Plugging the Analog Hole.

May 26, 2002 6:40 PM

Plugging the Analog Hole.
The MPAA has released a report entitled "The Content Protection Status Report" to the Senate Judiciary Committee, outlining it's plans to find a way to regulate Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs) with digial watermarks and "cop chips". In this short essay, Cory Doctorow outlines the main points of the new report and points out how entertainment companies are becomming the de facto regulators of new technologies.
posted by Hackworth (8 comments total)

Can't we just all get along...?
posted by spidre at 6:57 PM on May 26, 2002

well, they can put watermarking code in the AD/DA converters in my MOTU 828 audio interface over my dead body. it is important to ensure that people like me will be able to make music without using these things or paying for these kinds of technologies. i don't _want_ my intellectual property protected, I just want people to hear my music.
posted by n9 at 7:11 PM on May 26, 2002

n9: and what makes you think you'll have a choice? They aren't saying 'we should offer the option of AD/DAs with cop chips.' They are saying 'manufacturing or using AD/DA converters without cop chips will be a fineable and imprisonable offense.' If you are an artist, and you are not involved in projects like the Future of Music Coalition or the EFF, the RIAA is claiming to speak for you in this- and they aren't going to be leaving loopholes open for you. So go, contribute, and lend your voice as an artist. Otherwise Big Brother is coming.
posted by louie at 8:22 PM on May 26, 2002

riaa can stick it up thier analog holes.
posted by quonsar at 8:23 PM on May 26, 2002

If they can shut down my ADC's when I use them to convert copyrighted material then I should be allowed to shut down their recording studios when they use them to flood the market with CRAP.
posted by MonkeyMeat at 10:12 PM on May 26, 2002

MonkeyMeat...I have you to thank for a keyboard covered with pop. Analog holes indeed, sounds kinky.
posted by plemeljr at 11:02 PM on May 26, 2002

*sigh*

I don't like the direction this is moving in (by which I mean consumer rights in general). I never thought the DMCA would be passed. Since then, I don't doubt that any of these proposed laws could be passed. In fact, I'm tending to assume they will.

And people wonder why I have no pride or respect for our government... maybe if they started thinking about their citizens instead of their wallets...
posted by CrayDrygu at 11:40 PM on May 26, 2002

hordes of jubilant mucons marched in double-plus-good lockstep today to purchase the new britspear musidisc. processed in the autosocprep overnight, the britspear musidisc guarantees full social integration and commits the typical mucon personality to 47 additional autosocprep persadjust sessions over the coming six months.
posted by quonsar at 9:17 AM on May 27, 2002