Posted by Matthew T. Russotto on 02/09/07 20:49

In article <timmcn-7B9D0D.13114608022007@news.iphouse.com>,
Tim McNamara <timmcn@bitstream.net> wrote:
>In article <1ht99mj.1nopnta1qqgb92N%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz>,
> jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) wrote:
>
>> Tim McNamara <timmcn@bitstream.net> wrote:
>>
>> > In article <1ht8mwn.hno31m1jh2kyeN%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz>,
>> > jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) wrote:
>> >
>> > > Ura Dippschit <URN.Idiot@idiots.com> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > In article
>> > > > <1ht8ee9.1bhr4vj1nakvb9N%jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz>,
>> > > > jamiekg@wizardling.geek.nz (Jamie Kahn Genet) wrote:
>> > > >
>> > > > > It is extremely easy to bypass iTunes DRM
>> > > >
>> > > > Don't tell the fine folks at JHymn that.
>> > >
>> > > At where?
>> >
>> > Google is your friend.
>>
>> A tiny bit of background couldn't hurt, ya know? :-) *googles and
>> notes what JHymn is and it's current limitations*
>
>Indeed. I didn't want to seem like I was specifically supporting what
>JHymn does, though.
>
>> Of course Microsoft just brands all it's customers pirates by default
>> and imposes more onerous DRM. Strangely enough Apple doesn't treat
>> it's customers like criminals and uses barely noticeable DRM, and
>> iTunes music store sales keep increasing...
>
>Microsoft seems to believe that it has been ripped off for many millions
>of dollars by people pirating its stuff.

Bill Gates has been a piracy paranoiac since the days of Microsoft
Basic. Ironically, he's probably the biggest beneficiary of piracy;
without piracy, his Windows and Office products would
not be nearly as ubiqtuous (particularly outside the corporate
environment), because competition on price would be possible.

>Google "trusted computing" for a description of the private sector
>version of Big Brother.

IIRC "Trusted computing" isn't exactly private sector, nor was it intended
to be "big brother". I think it came out of the DOD "compartmented
workstation" project; the idea was to allow one machine to process
data at different levels of classification without allowing leakage
between levels. Which doesn't change the fact that it's certainly
being used for evil now.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

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