Now with fast internet connections and compression if you miss a tv programme for instance and also forget to record it, you can just go and download it, why do some people think this wrong??

The recent fiasco with VALVE, when using steam if they found that someone was using a dodgy key (which was actually released by valve or steam), they would not only disable the person’s Half Life 2, they would actually disable your steam account, so people found that other games that they had properly purchased also were disabled … wow.

So can you imagine that if the riaa/mpaa decided to start this type of DRM then, in your scenario, not only would you lose the media you just purchased, but all of your other media!!

I am never going to buy anything from valve, or which uses steam!!

When you outlaw open public security research the way DMCA type laws do, you are only ensuring that “the bad guys” (however you define that) have the ability to learn and practise their craft while tyeing the hands of “the good guys” behind their backs. This just guaruntees that when the battles begin that “the bad guys” will always win.

DMCA and similar laws are in direct contradiction to any countries attempt to have experienced people in their country able to protect them against cyber-attack.

Russell McOrmond — http://www.flora.ca/

We need to fight this strongly now while we still have a medium like the current internet which facilitates more open democratic discussion with much larger audiences than physical “town hall” meetings could.

Russell McOrmond — http://www.flora.ca/russell/

Additionally, although i’m not familiar with the laws, there are federal provisions allowing criminal prosecution of people and private entities which violate the constitutional rights of others. (often used in the era of the civil rights movement by federal organizations to assure kkk members who had their local officials either bribed or idealogically aligned got their just pinishment for murdering and terrorizing african americans)

I was actually referring more to a ring of DVD rippers buying players for a single ripping project, then reselling them to a pawn shop or the general public knowing theyll soon be disabled. (a likely tactic)
Some unlucky schmo then buys it with no illegal intent or knowledge of its prior uses, and to his great surprise finds its access “revoked”, effectively breaking his property.

Another likely scenario which is all too common with poorly made programs is that the wrong serial number is included in a “revocation” order, and thus the wrong player is revoked, resulting in the same breaking of an innocent person’s property.

The constitution calls for proper investigation and court battles before that kind of thing is legally allowed.

Really now here’s a scenario for you.

You come home to find out your ‘digital media player’ no longer works (of course since it’s new it cost $500-$1000 to buy in the first place). A few calls later you discover that a movie you had paid $20 to watch at home (noticed I didn’t say owned) showed up on the internet. Turns out your MS-operating system was infiltrated (no say it’s not so!!! It can’t happen to a Ms operating system, they are super secure!) and the file was copied. The solution from the manufacturer, buy a new $500-$1000 ‘digital media player’ cause yours is disable, you bad person, you. Oh not to mention you need to buy (opps I mean pay again for the right to watch) a new copy of the movie as well.

Or how does this sound: your system get’s disabled because some one stole your kids ‘drm’d digital music player’ and released the songs on the internet. Now your whole music collection needs to be replaced as well.

Even if the hardware is not disabled and just the music itself is disabled. There’s a small fortune in new ‘drm’ cd’s that will need to be replaced.

Who’s going to police the people policing the ‘drm’ disabling feature (I’d call it a virus, what else kills a system?) I mean how long will it take them to figure out that when sales decline (what? sales decline? That’s not possible! It must be ’sharing’ that’s causing it!!) All they need to do is report that a few thousand drm files showed up on the internet (or put them out there ) so they can disable the files, and of course the users will have no choice but to buy the right to listen to them again.