RIAA Says Copyright Filters Could Be Put In Anti-Virus Software

from the anyone-else-have-to-save-the-industry? dept

It's been fairly amazing to watch the entertainment industry act as if every other industry is responsible for protecting its obsolete business model. Amazingly, it's been successful in convincing AT&T that this makes sense, despite the fact that doing so will almost certainly do more harm to AT&T. However, to its credit, Cary Sherman of the RIAA has said he doesn't think that ISPs should be forced by law to provide these filters. Instead, however, it looks like he's trying to convince other industries to step up and help the entertainment industry as well. His latest, as pointed out by Broadband Reports, is that one possibility would be for anti-spyware/anti-malware applications to also watch for the transfer of unauthorized copyright material. Sherman suggests that this would be one way to get around the question of people simply encrypting traffic to avoid ISP filters. What's not entirely clear, however, is why security firms would ever want to do such a thing, as it would almost certainly annoy their customers to no end.
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Filed Under: anti-virus, filters, riaa
Companies: riaa


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  • identicon
    Brooks, 7 Feb 2008 @ 2:37pm

    Ha!

    The day I hear that Symantec is going to start offering "Norton Antivirus -- now with copyrighted material protection!" is the day I short their stock, huge.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    GeneralEmergency (profile), 7 Feb 2008 @ 2:41pm

    Working for the RIAA...

    What must that be like?? How long could you do that knowing that 9 out of 10 people fundamentally disrespect and even dislike you because of your choice of employers?

    How do you look yourself in the mirror each morning knowing that you have to lie to yourself and the rest of the world for a living.

    It can't pay nearly enough to compensate for the erosion of your self-respect, can it?

    Does you Mother know you work for the RIAA?

    Have you told your kids about where you work and how they make you lie everyday to the whole world?

    Sad, actually. Very sad indeed.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Monarch, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:04pm

      Re: Working for the RIAA...

      Did I miss something?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      RIAA Employee, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:09pm

      Re: Working for the RIAA...

      "Does you Mother know you work for the RIAA? "

      I told her I was a piano player in a whorehouse.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 2:45pm

    Gee, why should the RIAA expect people to follow the law?

    How can you look at yourself in the mirror each morning knowing that you have to lie to justify your law breaking to yourself and the rest of the world?

    Does your mother know you break the law and violate copyright law?

    If your kids see you doing this, what do you think you are teaching them?

    Sad, actually. Very sad indeed.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      sonofdot, 7 Feb 2008 @ 2:58pm

      Re:

      Yet another RIAA shill, no doubt. Go away, asswipe.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:08pm

      Re:

      Piracy is the future. Whether people like it or not. Until they come up with a business model that works with it, then they're going to be struggling.

      All innovation has come from people breaking the law or doing things that are socially unforgivable and forbidden. If that didn't happen we'd all still think the Earth was the center of the universe and you'd get your head chopped off for saying an apple fell from the tree because of gravity instead of because of God's will.

      People that drag there feet and deny everything because it's "wrong" or different or "illegal" are going to be left in the dust. Piracy WONT be stopped. It just wont. Whether you sad, very sad indeed, people like it or not.

      People it's wrong, maybe it's not, I sure as hell don't have the authority to say one way or the other, but it's here to stay. It has to be made to work. Otherwise idiots at the RIAA are going to keep fear-mongering and spewing out crap and generally getting nothing done.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Haywood, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:30pm

        Re: Re:

        See it in the headlines
        You hear it ev'ry day
        They say they're gonna stop it
        But it doesn't go away
        They move it through Miami
        Sell it in L.A.
        They hide it up in Telluride
        I mean it's here to stay
        It's propping up the governments
        Of Columbia and Peru
        You ask any D.E.A. man
        He'll say there's nothin we can do
        From the office of the President
        Right down to me and you
        Me and you
        It's a losing proposition
        But one you can't refuse
        It's the politics of contraband
        It's the smuggler's blues
        Smuggler's blues

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      SteveD, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:56pm

      Re: Does your mother know you break the law?

