Posted on 05/01/2007 8:58:23 PM PDT by HAL9000
Excerpt -
The folks at Digg.com have let the social news genie out of the bottle, and now they can't control it. Since the HD-DVD encryption code was discovered and published, readers at Digg have been repeatedly submitting stories with the 16 digit hex code in the titles and bodies. Just as quickly as these posts crawl up the Digg charts, admins seem to be deleting them.Just search Google for 09 F9 and you'll find the key. Will AACS send a Cease and Desist to InfoWorld because I posted the text "09 F9"? If so, we might as well give up on this whole Internet thing right here and now.
Can a simple, short string of numbers and letters (the full key) really be copyrighted? And is Digg.com receiving a proper takedown notice for each case, or are they taking things into their own hands and deleting posts willy-nilly?
The same sort of thing happened when the DeCSS code came out - I even have a t-shirt with the code printed on it. This just goes to show how useless the DMCA is, and how information cannot be controlled, and that DRM will never truly work.
~ snip ~
(Excerpt) Read more at weblog.infoworld.com ...
HDTV ping list bump... (FYI)
I don't see why not... You can trademark or copyright a sequence of letters and numbers (i.e. a name, a title, a story or a book) or a sequence of musical notes (i.e. music)... Why not a specific sequence of alphanumeric characters that happens to be an encryption key?
Mark
The code lacks the minimal amount of original creative expression needed for copyright.
This is about hackers and theft. Apparently some on this board approve.
Man, you need to get out more often.
Analog is so passe.
My new Chinese speakers say "Digital Ready" right on the box.
“This is about hackers and theft. Apparently some on this board approve.”
Hey, it’s all about free trade. If someone can make it cheaper somewhere else then it’s all good, right? /s
It is about more than that. There are legitimate uses for the hex code, such as making a backup personal copy of a HD-DVD you purchased in case the original is scratched or otherwise damaged (I have a dog with a thing for chewing on DVD boxes).
Just like a gun is protected by the Second Amendment against the left-wing wackos, the hex code should be protected by the First Amendment against RIAA, MPAA, and the congressional whores who do their bidding by passing unconstitutional laws.
Excuses for breaking copyright, huh. There are all sorts of things you can’t legally copy or propagate. If that bothers you don’t buy it.
I'm with you! After I settled down from the excitement of finally getting the code (like the Holy Grail) I then said what is it?
Kinda like getting a car repair manual for Christmas that is written in Russian. First of all I don't work on cars and second I can't read Russian........
I haven’t read every post butt...
Am I the only one who thinks the code may have been released “accidentally on purpose” to give HD-DVD a boost in the format wars?
If you could copy one format but not the other, which one would you buy?
Just asking...
There is a general public perception that record labels and publishers loot the copyrights of the artists who actually produce the "content". What most people don't realize is that people in technical fields are similarly affected. When you take any high-tech job, or contract for one, the "creator" routinely signs away his IP rights to his employer. You come up with a profitable new idea, and someone on Mahogany Row gets a new watchband for his Rolex as he tosses you out on the street and outsources your job to India.
Meanwhile, a lot of basic scientific research has moved off to Asia because American scientists can't do research without tripping over some submariner's all-encompassing patent. It's like walking blindfold through a roomful of rakes.
If Congress can't come up with a way of keeping IP rights in the hands of the people who actually create the work, it's time to bust the system and let our creative instincts run free.
I don't condone piracy - and I have the iTunes bills to prove it.
But I'm more worried about the corruption of the legislative and judicial branches by the entertainment industry.
This racket being run by these Hollywood lawyers and their lobbyists is a scam and it needs to be shut down. It would be good for the industry, the artists and the consumers.
Fortunately, some of the smarter companies like EMI and Apple have seen the light and are working to reform the system.
LOL! Hey, that code sounds pretty good! There are some real creative types out there.
If any story ever needed a ping....
Having worked on DRM, I can say that it’s far from perfect and most people who work on it are aware of the fact. The state of the technology is such that it is an attempt to keep the honest people honest. These people who posted the keys are unimpressive within the world of hacking.
Kate Bush’s last album had a song on it called “Pi”. It doesn’t cover as many digits, but it’s a little better musically.
That is a worthy goal - but the better way to achieve it is with fair licensing and pricing practices. The current strategy of the entertainment cartel is to keep prices high with an artificial shortage of content via DRM and bad legislation. That strategy is failing. They should adjust their prices, eliminate DRM and make it up on volume.
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