worry... MS says their licsense are free...you know..for now..... until they get you hooked..... then it's off to the bank they go again after they start charging....(the pusher/user routine)
Microsoft wouldn't do that to you ................ would they?

This is all about $$ and they don't care if they hamstring computer development or anything else in the process.

They just proved http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/27232.html
that they can make a media player that will play the protected/encoded content... as far as I'm concerned..... use that to offer content and produce revenue. But in order to protect an outdated revenue stream..(cd's & tapes)......they buy off congress (in the interest of copyright protection) and want to install a spy chip in my computer...(not a bad idea says uncle sam..I want to keep tabs on everyone anyway....this gives me the perfect chance!) .. seems they want there cake and they want to eat it too. A win win lose situation. Goverment wins...Industry wins..... and you lose.

How soon before you guys install that chip in my photocopier in order to keep me from copying books? Deactivate my VCR? Unhook my tape recorder that copies my cd's at the push of a button?

I was amused a little when I read that the record industry said their revenues were down 7% for the year...and that they attributed that to bad bad home computer users.....siphoning free content from the internet and not paying for the cd's at the stores.

7% !!!!!!!!!!!! How many other industries got hit for more than 7% this year...... a bunch! 7% ........ arrogant idiots. I wonder if they ever thought that the ECONOMY of the US might have anything to do with it? I'm sure that many businesses would be HAPPY to have only lost 7% of their business this year.

Instead of whining about pirates.....because they will always be there....no matter what they do.... they should just focus on creating the newest media players in several OS formats and encoding the infomation to the data that could only be unecoded by the media player. The sheeple will use it...buy the content.....and they can be happy they just made it into the new age of computers.

Spyware (hardware or software) should not be allowed to be installed in your computer where you might have private personal infomation. ~~~~~~~~Period.

The more I think on this ........ the more irritated I get. ..... can ya tell?
The thought of MS leading this charge into a safer computing future is so freaking laughable it doesn't even deserve a response. The same government that prosecuted them for being a monopoly seems willing to let them take a lead role in this. HELLO ??? Does this not offend anyones elses senses besides my own?? My congressman doesn't seem to care about MY rights...... he is more concerned about the "protection of the artists copyrights" ...... so he is more than willing to help put a spychip in my computer. Heck......... I bet he may even get a big fat donation out of the deal...................... no........ a congressman selling out to big business........ never happen........ would it?????

After your form letter I recieved Mr Congressman..... you can bet your sweet @$$ I won't be voting for you next election.

These are just my opinions......... I do still have the right to free speech don't I ............. guess I better write my congressman and check. Perhaps the actors guild has a beef they took up with him.
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End rant......... thanks for reading..... I feel better now.

[CERuppel]

Spyware (hardware or software) should not be allowed to be installed in your computer where you might have private personal infomation. ~~~~~~~~Period.

Its not just on your computer that you have to worry about this...

The US medical industry is facing a crisis of morals. They are required by law to use a safe OS. And they are required by law to keep thier patients records confidencial. Now along comes this (and the RIAA). If they update the OS then the records are no longer confidential. If they don't upgrade the OS then the system is no longer safe. Either way they lose.

And the one way we (the people) lose also, big time. Have you ever not wanted the world to know your medical history? Well BG does, and so does the RIAA...

And then there is the banking industry. Do they upgrade to the spyware or go with the unsafe system?

And how long before the spyware is used by virus/worm/trojen whatever to skim off peoples information? Ever even heard of identity theft?

Yes, like you this upsets me alot. And yes, like you, my congressmen blew me off.

And they are going to keep ignoring this because they don't see that they are going to be just as affected.

Hows this scenario: The US goverment upgrades to the spyware... Don't think I even need to go further. (Osama anyone?)

But... I was reading a rant on this over at a Linux board. Seems that the early versions of this will be software dependant. Thus Linux will be able to outmanuver this for a couple of years. Until the hardware implimented chips hit the market. The DRM would be imbedded into the CPU (not a seperate chip) and would need to see the license imbedded into the program/file before it would process it.

This would effectively put BG in charge of all software world wide. Since M$ (I know that this is different on paper, but c'mon and wake up guys) would be the source of those licenses and every user would need a license, every company that makes software would need licenses for each of its products...

Another thing that has been brought up in this DRM has been the concept of ownership. Do you own that copy of DOOM on the shelf behind you? Do you? Try comparing it to a book. You can own a book. But you can't make copies and give them away. With software the EULA used to read this same way. No copying for resale/distribution, but resale no problem. No along comes DRM. You buy a piece of software (DOOM) and use it. Get bored and sell it to someone else. They go home and install it, but it won't work. Seems that the license of your computer/you is wrong. So sorry.

Or if you upgrade... Your computers license no longer matches so sorry, all your software is no longer valid.

Because the EULA only allows for the installing of the software on one computer, ever. And it includes wording that you do not own even the CD's the software is on, just the license to install and use the software on the one machine.

This is geting out of hand. Maybe if congress could just see how expensive replacing every piece of commercial software goverment wide every time they upgrade the computers...

But these things ae only of concern to us, the geeks.

So I am a geek, and whats wrong with that?

I want to be able to move my software to a new system (probably sometime in the next two weeks), and to play games on either of the systems here in this house. We don't make/sell/distribute any software (other than Linux). But I do like to make back ups of my wifes graphics and music files. We also like to burn our own custom music CD's, using the wierd mix of music that is what we like.

All of this is about to come to an end. And what will be left?

Seriously stop and step back and ask; "What will be left?".

Because the more I look at it, the less there will be left after this goes through.

If goverment, BG, or the RIAA don't like a web site; 'poof', what web site (blocked by the DRM chip). Software goes the same way. Hardware would be the only thing that might not be directly effected. But after the game industry dies from the straight jack of rules, what driving force will there be on the hardware industry? (Todays hardware is half a dozen years ahead of software, except maybe for cutting edge games).

And this is how I see computers in twnety years: You buy an appliance, that has preinstalled software, little or no means to save files, no way to upgrade the hardware, and no means to output its work. If it even has internet access (whats that daddy?) it goes thru so many filters that its worthless. Notice I didn't even go into the options (color, shape, cup holder) because there won't be any that matter.

And now I am going to hit 'submit'.

(But I won't submit).

[crouse]

I would hope the general public after they get a dose of this..... would start to wake up.

[NeoStarO1]

I think they will, I have more thoughts but need time to c ompose my thoughts. So will post back later.

[PresterJohn]

>I would hope the general public after they get a dose of this..... would start to wake up.

i dont want to be too cynical here, but i don't have too much faith in the public at large.

a classic example would be the communist witchhunts during the 1950's. many, many lives were completely destroyed, countless others became "sideline casualities". and even though it was eventually stopped, it remains a shameful chapter in US history. nor was this the only event where peoples' rights were trampled and cast aside under the guise of a 'righteous cause'.

i hope this time around, people will see the light about what ms and other large corporations are doing, but i fear it will get worse before things ever(?) get better

edit, an addition:

and while online forums like this one can openly discuss such topics, the public at large is completely ignorant of these issues. billions of dollars are at stake: microsoft, the music conglomerates, the movie industry...we are taking about a vast and very visible lobbying infrastructure doing their work in washington.

digital piracy, copyright infringement, safeguarding creator rights...these are all hot topics bandied around in hundreds of corporate boardrooms throughtout america and amongest numerous legislative committees in our nation's capital.