Hollywood DRM plan: put a Soc in it
p2pnet news view DRM | P2P | Movies:- The Hollywood studios want the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to allow them to start using selectable output control (Soc) DRM consumer control technology.
Soon-to-be-gone MPAA boss Dan Glickman says the anti-piracy effort is “the option” for people “to enjoy movies in a more timely fashion”.
“If the FCC agrees, the MPAA and the movie studios it represents (Paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal, Disney, and Warner Brothers) would be able to ‘turn off’ any output plug they choose, like those on the back of consumer electronics devices of an entertainment system, during special video-on-demand movies on cable television,” said Public Knowledge last year.
Not only but also, if you use a TiVo, any Slingbox, or a TV manufactured before 2004; connect your TV to your cable box with analog cables (either component or composite); or, have a TV without a digital connection, such as HDMI, you’ll probaby have to replace much if not all of your existing entertainment system, it said.
Nor are consumers the only ones under threat.
There’s “no definition of ‘a more timely fashion’ — something that theater owners have demanded,” says IMDb, going on:
As of now films are not made available for home viewing until four months after their theatrical run. And, in an interview with today’s (Thursday) Los Angeles Times, John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, said that while his group doesn’t oppose the use of Soc, he objects to the fact that the MPAA isn’t “telling the FCC or anyone else how early they want to go, so there’s no way of telling what the impact is on the cinema industry and our consumers.”
But, it adds, “industry analysts have observed that the barn door was already unlocked by peer-to-peer technology, which has made bootlegged versions of movies available online at about the same time they are released in theaters — or even earlier.”
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Soon-to-be-gone – MPAA boss pressures UK on 3 strikes scheme, October 26, 2009
IMDb – MPAA Asks FCC For Permission To Launch New Technology, November 5, 2009
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November 7th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Wait, what?
I don’t know a single detail, but i can guarantee that it will be cracked. Fast. Like all other restrictive DRM, its only going to piss off their loyal customers. Not change a thing for ‘pirates.’
Its almost like they are TRYING to force everyone to pirate their stuff.
November 7th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
I don’t know why they are even bothering with this because the hackers will have it defeated in no time
November 7th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
“I donât know why they are even bothering with this because the hackers will have it defeated in no time”
Because it’s not to keep people from pirating these movies, or to defeat hackers, it’s to get their toe in the door so that they can later push for more control over what people can and can’t record. Hackers will defeat it and pirates will still download, but the general public, who are generally dumb as a post about these types of things, will find themselves being more and more restricted.
Once the MPAA gets this allowed for early release movies, the regular PPV companies will be asking for it too. Then the pay cable channels will be knocking on the FCC’s door asking to be allowed to prevent people from recording their original shows. TV networks will follow later asking for permission to block the recording of specials and sporting events, like the Olympics, and so on.
This is just the first step in taking away the public’s right to time-shift programming so that the corporations can sell that ability back to them. “Record all the network TV you want for only $5 more a month!”
Sound paranoid? That’s what you would have said in 1980 if I’d told you that one day TV shows would have logos in the corner, popup ads across the botton of the screen, no closing music, unreadable credits and three times as many commercials. Wait and see…
November 7th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
“Is the entertainment industry logical, Mister Spock?”
“No, Captain. Illogical and irrational.”
November 7th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
They think their losing their asses now?? Wait till this kicks in, NOBODY will be going to a movie, or buying DVDs.
This is more proof that the industries behind movies and music are trying really hard to commit SUICIDE!!
November 7th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
cut me off the net it will save me 100 bucks .and they think it will make me spend some of that hundred on movies hehehe i will watch my movies on hd pay tv and not go to the cinemas and not go to the video store
November 8th, 2009 at 1:47 am
There is almost no chance the FCC will allow this. Even if they do, it will be simple to defeat. I can think of three approaches without even looking at the technical specs of what they are proposing.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:05 am
As if people actually record from the analog outputs anymore. Its all about cracking the disk crypto or grabbing a copy of the latest insider leaked screener DVD.
Forcing HDMI/HDCP upon everyone is so useless and stops nothing. (Not like WE don’t realize this already)
I guarantee you *ALL* films will have widespread P2P availability before it *ever* shows up on the cable company ripoff Pay Per View.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Furthermore I think its funny how everyone made a huge fuss about the digital TV over the air changeover.
Many hated having to get digital converter boxes or new televisions sets just to receive these new digital signals.
The cable companies were very swift to put on a huge advertising campaign showing how Cable subscribers wont
need any new equipment at all and to subscribe to Cable instead of keeping with OTA broadcast TV.
Now the MPAA are telling everyone they cannot use their old analog tube TV’s to watch movies on Cable anymore?
Its all one big pile of bullshit that I hope the FCC disallows once and for all.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:51 am
As we all seen before and this time wont be any different, once they get their foot in the door….. you get the idea.
First it’ll be on demand movies, then every PPV on Cable, then it’ll trickle down to the movie channels, then the sports leagues will get in on the idea, (especially the NFL), until this becomes so widespread that you cannot record anything on Cable anymore without getting the “rights” to do so first.
November 8th, 2009 at 11:27 am
All they are gonna cause with this is , the General public are gonna have to pay thru the nose for services the pirates like to crak..and get 4 free…
this whole thing is a waste of trees….if the media priced its wares acordingly then there would not be such a high requirement for pirated,modded or subbed gear…
November 9th, 2009 at 12:52 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWPfcEOr2Yg
Another anti-piracy propaganda from the entertainment kartels