Hollywood Takes Another Crack At Getting Permission To Break Your DVR
from the they-just-won't-stop dept
The movie studios and the MPAA have been pushing hard over the last year to get the FCC to let them use "selectable output control" to basically block DVRs from recording certain broadcasts of movies. Their somewhat creative (but totally ridiculous) argument is that this would allow more consumer choice. Now, you might ask how limiting what consumers can do with products they already purchased can possibly allow more consumer choice, but this is where the MPAA tries to play a bit of a jedi mind trick. It claims that if it's allowed to block recording of movies, then it would add another window to its windowed release program of movies (i.e., theater -> special locations (airplanes/hotels) -> DVD -> cable TV -> network TV). If they can break your DVR, they claim that they'll also release it to TV before it's even out on DVD.Now, it doesn't take much thought to see the logical flaw in the MPAA's plan, but since some politicians are a bit slow, we'll spell it out for them. You don't need to block recording to release the movies early. There's absolutely nothing stopping the MPAA from offering this "consumer choice" right now. The MPAA is simply trying to confuse politicians into thinking that they can't possibly add this other way to get paid for the same content without this DVR-breaking DRM. The simple fact is that (a) selectable output control won't stop the movies from being recorded by some and (b) it won't stop the movies from being offered in unauthorized format online. It won't do a damn thing to stop "piracy." But it will annoy an awful lot of people who bought a DVR to record what they see on TV and are seriously pissed off at why they can't actually make the product they bought work legally.
In other words, it's not at all about "expanded consumer choice." It's about giving the MPAA another way to block legitimate watchers from doing perfectly legal time shifting of the content on their TV.
The good news was that when Kevin Martin ran the FCC, he turned down the MPAA. Though we heard mixed reasons on why (one story is that he tried to do some "horse trading" whereby he would give the MPAA what it wanted if they would side with him on things like a la carte cable), it at least kept the MPAA down. Of course, with Martin gone, it hasn't taken long at all for the movie studios to rush right back up to the new FCC yammering on and on about "expanded consumer choices." Hopefully Michael Copps (the temporary FCC boss) and the rest of the FCC are smart enough to recognize that you don't expand consumer choice by breaking their DVRs.
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Filed Under: blocking, business models, drm, dvrs, fcc, mpaa, soc
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Great argument, MPAA
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Re: Great argument, MPAA
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Re: Great argument, MPAA
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And, what we all know--but what the MPAA forgets--is that just one non-compliant DVR will allow the content to be shared on the Internet.
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How different is a maze of unknowable, unenforceable laws from complete tyranny and utter anarchy at the same time?
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Dam Nazi ass bastards.
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Would save me money.. I go do some decent upgrades ditching cable, DVR, and not buying any new TV's.
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MPAA's Car needs work
The Blinkerfluid needs changing,
Muffler Bearings and carburetor belts need replacing,
Hollow Plug Wires are not hollow anymore.
Let's also replace that seasonal Tire Air while your here too.
But the regular mechanic is out this week. We'll have to buy new tools so he can work-- like a left handed screwdriver set.
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Already been covered???
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You underestimate the stupidity of our government
Do you really believe the people sitting at the desks now are any smarter than the last bunch? I doubt it, but I'd love to be proven wrong. *shrug*
In reality, our officials haven't protected the rights of consumers for decades now. They are prostituting themselves to whoever has the most cash. Our only real hope for a better future is to put the RIAA and MPAA out of business by boycotting the products of their member companies. If these evil organizations have no money, the politicians will stop climbing into bed with them.
If I purchase the right to use a piece of media, I should damn well be able to use it on any device I own. Restricting that ability in any way will only encourage law-abiding folks to become pirates. These morons should stop attacking the people who actually PAY them to use their media and start going after the real criminals - those who are illegally making money copying their products. Maybe then, people wouldn't hate them so much.
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Let all of the die and brun in the pits of hell
The artist themselves should be charged with sedition, for trying to make money off of their works
For the better good people should not be compensated for their talents
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Hollywood
http://www.newsflavor.com/Entertainment/Welcome-to-Hollywood.643481
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