      Your being naive if you think this is simply a matter of whats against the law or whats not. The law doesn't dictate whats morally right or wrong; its supposed to work the other way round.

      And anyone who thinks groups like the RIAA have any moral ground to stand on are demented.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 4:55pm

      Re:

      hello retard, welcome to the interweb!

      downloading music is not 'illegal' or 'stealing'. but it's nice to see that media manipulation/scare tactics still work on more primitive humans.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Alex Simmons, 7 Feb 2008 @ 9:17pm

      RE:

      I can look myself in the mirror each morning without lying and without justification. I want things, I don't want to pay for them.

      My mother is currently using her computer to watch the second season of house. I hooked it up for her. She understands the legal ramifications.

      I don't have children. If I did, I would want them to be resourceful and computer literate. And I wouldn't let them know where the videos of their favorite shows were coming from...if they think it is magic they are so much easier to control.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        mkam, 8 Feb 2008 @ 4:41am

        Re: RE:

        This was the situation a couple of days ago. My TIVO missed the episode of House because the Super Big Game ran long. So I went to Fox's website to try to watch it. But No! Fox won't put the new episode of House on the web for 8 days. Was I going to wait, hell no. I went to the pirate bay downloaded a high def, commercial free version is about an hour. Now that is convenience. I think there is problem with your business when the pirates have a far superior product to offer. Do they make versions of Windows in China that don't crash and cost less? Can I get one of those?

        mkam

        link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      ReverendJoe, 8 Feb 2008 @ 1:34am

      Re: AC / RIAA Employee

      > Gee, why should the RIAA expect people to follow the law?

      They shouldn't, when the law is an unjust one they purchased using the funds they legally stole from the deserving artists by means of the last generation's set of laws that they also purchased.

      > How can you look at yourself in the mirror each morning
      > knowing that you have to lie to justify your law breaking
      > to yourself and the rest of the world?

      I don't lie. I admit I break unjust laws, and I also consider it self-evident that there is no need to justify defying that which is unjust.

      > Does your mother know you break the law and violate
      > copyright law?

      Yes. She is one of the many people I was referring to when I just mentioned that I admit that I break this particular unjust law.

      > If your kids see you doing this, what do you think you are
      > teaching them?

      That unjust laws are made to be, and SHOULD be, broken.

      > Sad, actually. Very sad indeed.

      Indeed.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    GeneralEmergency (profile), 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:37pm

    Poor Anonymous (RIAA TROLL) Coward...

    Looks like I hit a nerve. And that's a good sign actually. That means you have a working nervous system and might be capable of independant thought.

    Copyright has been twisted and manipulated since Mark Twain's time by corporate and commercial interests in this nation into something that the framers of the Constitution would not recognize.

    Copyright law needs to be reformed and reshaped into something workable for the 21st century.

    It needs to recognize that turning your average teen age girl into a criminal because she turns on a video camera and records herself singing along to the latest pop tune is just plain wrong and a fundamental mis-extension of imaginary propery rights.

    It needs to have very short, limited and realistic copyright terms to allow derivative works to be created WITHIN THE SPAN OF A SINGLE HUMAN LIFETIME.

    It needs to recognize that short, limited copyright terms encourage artists to create more, thereby enriching our whole culture.

    It needs to restore the fundamental balance that was originally intended for copyright, with the majority benefit going to the PEOPLE and not to the ARTIST.

    Employees of the RIAA are part of a corruption of the intent and spirit of copyright. Today's copyright law is twisted and wrong, and if RIAA employess were truly good and honest citizens, they would see what they are doing is fundamentally immoral and would stop the lawsuits and would instead use their budgets to lobby for realistic, workable and honorable copyright reform. At a very minimum, they would tender their resignations and no longer work for such a wrong thinking employer.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rich Kulawiec, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:41pm

    Re: Re:

    I'll see your Glenn Frey and raise you one John Fogerty:

      The little pig knows what to do,
      He's silent and quick, just like Oliver Twist;
      Before it's over, your pocket is clean,
      A four-legged thief done paid a visit on you.

