History of Copy Protection

This was an interesting article about copy protection on Next Generation. Thought I'd share it with you guys.

Vista SP1 Leaked To BitTorrents

Somehow, Windows Vista SP1 has made it to bittorrents everywhere, like the PirateBay, uTorrent, and other torrent trackers. And it's not just the SP1 upgrade that's set to be released next month, this appears to be a complete Vista install. Which means that anyone brave enough to take this on, better back up their system before they try it.

Or you can just wait until next month when it's a free upgrade with your system.

[PC World via Gizmodo]

RIAA Wants Your Anti-Virus To Scan For Pirated Content

So now the RIAA wants your Anti-virus to scan your downloads for pirated content. The one thing that went through my mind at first was "I can barely get the damn Anti-virus to do what it was designed to do", and now the RIAA wants to Big Brother my downloads via Anti-virus? Cary Sherman says "doesn't give rise...to any privacy concerns because it can operate automatically and anonymously"? uhh.... yeah, right.

But Sherman at least knows that people wouldn't go for this:

"Why would somebody put that on their machine? They wouldn't likely want to do that, they'd do that when it benefits them such as for viruses and so on and so forth...it could be enforced at the modem or put in by the ISP."

Oh, so now you want my ISP provider to filter my content now? Yes copyright material should be protected, but this isn't the way. If the ISP providers open this Pandora's Box, where will it end?

What else will be filtered one day? News? Blogs that bad mouth ISP's?

We can't afford to let this happen.

[Public Knowledge via Gizmodo]

RIAA Comes Up With Fake News Segment

Boy you just can't make this stuff up!!!

The RIAA has launched a new campaign in the fight against pirated music, this time by creating their own fake news segment. taking on the apperance of a local news segment, the RIAA warns consumers that record companies do not sell CD's on street corners, that pirated CD's sound "atrocious" even though it's a digital to digital copy, and my favorite; watch for CD's with too many good songs on them.

WATCH OUT FOR CD'S WITH TOO MANY GOOD SONGS ON THEM?

That last one might be the reason that the record industry is losing money RIAA. Perhaps you might want to try the idea of putting a lot of good songs on a CD, consumers might even buy them. That statement sums up the record industries total mind set.

RIAA Fake News! [Live Leak via Crunchgear]

Microsoft Ends "Kill Switch" On Pirated Vista Copies

One of the things that I'm not a big fan of is when I have to reinstall XP or Vista back on to my computers. It can be a lengthy process reloading all the stuff that I want back on the computer, and tweak it just the way I like it. But what burns me up is Microsoft's Windows Genuine Advantage program that you must download in order to get SP2 or to activate Vista. It is designed to verify that you have a legit copy of the OS, if you don't, you won't be downloading SP2 for Windows XP, and it will lock up your copy of Vista completely.

Well the problem started when Windows Genuine Advantage started locking up legitimate copies of Vista. So you would think that Microsoft would fix the tool right? Uh no. Starting with SP1 for Vista, the "kill switch" will go away, replaced with a nag switch that will remind you very often that you have a copied version of Vista. Check the quote from MS VP Mike Sievert about the pirated copies:

"They won't lose access to functionality or features, but it will be very clear to them that their copy of Window Vista is not genuine and they need to take action."

Why not just fix the tool Microsoft?

[BBC News via Gizmodo]

MPAA's "University Toolkit" Violates Copyright Laws

You just can pay for this kind of humor.

You might have heard about the MPAA's "University Toolkit" which is essentially spyware (rootkit). Well they forced schools to install this on their servers to monitor if students are violating copyright laws by pirating movies. Well the Toolkit is based off of GPL-licensed Xubuntu version of Linux, which requires any code written with it to have its source code licensed under the GPL. Well the MPAA felt that they didn't need to license the code, and refused to do so.

So in a strange twist the Ubuntu developer send the MPAA's ISPs a DMCA notice, ordering them to take it down for Copyright violations!

That's right, the MPAA is violating copyright laws!

The Ubuntu developer should sue for $10,000 per violation, and offer them a settlement of $3000. Isn't that the way we do things now MPAA?

[Slashdot via Gizmodo]

Edgar Bronfman: Music Industry Partly To Blame For War With Consumers

Finally, someone within the music industry has taken some ownership of why the music industry is struggling. Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr admitted that the music industry is partly to blame for the problems that it is experiencing, and that they are "at war" with their own customers. Check the quote:

"We expected our business would remain blissfully unaffected even as the world of interactivity, constant connection and file sharing was exploding. And of course we were wrong. How were we wrong? By standing still or moving at a glacial pace, we inadvertently went to war with consumers by denying them what they wanted and could otherwise find and as a result of course, consumers won."

It's amazing that someone within the industry DOES get it. Instead of embracing a new way of music interaction and distribution, they've chosen to grip tightly onto their old ways of doing business. Stating that they're loosing money only because of piracy is not looking at the whole picture. The truth is is that artist (if you can call them that) are not as good as they've been in the past. With iTunes and other outlets like it, people are not forced to buy an entire album if only one good song exists on it. Unlike in the past, artist and the music houses can't have one good track and 10 tracks of filler, and expect the album to do well.

That is a good thing!!!

