"Don't Expect DRMed Music To Work Forever"

[ahi]

Discussion on Slashdot: RIAA Says "Don't Expect DRMed Music To Work Forever" regarding this article.

Perhaps the most interesting part:

"We reject the view," he writes in a letter to the top legal advisor at the Copyright Office, "that copyright owners and their licensees are required to provide consumers with perpetual access to creative works. No other product or service providers are held to such lofty standards. No one expects computers or other electronics devices to work properly in perpetuity, and there is no reason that any particular mode of distributing copyrighted works should be required to do so."

This is, of course, true, but that doesn't make it any less weird. The only reason that such tracks are crippled after authentication servers go down is because of a system that was demanded by content owners and imposed on companies like Wal-Mart and Apple; buyers who grudgingly bought tracks online because it was easy accepted, but never desired the DRM. To simply say that they are "out of luck" because they used a system that the rightsholders demanded is the height of callousness to one's customers. While computers and electronics devices do break down over time, these music tracks were crippled by design.

- Ahi

[tompe]

I expect the important data on my computers to be there as long as I want. Backup and regular format transformations will make sure that data will be accessible in 50 years also.

[wallcraft]

The entire point of a DMCA exemption is that copyright holders don't have to provide perpetual access, but if they choose not to then consumers can legally circumvent the DRM.

It is already a sea change in the DMCA landscape that this exemption is being seriously considered. It the past the US government's attitude was that consumers already had a remedy - buy the work again (with another set of time or device limited DRM).

[Kostas]

Originally Posted by ahi

"We reject the view, that copyright owners and their licensees are required to provide consumers with perpetual access to creative works. No other product or service providers are held to such lofty standards. No one expects computers or other electronics devices to work properly in perpetuity, and there is no reason that any particular mode of distributing copyrighted works should be required to do so."

They're just kidding... ebooks = devices ???
Paperbooks work for centuries...

[Elfwreck]

The comments on the Ars Technica article are terrific.

"When GM went bankrupt they didn't come and take away everybody's car keys."

"If pirating music is analogous to stealing, then revoking access to legally-purchased music is also analogous to stealing. So why should the latter be legal when the former is not?"

"As a lawyer, does he seriously expect that his contracts end if a paper copy fades? 'Oh, sorry, I spilled ketchup on my contract. I guess I am out of it now'.... DRM is nothing more than the electronic emulation of vinyl that wears out over time. The music industry relied on that for survival, and CD's unbroke their management style."

"The RIAA are attempting to morph 'their' industry from one which sells a definite product (this album, that single) into one which provides a service to which consumer must subscribe. DRM and authentication servers are the chosen vehicle. I agree with those in this thread who think this is a techno-arms race...."

"The only question you should ask in this case is:
Would you pay me my money back after you take away my right to listen to said music?

I paid for a right to play music, it didn't have an expiry date attached to it. So if the seller decides to expire the music, I am entitled to a refund."

"He's trying to legal-proof his comments by couching it in terms of 'distribution'.

The fatal flaw in his argument is the fact that consumers don't buy 'distribution', we buy the product and in the case of music / entertainment the mode of distribution is most-certainly not the product."

[Kostas]

The best comment on the Ars Technica article, refferring to the name of the lawyer who represents the MPAA, RIAA (Steven Metalitz):

Did anyone else at first misread his name as Metaltitz?

[kacir]

And this comes from guys that want to retain the control over copyright of works forever!

[ahi]

Originally Posted by kacir

And this comes from guys that want to retain the control over copyright of works forever!

Oh, don't worry. I'm sure they'll do it all gently via education campaigns--starting right in our children's kindergarten classes!

- Ahi

[Moejoe]

Originally Posted by ahi

Oh, don't worry. I'm sure they'll do it all gently via education campaigns--starting right in our children's kindergarten classes!

- Ahi

They're already doing that....http://www.p2pnet.net/story/15169 (I wish it was a joke).

[Kostas]

Maybe they could even start earlier. Genetic engineering could allow to massivly resolve the problem before birth.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

They're already doing that....http://www.p2pnet.net/story/15169 (I wish it was a joke).

Oh, I know. They are swine--and that's offensive to pigs.

- Ahi

[Syniurge]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

They're already doing that....http://www.p2pnet.net/story/15169 (I wish it was a joke).

Incredible , well-organized criminality.

Such anti-progress assholes at the key seats for knowledge and culture access, that's a complete failure.

[fugazied]

Some companies like Google, Creative Commons and Gutenburg take this very seriously actually. There is always the potential that data becomes inaccessible. Look at recent history, they can no longer read the data disks with readings from moonrock which they obtained in the 60s. They have to build new machines to read it, something not easy.

If you have some obscure DRM encryption on material, if the company goes out of business it is possible for it to be 'lost'!

[Gideon]

That's just.... ahhh!! so insane!

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Gideon

That's just.... ahhh!! so insane!

What is?

The idea that they can at any time arbitrarily deny you use of what you purchased, or their unabashed attempts at the corporate brainwashing of toddlers?

- Ahi