      Vanz can't dance
      But he'll steal your money
      Watch him or he'll rob you blind.

    That'd be Mr. Fogerty, in Vanz Kant Danz, writing about his own record company, who ripped him off far worse than the entire 'net could if we worked at it for the next decade.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:49pm

    New business models and business culture change

    There have been at least 6 business models proposed by people familiar with the music industry that will work without relying on artificially created scarcity. I've come up with 4 additional business models that should work, although I have very limited experience in the entertainment industry.

    In short, the business models to be successful are available.

    The problem is that all of the business models will require huge business cultural changes. As anyone familiar with business process re-engineering knows, this is the most difficult task to undertake.

    Some of the business cultural changes that need to occur (IMHO) are:

    1. Artists are not manufactured, they are nurtured
    2. Marketeers and pollsters do not drive culture, they report about and communicate to culture.
    3. The business must focus on the scarce resource, which is the artist.
    4. People get into the music business because they have a passion/compulsion about music, not because they want to get rich.

    These are the major business cultural changes that need to take place in order for the music industry to be successful and vibrant. The business models requiring these changes are left as an exercise for the reader.

    Will various people make as much money as they did with the old model? Probably not. Will they make a comfortable living (as defined by Lieh-Tzu)? Probably.

    Will any of these changes take place? It's doubtful. Programs like American Idol brainwash the consumers at one end, while the deep pockets of the current entertainment industry structure buy the politicians and technologists at the other end.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Wolferz (profile), 7 Feb 2008 @ 4:32pm

      Re: New business models and business culture chang

      "The problem is that all of the business models will require huge business cultural changes."

      You know that is probably the worst part of it all. Not only do the idiots at the RIAA not understand the impossible battle they are fighting but they go out of their way to prevent those who do from doing the things that would actually help the RIAA and it's members the most. I would love to get in on some of the ideas I have come up with for a free content distribution system. However, I would have to license the music from the RIAA's members and would ether have to cripple the whole thing with DRM or other forms of unacceptable limitations, thus dooming the whole endeavor to failure, or I would have to pay such huge licensing fees that the profit margin would be a negative number.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Reed, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:50pm

    Drop the copyright act and lets get on with the sh

    We don't need copyrights, they offer nothing for society as a whole. They are clearly designed to offer a minority a special advantage over the majority. This privilege is then used as a tool to oppress others who come up with the same idea or similar concept.

    While the intention of copyrights as protecting an individual's private works seems worthy to some people, it is important to point out this is rarely the case with modern copyright practices. The real truth is corporations hold pieces of our own culture as ransom against us.

    Just think about something as simple as Happy Birthday to you which was originally adapted from Good Morning to you (made before the 1900's). It is owned by a corporation. They charge for people to sing what can only be consider a custom in the United States.

    That is the reality of the copyrighting system. It is privatizing our culture for profit.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Gary, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:56pm

    Actually

    If only an analogue to the RIAA existed when libraries were invented. We could have avoided that whole annoying "public literacy" thing.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 3:58pm

    How will it know what is "unauthorized" and what is "authorized" copyright material.

    Given that if I create an image, a short story, or a midi file, there all copyrighted right then and there.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    John, 7 Feb 2008 @ 4:25pm

    Cold day in hell.

    It will be a cold day in hell, the day I use a piece of software that tells me what is authorized and not authorized content. I don't download music or buy it, and if I do it is usually something independent of the RIAA who milk the artist who actually deserve the money. The real solution is to re-write copyright law so that only the original content creator can have exclusive rights meaning that the RIAA and their bastard fathers can't hold anything ransom over anyone.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      GeneralEmergency (profile), 7 Feb 2008 @ 4:40pm

      Re: Cold day in hell.