This forces the both artist and the music homes to WORK on putting out a good product, and not expecting one song to carry the album. If the music industry channeled the same effort that they use going after college students, single moms, and grandmothers, imagine how good the quality of music would be out today.

Trent Reznor Was A "Onik" User

I never got the chance to really check out the site "Onik" before it was taken down, but it sounds like there were quite a few people who liked it. Not just for the obvious reasons for free music, but many people liked the feel of the site and how it had high bit-rate music. Trent Reznor from "Nine inch Nails" was just one of those users who is disappointed to see it gone.

In an interview in New York Magazine, Reznor said that Onik was “world’s greatest record store” because of its content and quality. Said Reznor “iTunes kind of feels like Sam Goody to me. I don’t feel cool when I go there. I’m tired of seeing John Mayer’s face pop up. I feel like I’m being hustled when I visit there, and I don’t think their product is that great. DRM, low bit rate, etc.”

It's interesting that someone who is accomplished in the music industry would feel this way about a site that according to the record industry stops just short of terrorism. I would like to see this site come back in some form, perhapses with a monthly fee for all the music you can download. Having high bit-rate music would be good for all users, not matter where it comes from.

Trent Reznor and Saul Williams Discuss Their New Collaboration, Mourn OiNK [NY Mag via Crunchgear]

A Different Look At The Music Industry

In the most provocative, innovative, and forward thinking article I have ever read about the RIAA and the music industry, Rob from Demonbaby gives his take on the take down of Oink. If you don't know what Oink is, it was one of the top music donwloading sites before the lawmakers and the RIAA brought it down. But before you form your opinions about the former site, I highly recommend that you read this article that Rob posted.

Rob use to work for the big labels in the 1990s and into the 2000s, and his insight might have you rethinking everything you know about the music industry. And you would be surprised about how he feels about how and what the music industry has evolved into. Please understand that I really don't like long articles, but this one is so necessary for any music fan, that it should be mandatory reading for anyone who's ever purchased a song.

Please!!! Take the 20 minutes and read through this one.

When Pigs Fly: The Death of Oink, the Birth of Dissent, and a Brief History of Record Industry Suicide [Demonbaby via Crunchgear]

Franz Ferdinand: File Sharring Friendly

Amazing concept....

When singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand was asked about illegally downloading music, he said…

“I like the idea that, because of downloading, people are going to buy songs only if they are good. I think that’s a positive thing. It means lazy bands aren’t going to get away with giving you one hit single and an album full of filler. We like the idea that every song should stand up in its own right so you don’t have to listen to a song in the context of an album to understand it. I suppose that’s why I’m sympathetic to the download environment.”

According to Crunchgear.... 'the band went so far as to explicitly encourage fans to download their new David Bowie cover via file sharing services. I’m not sure how their record label feels about these recent comments, but I seem to remember back in 2000 that The Offspring tried to make their “Conspiracy Of One” album a 100-percent free download and Columbia Records blew a gasket.

Just goes to show you that although the labels are against free music downloads, the bands themselves don’t always feel the same.'

Thanks to Crunchgear for this article and information.

Franz Ferdinand Encourage Fans to Pirate New Track [TorrentFreak via Crunchgear]

Microsoft Busts Piracy Ring In China

Microsoft is feeling very good about themselves today after having a chance to play CSI. The FBI and the Chinese authorities made one of the biggest busts in software history, after a $500 million dollar piracy ring was broken up.

Windows Genuine Advantage informed users that the 'OEM software' they were trying to activate was a pirated version of Vista, and worked with the users to track down the said pirates.

Hit the jump to read the article. [WindowsVistaBlog via Crunchgear]

AT&T to Start Scanning Their Network for Pirated Material

In a move that could send ISPs tumbling down a slippery slope toward serving big media companies before consumers, AT&T has decided to start targeting pirated content being moved across its network.

How exactly they'll do that isn't clear, but there doesn't seem to be any real way of them detecting what materials being sent are copyrighted without them prying into every file people send online. But hey, what's wrong with that?

We should trust AT&T! It's not like they spy on us for the government already or anything.

Read the BS after the jump. [LA Times]

Pirate Episodes of 24 and Jack Bauer Gets to Torture You

It seems the Feds have charged a man with a felony count of uploading copyrighted material, specifically, episodes of 24. What’s even more nuts about this guy is that he was uploading the episodes (to LiveDigital.com) well in advance of their network debut on Fox. This guy can now look for to three years of federal prison if convicted.

I'm curious how the guy got a hold of the shows before they aired (must have insider hookup), but I'm thinking it wouldn't be hard to catch him.

See, kids, piracy = bad.

Especially if your dumb about it!!!

Read the article after the jump. [AP/Yahoo!]

Piracy for Dummies

Crunchgear's Vince Veneziani explored the topic of pirate and explained it from A to Z. If you aren't familiar with piracy, this is an excellent place to start. Vince explores a variety of areas including the basics, and the different methods of pirating.

Stuff that even I didn't know. Not that I'm saying that I pirate things or...... never mind!!

It's a very good read on the subject.

Not to say that Cow Bell Tech condones pirating!!!
We just thought you might want to know about what those 'other' people are doing.

Click here for the article.