Comments on: Could The BBC Lose Respect Over DRM? http://blog.alexcollins.org/2007/03/15/could-the-bbc-lose-respect-over-drm/ Musings of technology, sport, life et al Sat, 30 Apr 2011 17:25:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: placid http://blog.alexcollins.org/2007/03/15/could-the-bbc-lose-respect-over-drm/comment-page-1/#comment-23 placid Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:13:22 +0000 http://beplacid.com/?p=16#comment-23 Algorn, Thanks for the reply. I think you almost proved my point yourself with regards to mplayer & BBC content. I know I can use mplayer (perhaps the best piece of software ever written? :) ) as, but as you said yourself "as long as it isn’t DRMed" - I rest my case on that one. My gripe isn't with using the 'iPlayer', but with the content that the iPlayer provides. As I have previously stated, the player will require Windows & Windows Media - both of which are technologies I do not wish to use. Jobs' statement is of course a dumpy subject. He wouldn't say it if he really though anyone would react. In all fairness, it has: http://defectivebydesign.org/actions/open_letter/steve_jobs. Who better to quote when you're making a point than an industry leader? :) Anyone who reads EFF or RMS' stories would know that Vista was really about DRM - one big set of shackles for the user, as it were. To enforce the use of WM & XP from the BBC means they're technically endorsing these corporate approaches (OK that's a nice take on it, in fairness they're probably doing this because they know the majority of their audience uses Windows) - but it's this sort of angle I don't want associated with the BBC. It's a broadcasting (albeit the top of) corporation, publicly funded; which means it should take an approach to services that all its customers can benefit from. Again, my choice of operating system and web browser should not determine what I can and cannot use (let's face it, the BBC apparently has quite a lovely relationship with MS, which means they have a vested interest in this format decision). Without sound like a broken record: I can read the text, see the images and click the links under Linux; what's different about audio & video (apart from teh fat-cats and their copyrights). There's money to be made with audio & video, so that's why we've arrived at these crossroads I believe. YES this is a double-edged sword. Whilst I should be respected as a user of alternative software, I should also respect the rights of the artists and their work (that includes music & TV shows) - but not at the extent of me just wanting to sit down for half an hour, and watch a rerun of my favourite 'Little Britain' episode! "Beware he that would withhold Information/Knowledge from thee, for in his heart he doth dream himself thy master." - i'll remember that quote, it's awesome. Thanks for reading :) Algorn, Thanks for the reply.

I think you almost proved my point yourself with regards to mplayer & BBC content. I know I can use mplayer (perhaps the best piece of software ever written? :) ) as, but as you said yourself “as long as it isn’t DRMed” – I rest my case on that one.

My gripe isn’t with using the ‘iPlayer’, but with the content that the iPlayer provides. As I have previously stated, the player will require Windows & Windows Media – both of which are technologies I do not wish to use.

Jobs’ statement is of course a dumpy subject. He wouldn’t say it if he really though anyone would react. In all fairness, it has: http://defectivebydesign.org/actions/open_letter/steve_jobs.
Who better to quote when you’re making a point than an industry leader? :)

Anyone who reads EFF or RMS’ stories would know that Vista was really about DRM – one big set of shackles for the user, as it were. To enforce the use of WM & XP from the BBC means they’re technically endorsing these corporate approaches (OK that’s a nice take on it, in fairness they’re probably doing this because they know the majority of their audience uses Windows) – but it’s this sort of angle I don’t want associated with the BBC. It’s a broadcasting (albeit the top of) corporation, publicly funded; which means it should take an approach to services that all its customers can benefit from. Again, my choice of operating system and web browser should not determine what I can and cannot use (let’s face it, the BBC apparently has quite a lovely relationship with MS, which means they have a vested interest in this format decision). Without sound like a broken record: I can read the text, see the images and click the links under Linux; what’s different about audio & video (apart from teh fat-cats and their copyrights). There’s money to be made with audio & video, so that’s why we’ve arrived at these crossroads I believe.

YES this is a double-edged sword. Whilst I should be respected as a user of alternative software, I should also respect the rights of the artists and their work (that includes music & TV shows) – but not at the extent of me just wanting to sit down for half an hour, and watch a rerun of my favourite ‘Little Britain’ episode!

“Beware he that would withhold Information/Knowledge from thee, for in his heart he doth dream himself thy master.” – i’ll remember that quote, it’s awesome.

Thanks for reading :)