      Ooooooo....Non-transferrable or assignable copyright. I like that idea.

      I promise to only copy and use and spread your idea, and not the expression of your idea....mmmmm-kay?

      My brain hurts.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 5:46pm

    I will take whatever is RIAA smoking ...

    Vancover weed?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tommy, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:02pm

    My two cents

    I have only one comment on the whole concept, something that the RIAA and others don't seem to understand.

    "For everypaid cryptographer/analyst/security employee,etc working hard for an hourly rate to protect data rights, there is a smarter 15 year old laughing while he breaks past his protection for free." There will NEVER be better encryption/filtering/scanning than there are those intent on avoiding it."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lady, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:08pm

    Over going it

    They taking this to far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Steve, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:33pm

    That has got to be the dumbest strategy I have ever heard. If an antivirus prevents people from doing things, people will find another anitvirus program and the original company will go under.

    I would rather have no antivirus then one which censors what I do...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Overcast, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:34pm

    How can you look at yourself in the mirror each morning knowing that you have to lie to justify your law breaking to yourself and the rest of the world?

    Never broke the speed limit?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:46pm

    Yeah this will work...

    Because antivirus programs are capable of databasing every piece of copyrighted material in a way that they can identify music bit by bit, in every encode.

    Or better yet, the RIAA thinks people pirate music that has DRM which antivirus software could block... Yes, pirates pirate content that they have to crack file by file...

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:52pm

    anti-virus software isn't supposed to come with its own virus. i refuse to use any anti-virus software that installs root kits or filters of any kind that aren't for the sole purpose of detecting and removing viruses.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    NYankee, 7 Feb 2008 @ 6:57pm

    You know what is going to be really funny is the people who pirate anti-virus programs are gonna still pirate this one, and make sure it does not do its job in stopping piracy

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    T.J., 7 Feb 2008 @ 7:47pm

    Step 1: Get Linux (or a Mac I suppose)
    Step 2: Never worry about anti-virus, anti-spyware programs
    Step 3: Profit.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    UnderDog, 7 Feb 2008 @ 8:41pm

    why doesn't the RIAA get it over with already and put an armed nazi outside my door, and everytime I want to play music, I have to check with him first?

    friggin ridiculous

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ChrisP, 8 Feb 2008 @ 2:08am

    This will never work. Not only will they have pirates circumventing whatever system they implement, but they will also have countless people like myself who do not practice piracy but object strongly to having my Internet use monitored in any way (even if it's just a filehash check) working to circumvent it as well.

    Surely they must realise that they cannot hope to stop piracy this way - It simply will not work. The sooner they realise that a drastic business model change is the only solution, the better.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    BobV, 8 Feb 2008 @ 3:53am

    Realistically it's doubtful that any AV firm would even think about touching it. Why would any company willingly walk into that kind of nightmare. The loss of revenue from customers switching to a AV program that does not monitor files for unauthorized content would be something to give many shareholders pause I'm sure.

    Then you have the challenges of deciding what is allowable by the program. Does a mp3 ripped from a legitimately bought cd count as a pirated file. Does that same file copied from one household computer to another count. Does that same legitamate file count if its played through remote desktop at work from your home computer.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2008 @ 5:20am

      Re:

      I think BobV is the only one to actually hit the nail on the head about this idea.

      Just because the RIAA wants to implement this system does not mean any AV firm will touch it. And indeed it's highly doubtful any AV firm would touch it, what real world benefit would there be in censoring copyright material?

      The record labels would have to pay them millions to even make it worth their while.

      Even if they did, all they would end up with is an RIAA AV software that no one used.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2008 @ 6:35am

    Pretty funny that people will argue about copyright law and how it shouldn't extend for 75 years and then go out and download a just released movie.

    All your execuses are just your way of justifying your illegal behavior.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Enrico Suarve, 8 Feb 2008 @ 8:25am

      Re:

      Some of them yes - but very importantly not all ;0)

      Seriously - why should anyone continue to expect to receive money for work they did decades ago?

