BBC wants DRM to ‘prevent piracy’
p2pnet news view | DRM:- DRM is a dead horse. Always was, always will be.
D – E – A – D dead!
But they never stop trying, ‘they’ being the various corporate content owners.
It’s dead simple: if you can see or hear something, you can copy it in any number of ways, analog and/or digital.
But they never learn and now the beeb admits it is under fire for wanting to encrypt Freeview HD data.
“Under plans submitted to regulator Ofcom, the broadcaster has requested that it be allowed to encrypt certain information on set top boxes,” says the BBC, going on that only “trusted manufacturers” would be offered the decryption keys.
But opponents say the move would, “limit consumer choice,” the story states, continuing
The BBC argues it will prevent piracy.
The BBC said it made the request to Ofcom in response to pressure from rights holders to offer copy protection on all its high-definition broadcasts.
Under licensing rules, the BBC is not allowed to encrypt the actual video or audio streams.
So instead it is requesting that it be allowed to encrypt the data associated with TV listings without which set-top boxes are not able to decode the TV content.
“We are committed to ensuring that public service content remains free to air i.e. unencrypted.
“However, HD content holders have begun to expect a degree of content management on the Freeview HD platform and therefore broadcasters have recognised that a form of copy protection is needed,” read a statement from the BBC.
But, “Critics of the BBC’s request say that open source licenses are incompatible with the regulations because DRM locks down software so that it cannot be altered by the user,” it says. “As a result, it would be harder for manufacturers which use open source software to obtain the necessary permissions from the BBC, effectively pushing them out of the market.”
The deadline for responses to the proposal closed today and, “Ofcom will then consider its response,” Aunty adds.
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
BBC – BBC looks to copy protect content, September 16, 2009
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September 17th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
When will they learn that DRM creates more piracy. If I can’t watch my program or record it I’m going to download it with no commercials.
September 17th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
>The BBC argues it will prevent piracy.
LOL, I download iplayer vids and then immediately remove the DRM from them. What DRM?
>The BBC said it made the request to Ofcom in response to pressure from rights holders to offer copy protection on all its high-definition broadcasts.
I can download HD vids from torrent sites.
September 18th, 2009 at 2:48 am
I give it….what…..two weeks until this bullshit is cracked?
Microsoft spent years trying to DRM-cripple Vista, and it was cracked within days.
DRM only does three things:
1. It (inevitably) annoys the less tech-savvy user, because interoperability — while not impossible by any means — is trickier.
2. Tech-savvy folks see DRM as a challenge, and some of them break it just for the hell of it.
3. Once somebody breaks it, the cracked version spreads like wildfire, because people do NOT like DRM. (Hint: SPORE)
September 18th, 2009 at 2:59 am
Actually, to me this would not appear to be about the BBC wanting DRM – with the exception that the content owners (read Hollywood) are refusing to grant licensing rights without it.
The BBC do not have adverts in their content and their licensing of content is paid for by the television licensing tax.
Therefore, (reading between the lines) – BBC contnet is already owned by the British Public, paid for by their television licenses and therefore cant actually be pirated. It can only be time-shifted in various forms.
Ergo, technically in Britain there is no such thing as “video piracy, once an item has been broadcast by the BBS – it is in the virtual public domain by virtue of the UK’s Broadcasting legislation. (An interesting conundrum form which other countries could learn…….).
Hollywood lawyers have already figured this one out and are moving to change the goal posts by restricting access to HD content unless the BBS tow the line and join in with other cable companies DRM encoded EPG’s.
This is more about Hollywood kowtowing to Lachlan Murdochs recent complaints about the BBC creating an unfair level playing field that suited the consumers but not the content hogging media barons.
I think Jon blogged about Lachlan’s comments a couple of months ago.
In essense, it will not be the content that is encoded but the EPG.
Interestingly we just had a case about that very same subject in Australia.
Foxtel lost the challenge by IceTV challenging the “sanctity” of the foxtel EPG.
So with comonwealth precedent on the side of the non-drm-encoded EPG – I would suggest that eventually, AFTER the BBC agree to encode their EPG’s – hehe the decision will be reversed as being unconsitutional – by which time of course they will have their agreement with Hollywood – so in the end – as always – everyone wins.
So guys – this is about the EPG in the Transport stream and not about the content.
Keep hacking errr I meant …… Keep searching ……. “EPG” +”Sky B” for the answers.
September 18th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Looks like the Beeb are buying the MAFIAA propaganda about DRM preventing
piracy and protecting content.
BZZZTT!!!! BBC. Wrong on both counts.
DRM does nothing to prevent or curtail piracy, in fact it encourages it. Spore anyone?
And as for protecting content, once an unprotected copy of that content becomes
available online, that protection becomes worthless.