]]> By: Algorn http://blog.alexcollins.org/2007/03/15/could-the-bbc-lose-respect-over-drm/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Algorn Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:36:40 +0000 http://beplacid.com/?p=16#comment-20 Actually Placid, the decision to use MS mediaplayer formats wouldn't be so bad: mplayer does an excellent job of playing said content(as long as it isn't DRMed). however, after a quick view of the site, i noticed that the links use a java script redirection and don't actually link directly to the media files, making it somewhat rather difficult to use mplayer. even my firefox extension for downloading flash content from pages was of no help(it only showed me the js link). indeed, earlier this evening i hit up NBC's (National Broadcasting Company, a major network here in the land of the yanks) and was very much surprised i was actually able to watch the episodes on the site in firefox on my debian workstation(my last attempt some couple of months ago was rather fruitless :/ ). Now, about Jobs, i have to take his public statement with a grain of salt: it's easy to complain someone else has forced you to place DRM on music files when you have an almost-monopoly on downloadable music, and often, shifting blame onto another entity is indeed a common business practice here in the states. Mr. Gates, on the other hand, has publicly stated some couple years ago that the next version of the windows operating system(if you can all it that) would be a "Dgital Rights Management Platform" and it has manifested as Vista(wow). i hate to say it mate, but FOSS' only salvation is going to be Microsoft's ever-increasing draconian measures (cue star wars jokes about the more the emperor squeezes...). it is going to require the masses finally realizing that they are no longer in control of what they thought was their rightful property before a critical mass is reached and they start to consider alternatives. the only things that those of us who have already moved on to, how did you put it? ah yes, better IT solutions are things such as: -refraining from buying that windows only game and keeping that windows partition around for just such occasions(although, logically, if one thinks about it, if all one uses one's computer for is a toy, well then hey, windows is perfect for you) -refusing to run windows software such as Microsoft Offal, erm i mean Office, with WINE(although i can understand that at times there are legitimate reasons to do so) -don't pirate software, especially microsoft products. high rates of pirated MS software implies there is a demand for it. when i used to pirate software years ago(before i turned away from the dark side), i did so not because of the actual software, but because of the software's perceived value(if it cost more i wanted it; the more expensive it was raised my status among my peers). but this works two ways: if we wish for corporations to respect the copyright terms set out by OSI approved licenses, then we ourselves should respect the copyright(s) of closed source houses and allow them to either adapt to the changing software landscape or go the way of the dodo bird. -have the courage to stand by these principles and convictions(i make my family pay for any MS software they want installed so that they will understand the costs involved with such proprietary software and i encourage them to read the EULAs that accompany said applications so they are aware of what rights they have just had taken away from them). If we as community say one thing and yet our actions are another, then, again, we give legitimacy to a broken development model and software that is intentionally defective by design. if we wish for a freer Information Society, then we must be willing to make some sacrifices. we must be willing to deny ourselves something in the hope that one day we may have that something without being told how we can use it. in closing, i'd like to leave you all with something to ponder which i myself have found to be very profound: Beware he that would withhold Information/Knowledge from thee, for in his heart he doth dream himself thy master. Actually Placid, the decision to use MS mediaplayer formats wouldn’t be so bad: mplayer does an excellent job of playing said content(as long as it isn’t DRMed). however, after a quick view of the site, i noticed that the links use a java script redirection and don’t actually link directly to the media files, making it somewhat rather difficult to use mplayer. even my firefox extension for downloading flash content from pages was of no help(it only showed me the js link).
indeed, earlier this evening i hit up NBC’s (National Broadcasting Company, a major network here in the land of the yanks) and was very much surprised i was actually able to watch the episodes on the site in firefox on my debian workstation(my last attempt some couple of months ago was rather fruitless :/ ).
Now, about Jobs, i have to take his public statement with a grain of salt: it’s easy to complain someone else has forced you to place DRM on music files when you have an almost-monopoly on downloadable music, and often, shifting blame onto another entity is indeed a common business practice here in the states.
Mr. Gates, on the other hand, has publicly stated some couple years ago that the next version of the windows operating system(if you can all it that) would be a “Dgital Rights Management Platform” and it has manifested as Vista(wow).
i hate to say it mate, but FOSS’ only salvation is going to be Microsoft’s ever-increasing draconian measures (cue star wars jokes about the more the emperor squeezes…). it is going to require the masses finally realizing that they are no longer in control of what they thought was their rightful property before a critical mass is reached and they start to consider alternatives.
the only things that those of us who have already moved on to, how did you put it? ah yes, better IT solutions are things such as:
-refraining from buying that windows only game and keeping that windows partition around for just such occasions(although, logically, if one thinks about it, if all one uses one’s computer for is a toy, well then hey, windows is perfect for you)
-refusing to run windows software such as Microsoft Offal, erm i mean Office, with WINE(although i can understand that at times there are legitimate reasons to do so)
-don’t pirate software, especially microsoft products. high rates of pirated MS software implies there is a demand for it. when i used to pirate software years ago(before i turned away from the dark side), i did so not because of the actual software, but because of the software’s perceived value(if it cost more i wanted it; the more expensive it was raised my status among my peers). but this works two ways: if we wish for corporations to respect the copyright terms set out by OSI approved licenses, then we ourselves should respect the copyright(s) of closed source houses and allow them to either adapt to the changing software landscape or go the way of the dodo bird.
-have the courage to stand by these principles and convictions(i make my family pay for any MS software they want installed so that they will understand the costs involved with such proprietary software and i encourage them to read the EULAs that accompany said applications so they are aware of what rights they have just had taken away from them). If we as community say one thing and yet our actions are another, then, again, we give legitimacy to a broken development model and software that is intentionally defective by design.
if we wish for a freer Information Society, then we must be willing to make some sacrifices. we must be willing to deny ourselves something in the hope that one day we may have that something without being told how we can use it.
in closing, i’d like to leave you all with something to ponder which i myself have found to be very profound:
Beware he that would withhold Information/Knowledge from thee, for in his heart he doth dream himself thy master.

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