      Copyright is a reward not a bloody pension system

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Chronno S. Trigger, 8 Feb 2008 @ 10:09am

      Re:

      Yep, I download the movies that just came out. I do it because the big screen sucks. Maybe if they realise they are selling an experience instead of a movie they would do better.

      Also, I would have never taken a bunch of my friends out to see transformers without being able to download it first. They would not have gone unless I told them I had seen it and it was good. That's 10 people who would not have payed for it in theaters nor would they have got it on DVD without me downloading it. So I payed for that movie 20 times over. (Same thing happened with the Simpsons)

      I also download because ripping a DVD is damn near impossible now. F'n DRM not letting me pull Futurama videos off of the DVD's that I payed $40 for on release day. Why the hell would you release a DVD of a TV show that doesn't have a play all function? It's also a hell of a lot easier with my media center extender (AKA modded xbox).

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2008 @ 8:36am

    Answer me this. If you listen to music, do you care if it was produced one day ago or 50 years ago? Does it matter to you, you either enjoy the music or you don't, when it was recorded makes no difference.

    If you enjoy it, then you should pay for it. If not, you wouldn't be listening to it anyway.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      GeneralEmergency (profile), 11 Feb 2008 @ 9:50am

      I'll repeat Enrico Suarve's excellent point here..

      Copyright is a limited term monopoly, not a pension system.

      STOP trying to morph copyright into something it is not. If you keep this crap up, you will very likely find that the citizens of this great nation will become fed up enough with you and the issue that they will leap PAST Copyright Reform and seek Copyright Abolishment!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mike allen, 8 Feb 2008 @ 9:22am

    il see your john fogerty and raise one Roaring 60s
    The government wants to close them down
    But we want them to stay
    There playing songs that we all like
    So please dont take them away

    chorus
    We love the pirates
    repeated


    (track released 1966)

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Josh, 8 Feb 2008 @ 10:37am

    Computer security folks already have a hard enough time getting rid of malware infested botnets. Now RIAA wants to make them worse by getting people to turn off their antivirus programs. Stupendous idea. There are a few possibilities here.
    1) All antivirus providers say "No way, we don't call out customers criminals."
    2) Some antivirus providers do what the RIAA asks and lose massive market share.
    2a) Some antivirus providers do what RIAA wants, make their software perfect so it gives no false positives, and everyone sharing media turns their antivirus off and gets infected.
    2b) Some antivirus providers do what RIAA wants and people doing legal file transfers hit so many false positives that they have to turn off their antivirus, and get infected.

    Of course, if everyone turns off their antivirus, no one will notice the return of DRM rootkits on CDs and DVDs.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2008 @ 1:01pm

    Fact is, DRM only exists because so many people choose to steal movies and software and songs instead of paying for it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Chronno S. Trigger, 9 Feb 2008 @ 7:57am

      Re:

      Fact: The recording industry can try and protect their IP even to the point of recording industry extinction.

      Hypothesis: The recording industry probably will

      Fact: DRM was put in place because the RIAA has no idea how pirating works

      Fact: ALL pirated music/movies/programs come without DRM.

      Fact: DRM is useless and will never work

      Fact: DRM is just a wast of money

      Fact: The RIAA/MPAA could work with pirating and make a boat load more money

      Fact: The RIAA/MPAA is far to stupid to realise the previous fact.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      zach, 10 Feb 2008 @ 3:17am

      Re:

      fact: the prices for CDs and DVDs are quite high that 'pirating' is available throughout the world for so many years
      Why these idiots since then did not lower the cost, by using less staff?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mangaru, 12 Feb 2008 @ 4:14pm

    rotfl

    Ok... that seems stupid...
    U simply change for a good free anti-virus or even an open source one where RIAA have no *** power...
    And please, put in that anti-virus an anti-RIAA software filter... :D
    This guys don't learn ever!

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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