RIAA escalates attack on music piracy, wants "broadcast flag"

[Lucky Green]

Declan wrote:
-------------
> ----
> 
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-944640.html?tag=politech
    [...]

    The idea is straightforward: Future hardware and software would
treat
    music differently if it were designated as broadcast-only,
preventing
    users from saving it or uploading it. Currently programs like
    StreamRipper or StreamCatcher can record streaming music distributed
    through Webcasting.

    But because people might not use these new kinds of music receivers
if
    given a choice, new federal laws likely would be necessary to compel
    software and hardware manufacturers to abide by the broadcast-only
    designation.

    [...]
---------------

Gee. I wonder what this unspecified hardware could be the RIAA is
lobbying to be included in future PCs to prevent the copying of their
music. And I wonder which software components the RIAA is talking about.
Or which federal laws the RIAA has in mind to mandate both. Of course
only some wild-eyed "alarmist" would answer a) "Fritz Chip" TPM, b)
Palladium, c) Hollings Bill or its successors.

I must admit the tight coordination of this initiative across all stake
holders such as hardware vendors, software vendors, content aggregators,
governments, essentially everybody except the consumers, deserves
respect.

--Lucky Green


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