Hollywood One Step Closer To Demanding DRM Helmets

from the did-you-not-pay-for-that? dept

Despite being beaten down repeatedly when they've tried to introduce the "broadcast flag" system, the movie industry keeps coming back for more. Their latest effort goes beyond just the broadcast flag to try to plug the "analog hole." The problem with any copy protection scheme is that, at some point, in some way, they have to unencrypt the content and let it be viewed or heard. Otherwise what good is it? At that point, of course, it's always able to be recorded in some manner. That's the analog hole. Even though those recordings are almost always of lower quality, Hollywood still views it as a huge problem. That's why they're pushing for new legislation that would force every piece of consumer electronics to make use of two different systems to try to plug the analog hole -- preventing all sorts of actions normally considered fair use. Again, this seems to only be punishing people who aren't trying to do anything wrong. The real counterfeiters will obviously find a way around it -- so this will just limit people who just want to do something completely innocent. Of course, at the same time, it will make all of our consumer electronics and computers more expensive and more difficult to use, while making the MPAA's own content less valuable. It's a basic lose-lose proposition for everyone -- and yet the MPAA is going to insist it's "necessary" because they aren't creative enough to change their business model in the face of a changing market. Suddenly, it's looking like the idea of the DRM helmet that carefully monitors what you see to make sure you are either blocked from viewing or charged for any copyrighted content you see isn't quite so far fetched.
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  • identicon
    Ben McNelly, 1 Nov 2005 @ 11:25am

    STUPID, thats what it is...

    This is sooo frustrating! I used to work for a company that couldent imort video for use on web and in poewrpoint, from VHS's that it had made profesionaly. They OWNED the material, but had to go through alot of hassle just to get the source video back into an electronic form...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Craig, 1 Nov 2005 @ 11:55am

    It's only a matter of time...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Keegan Orange, 1 Nov 2005 @ 11:55am

    No Subject Given

    isn't that just another way to enforce sensorship?

    If you can be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you can be told what to say or think.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      cycle003, 1 Nov 2005 @ 2:54pm

      Re: No Subject Given


      "...Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away"

      -Megadeth
      The Punishment Due
      Rust In Peace

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Daniel Barbalace, 2 Nov 2005 @ 8:42am

        Stealing my thoughts...

        > "...Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away"< br>
        --> No, they will just tax them and monitor them for inappropriate content.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          cycle003, 15 Nov 2005 @ 10:49am

          Re: Stealing my thoughts...

          > "...Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away" >No, they will just tax them and monitor them for inappropriate content.

          touché

          link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    John Dowdell, 1 Nov 2005 @ 2:43pm

    got summary?

    Hi Mike, do you know of any summaries of the PDF other than that at EFF? (I read through their piece once and it seemed more op/ed than summary, enough so that I felt uncomfortable trusting them without corroboration.)

    If it does come to Hardware Prohibition, then I bet there will be a lot of people making Bathtub PVRs.... ;-)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    barry goodknight, 1 Nov 2005 @ 4:45pm

    BS

    they can never stop the reproduction of dvd's and cd's its like the "war on drugs", its an F'ing joke. get over it already lol

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2005 @ 8:44am

      Re: BS

      It's not a joke when they throw you in jail for it. Can they stop it? No. Can they imprision you for decades when they catch you? Yes. Can they catch everyone? No. Can they catch you? Yes. And that's all that matters.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Nov 2005 @ 9:02am

    No Subject Given

    Forget the "DRM Helmet" -- what these jerks really want is technology to wipe your memory immediately after you partake of a copyrighted song, film, or other IP. They might possibly let you keep the memory of having seen it (though that could interfere with repeat business), but it's unlikely they'd want you to retain any critical thoughts about it. So, anyone, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless DRM?"

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Craig, 2 Nov 2005 @ 9:23am

      Re: No Subject Given

      I'm not so sure they'd want you to forget *everything* about it, since that would greatly reduce the word-of-mouth marketing that feeds a great deal of demand for popular media. They'd end up having to convince you all over again to pony up for that song/movie/whatever, and that'd be costly.

      What's more likely is that they'd charge for each "experiencing" of the media -- each watching of a movie or hearing of a song would ring up a micropayment. And we thought action stars going into politics was bad.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Brian Hageman, 4 Nov 2005 @ 11:41am

    Next step for RIAA...

    I'm waiting for the RIAA to push for legislation making speakers and headphones illegal to possess because "...speakers and headphones are as much a factor in the crime of piracy as a handgun is in a liquor store robbery..."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Home movie buff, 17 Mar 2006 @ 2:40pm

    Impact on consumer home movies

    One consequence of these efforts to block any recording device when it detects a watermark is that home movies will now become much harder to film.

    At Home: First you will have to turn off every TV and radio in the house in case a watermark comes across while you are filming your kids.

    At the mall, ballgame, ...: Forget it, there's music playing everywhere, your camcorder will shut off before you can say Hello Mom.

    Someone should point that out!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    |333173|3|_||3, 28 Nov 2006 @ 7:26pm

    how long will it be until someone getsa broken HDMI - comliant monitor and buildis it into a broken camcorder, it might be difficult, but then a whole load of movies will be copied.
    big counterfiters will just make bit-for-bit copies, just like they do now.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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