|
[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]
On Tue, Dec 28, 1999 at 05:27:45PM -0500, Michael W. Ryan wrote:
> I'm not sure that an open player would be viable, given the apparent level
> of paranoia that the film industry has over copying. The whole reason for
> the encryption and the control over the keys is that the industry doesn't
> trust the development community, Open Source or otherwise, enough to make
> the decryption keys publicly available. And I have to say, the response,
> in general, to this issue doesn't necessarily help change their
> perception.
>
<snip>
I have several problems with this.
First. Reverse engineering something isnt inherently illegal. Its not
any different than if mickeysoft decides to use a simple xor to 'encrypt'
passwords it stores in the registry and someone points it out. Security
through obscurity is proven to not work.
Second. An open spec does NOT mean an insecure easily cracked,
"vulnerable" implementation. See PGP for an example.
It is my opinion that this DVD problem and oddly enough the recent
release of the quake source are symptoms of the same problem. ESR wrote
some nice thoughts on the subject.
I have no great technical knowlege of the subject, however it seems to
me that implementing a weak encryption scheme and then complaining when
its subverted isnt any more of a solution than the RIAA trying to stamp
out mp3's.
An open spec that utilized something similar to private/public keys
might work. Then again, if you can read it, you can write it. Further,
talk about practicality. Do you have any idea how BIG a ripped DVD is?
The cost of the blank media alone plus the const of storage space/time
to download is greater than the cost of just buying the DVD.
The recording industry made the same noize about cd-r's. They made the
same fuss about cassette tapes. What you're witnessing is nothing more
than naked greed. At least in my opinion.
Piracy is going to happen. It happens to music, software, you name it.
There are certain individuals who are _never_ going to buy things.
Its not a lost sale. They're not loosing money. Given the choice, these
are people who would never have paid money to begin with.
Mental
--
"you make insanity respectable."
--Helcat on the subject of Mental.
_______________________________________________
Plug maillist - Plug@lists.nothinbut.net
http://lists.nothinbut.net/mail/listinfo/plug
|
|