[Jhoffa_]

If I got a paycheck from the RIAA, the RIAA would quit lobbying Congress tomorrow...and then the fun would REALLY start. This won't get fixed in the world of law; it's going to get fixed under the law of "s**t happens."

I think it's going to get fixed at a long, walnut table somewheres..

I can see gate, music industry people and all the other players with a financial stake in this coming up with an unbreakable copyright/encryption scheme embedded in firmware, then making it the industry standard.

Eventually these arrogant napster guy's are going to get shut down, but not before they make life a hell for the rest of us..

[Jhoffa_]

"Gates" (as in William)

Rather..

[The Grammarian]

I can see gate, music industry people and all the other players with a financial stake in this coming up with an unbreakable copyright/encryption scheme embedded in firmware, then making it the industry standard.

But nothing's unbreakable. So it'd just take a few hackers a few days or weeks to crack, then distribute their information into cyberspace.

[Poohbah]

You're right.

MONEY, in general, is going to drive the move to truly unbreakable crypto. No one in commerce or financial services is satisfied with the rinky-dink systems Uncle lets you use and export today.

[supercat]

I can see gate, music industry people and all the other players with a financial stake in this coming up with an unbreakable copyright/encryption scheme embedded in firmware, then making it the industry standard.

Will independent music producers still have the option to use existing technologies to distribute their product?

If so, I see no problem. People will decide they're more willing to pay for music that they can play on multiple devices, use in their own mixes, etc. than for music that's limited to straight playback in a single device. Divx anyone?

[Centurion2000]

I can see gate, music industry people and all the other players with a financial stake in this coming up with an unbreakable copyright/encryption scheme embedded in firmware

Great .... freakin records will look like Atari game cartridges then .... or something close to a baby 8 track ...

That's the ONLY way it will happen. Oh .. and if they REALLY wanted to restrict it they will have to embed it in a proprietary player ... then use a non-standard input jack for custom headphones .... and then hope that no one is smart enough to rip the wires of said headphone into a line in jack for copying.

They literally CANNOT win.