Tech Cozying Up To Hollywood

from the consumers?-what-consumers? dept

Following up on the article posted earlier today about Microsoft and HP's PC with copy protection is a Chicago Tribune article talking about all the various tech company efforts to appease Hollywood with copy protection schemes. As per usual, no one seems to care much about the rights or desires of the folks that made these companies possible: the consumers who purchase their products. The article also includes a couple of quotes to think about. The first is from our favorite person, Jack Valenti, saying, "I was looking at their new innovation, and I was very much impressed" in talking about his new "friends" at Microsoft. The second is from Joe Kraus who's fighting for consumer rights at DigitalConsumer.org, saying, "I don't think Microsoft wants a world where digital rights management technology controlled by Hollywood essentially rules the roost. But if they sense that's the way the wind is blowing, of course they are going to be the No. 1 vendor." It's a good summary of how Microsoft thinks.
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  1. identicon
    u2604ab, 3 Sep 2002 @ 9:37pm

    registration

    Does someone want to post a Chicago Tribune username/password so that we all don't have to go through the registration signup?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. icon
    Mike (profile), 3 Sep 2002 @ 10:01pm

    Re: registration

    Hmm. That's odd. I'm pretty sure that I never registered with the Chicago Tribune, so I'm not sure how I got to read the article.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    Mike (profile), 3 Sep 2002 @ 10:02pm

    Re: registration

    Check that. I just realized that many moons ago I must have tried the ever popular cypherpunk/cypherpunk combo and it worked 'cause it says that's who I'm logged in as. Enjoy.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    ::CORY::, 4 Sep 2002 @ 1:47am

    Here ya go

    Username: techdirt
    Password: techdirt
    Simple enough :) hehe.
    Now as far as the post goes, I dont see how this can be a selling point for anyone. "Buy this new computer it protects copyrights !"

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Mike (profile), 4 Sep 2002 @ 2:04am

    Re: Here ya go

    Hey! You better watch out or my lawyers might want to sue you for copyright/trademark infringement. ;)

    Of course, then I could make fun of my own lawyers for being ridiculous - but knowing them, they'd charge me for it. (I'm mostly joking, by the way. Techdirt's lawyers are pretty tech savvy about these sorts of things - which is why I hired them in the first place).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    ::CORY::, 4 Sep 2002 @ 8:49am

    Re: Here ya go

    hehe :) No worries about Spam from 'em I used some fake address.

    BTW, my lawyers can beat up your lawyers. lol It's a crazy world, Mike, it's a crazy world.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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