RE: [tlug] Re: [CoLoCo] RESPECT MICROSOFT

[<burlingk@example.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Curt Sampson
> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 8:39 AM
> 
> > That is part of the current problem, is that the
> > commercial OSes ARE pretty much being forced into the DRM
> > issue.
> 
> No, as you point out, everybody has a choice. MS and Intel are moving
> toward supporting very strong DRM, but they don't have to do that.
> 
***Notice, this is not in direct support of Microsoft,
   just a reminder of where the DRM issue is stemming
   from.  :P  Microsoft has plenty of other reasons that
   they are "evil" >:) ***

There is one big issue though.  There are still a LOT
of people among the average consumer that thinks of their
computer as a "DVD Player Plus."  If Microsoft and/or
Intel cannot provide them with that, then they lose a
rather large chunk of the consumer base.  They are too
Large, and in the media too often to do this illegally
without major repercussions.  This means doing it legally,
which means, sorry for the vulgarity, Hollywood has them
by the short hairs.  This is the same reason that the
Packaged distros no longer ship with full DVD support
built in.  It is not because they do not have the ability,
it is because they do not wish to face the legal firestorm
that would result if they did so.  Hollywood is watching
us.  They see us as a threat. :P  They are convinced that
we will watch DVD's under Linux in an unlicensed manner. >:)

>From a purely moral standpoint, I personally feel that
watching DVD's under whatever platform is a Fair Use
matter, as long as you have a legal copy of the DVD.
I wish the courts still felt that way.  :/  Instead,
the organization producing your software has to pay
out the nose for you to be able to use it legally.

I wonder how hard it would be to start a fund geared
specifically towards raising the money for licensing
of a DVD player program.  The only problem is that while
the majority of the code could be open sourced, the
Important part, the part that actually decodes the video
stream, could not.

Basically though, Hollywood is driving the DRM issue. :P

In order to continue providing legal DVD playback under
windows, they have to shell out the cash for the license.
Under the terms of the license, it is revocable under most
any reason that the corporation wishes.  The thing is easily
as bad as one of MS's EULA's.

I would say though that there are plenty of reasons to
dislike Microsoft even without the DRM issue. ^^;;  Yes,
it is an agitation, but we cannot focus directly on MS if
we hope to solve that problem.  That will have to become
an issue of dealing with the media industry.

We can encouraged MS to fight it, and if they choose to do
so (and more importantly hold their ground) Then they can
be a strong ally in that one area.  They made noises in that
direction once, but it only took a few threats from Hollywood
lawyers to get them to back down.  That WAS their decision,
but it was a business decision based on how much it could
cost them in the long run, and the fact that the courts they
would have to deal with were already a bit angry with them anyway.

*grins* All it takes is one agitated lawyer to cause
problems for a long time.  ^^;;  If you ever go to court,
Don't tell the judge he is computer illiterate.

Things we can target MS on.  :P  Lousy performance.  Strong-arm
tactics (though we need more support from the computer manufacturers
for this one), frivolous patent suits, jacked up standards.
These things alone (especially performance issues, and jacked up code)
are more than enough reason to dislike MS.  Most of the reasons people
apply to them work just fine.  :P  We just need to make sure to keep
each issue in proportion.