Have you begun to wonder why DRM is for the masses and not for business?

tom poe tompoe at renonevada.net
Sun Jun 30 01:25:21 CDT 2002


Hi: Wasn't that long ago, as I recall, that there was tremendous hype 
about B2B, e-commerce, and secure networks. Everyone headed to the gold 
rush for those fat corporate contracts.

This last 10 days, seems like the same hype is going on, but this time 
it's about your computer and my computer being able to be secure, engage 
in secure banking, credit card transactions, freedom from spam, and 
those inglorious crackers that are invading the home computers. The 
solutions are all wrapped up in this thing called DRM. Get one, you'll 
like it. In fact, M$ has already put out the first patch that downloads 
some DRM features for those who have Media Player installed. Of course, 
they haven't said so, directly, as there might be some users gagging. 
So, since Berman's got this little legal legislative vigilante thing 
cooking, no need to wait, eh?

Now, we can assume that companies don't really go for their employees 
all having media players running en masse, so the path to DRM for B2B 
has to be a different one. Does anyone know what that might be? In the 
meantime, why is there such a big push for getting DRM into the home 
computer?  It can't be because the corporations and banks are all set 
up. So, I'm wondering and pondering. Why would you hype the homeowner 
when you haven't set up the receiving end? And, why would you do that 
first?  Is it because DRM doesn't work? Won't work?  Or is it something 
else?

I checked over at the ICANN activity board. It sounds like there's 
rumbling in Congress about having to make a final decision whether to 
just yank control out of the hands of everyone, and take it into the 
U.S. government. Imagine that. I suspect they'll indicate it is only a 
temporary thing, til they get stuff all organized. Then they'll turn the 
Internet Gatekeeper responsibilities over to someone else, maybe Verizon?

So, we have a big push to drive everyone to DRM. We have control of IP 
addressing in a big power play, and we have business still waiting 
without saying a word, quietly waiting. We have Hollywood lying low 
until at least the middle of the month. And, again, this stupid DRM hype 
by these cheap whores in the mainstream media spewing garbage in order 
to get one more paycheck. If you find yourself in a trench with someone 
named McCollom, you might as well put your gun to your head and pull the 
trigger. If you don't, he certainly will.

My dialup ISP gets to send me emails about kicking me off during peak 
hours, because I'm running at the top of their list for uptime, and I 
need to get off and let others get on. During these discussions, I'll 
call and ask some question or another, and they bring up my account 
info, with activity stats. They track it all, folks. Today, not some 
time in the future when it will be required. How surprising will it be, 
when I receive the email that informs me that Linux is illegal, and that 
DRM is required for access to the Internet? The reason being, of course, 
that it is a Good Thing, and will let me pay my bills securely online. I 
won't be able to access certain sites, though, because it would violate 
my DRM requirements for secure and safe and high-quality content 
promises. Those sites might be Open Source sites. They might be 
alternative music sites run by musicians and artists that are not signed 
by RIAA, or haven't registered their fees with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC. Little 
stuff, you know?

Earlier, Diesel at BSDVAULT reported the latest EULA from M$ [thanks for 
alerting us, Jon], indicating that the patch may disable - - - and cause 
other software to not work. I sent him an email, wondering if he had 
tested to see which Open Source apps might be affected. He's testing to 
see right now.And will notify everyone when he gets his results.

All in all, I'm wondering if there isn't a timeline for the sh$%^ to hit 
the fan that is coming up real, real fast. If you're still reading, 
thanks for listening. Just trying to get a handle on why the big push to 
DRM home users, and not businesses.  Maybe it has something to do with 
taking away copy/paste capability. Some idiot offered that it's no big 
thing. Fair use isn't taken away, as long as you use a pencil and paper 
to copy what you want to remember.
Thanks,
Tom
Reno, NV
-- 
http://www.studioforrecording.org/
http://www.ibiblio.org/studioforrecording/
http://renotahoe.pm.org/

--
Hollywood's BPDG Group ?!?
	Never heard of them. What did they do in technology
except manage to put on their tie without accidentaly killing
themselves ?!?
[ modified quote from  dm at zensunni.demon.nl ]
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