Forums | MacLife

Gary Patterson · 2003-01-24 7:13 am

CNet has an interesting article about a coalition against copy protection. They're called the "Alliance for Digital Progress", and the members noted are "Apple Computer, Microsoft, Dell Computer, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard and Intel"

The president is a former Bush Snr advisor, so it looks like they've got quite a lot of clout. Against them are ranged the forces of the MPAA and one Sen Fritz Hollings (isn't he the Disney senator?)

Interesting also that Intel are on this alliance, and yet would seem to benefit from MS's Palladium initiative.

Could this be a turning point? Is it interesting that Apple are involved ("Rip. Mix. Burn.")? And that they're teaming up with industry players they're normally antagonistic towards?

Jill · 2003-01-24 7:27 am

I don't even care about any of this anymore.

Phr33 da Warez, MP3z, Hotline, Carracho and other forms of software piracy and file-sharing are no fun to me anymore. Now that I work for a company where I can get just about any piece of sofware I need, there is no need for it. Also, I'm too lazy to wait for downloads... I'd rather just buy a CD or program on impulse if I'm at the mall.

meh.

Gary Patterson · 2003-01-24 7:49 am

I care because I want to be able to play CDs (in the form of mp3 files) on my Mac.

iTunes is where I listen to my CDs, in the form of mp3 files. I don't care if I can't upload them or download 'signed' mp3 files. I just want to play my own music collection, and not have some stigma of illegality about it.

I'm glad Apple's focus is on personal responsibility and not copy protection that becomes increasingly elaborate and unfriendly.

jkahless · 2003-01-24 9:41 am

I don't even care about any of this anymore.

Phr33 da Warez, MP3z, Hotline, Carracho and other forms of software piracy and file-sharing are no fun to me anymore. Now that I work for a company where I can get just about any piece of sofware I need, there is no need for it. Also, I'm too lazy to wait for downloads... I'd rather just buy a CD or program on impulse if I'm at the mall.

meh.

You are very lucky. Lets just leave it at that.

Ribtorus · 2003-01-24 11:26 am

It's not in the interest of high speed internet service providers, chipmakers and PC vendors including Apple that file sharing, warez and personal piracy be altogether hindered. Ready access to these web services is key for much of the consumer industry. It may not be strictly legal or ethical, but those considerations have always been secondary anyway.

Imagine trying to sell people high-speed internet where e-mail is the only killer-app. Imagine a market where the only possible use for CD burners and blank media is for data backup. Imagine the sales volume for the iPod and similar devices if the only way to get songs into them would be with a licensed subscrition service. These things would exist, but not at the current level of acceptance. It would be a much smaller market.

It's interesting that it was the RIAA that has gone after file sharing, yet software companies only pay lip-service to closing down software warez sites (arguably an easier thing to do, since they are commercial entities that gain revenue from advertisers). I guess it really comes down to people deciding in who's interest an action is taken.

Hultramagnus · 2003-01-24 1:30 pm

Wired magazine has an excellent artilce on p2p music this month. They make some very interesting comments...including that Apple in now the innovator, and Sony is completely lost. Sony music now makes CDs for their artists that won't play in Sony computers. Sony also admitted that hard drive based mp3 players are superior to their mini disk technology, and they still won't make one. Everything Sony does with mp3s is based on checking music in and out of a library that can only be located on ONE computer...which would screw me because I use a powerbook and several towers...not that it matters because I am an iPod user.

The bottom line of the article was that the music industry has lost. No matter how many online services they try to shut down, they will be burning their money up for no reason because new services will simply spring up and take their place. According to Wired, the music industry needs to drop their prices (you can now buy new movies on DVD cheaper then new music...whats up with that?!?!) and come up with a subscription based service that lets people be a member for a flat rate and download to their hearts content.

SirCastor · 2003-01-24 5:50 pm

and come up with a subscription based service that lets people be a member for a flat rate and download to their hearts content.

I agree completely. I think the issue with the RIAA is the way they're taking on the problem. They want to kill the file sharing. That's not going to happen. They need to Embrace file sharing, and make it really really easy to buy and download music, as you said, a flat fee and download all you want.

Legal, and easy.

thugmoni · 2003-01-24 10:51 pm

Apple are involved

Where did you learn grammar? I've noticed this in several of your posts. There is a different use for the word "is" and "are". Are is for things that are plural.

thugmoni

Gary Patterson · 2003-01-25 12:26 am

Apple are involved
Where did you learn grammar? I've noticed this in several of your posts. There is a different use for the word "is" and "are". Are is for things that are plural.

thugmoni

Apple as one entity is a singular, and takes the singular form in sentences.

Apple as a collective of groups is a plural, and takes the plural form in sentences.

"Apple is a great company" (Apple is one whole, so it is a great company)

"Apple are doing something about this" (Some parts of Apple are acting in this sentence, so Apple are doing something)

thugmoni · 2003-01-26 2:46 am

uhh...nope...you're wrong. Talk to your local English teacher.

thugmoni

Gary Patterson · 2003-01-26 3:37 am

uhh...nope...you're wrong. Talk to your local English teacher.

thugmoni

I'm wrong in that I don't add the prefix "parts of" to phrases like "Apple are doing this or that".

thugmoni · 2003-01-26 3:42 am

exactly

Gary Patterson · 2003-01-26 3:51 am

exactly

D'oh!

matt · 2003-01-26 3:57 am

uhh...nope...you're wrong. Talk to your local English teacher.

thugmoni

He's in Australia. They talk weird. wink

Gary Patterson · 2003-01-26 4:04 am

uhh...nope...you're wrong. Talk to your local English teacher.

thugmoni
He's in Australia. They talk weird.

Struth cobber! What'r ya talkin' about? Stone the bloody crows, mate, that comment was drier than a dead wallabies turd! Crikey.

(I actually say "crikey" in conversation, but with the rise of the execrable Steve Irwin, I'm having a hard time phasing it out. It's a bloody bonza word.)

atodd · 2003-01-26 4:26 am

Apple really needs to give the RIAA etc the "right royal kick up the arse" they need.

Anyway, I know people who will stand by the MD technology as long as they live, claiming that it's the best form of digital music. They don't care that the iPod can store many times the music, transfer it faster, or play it easier or better. They continue to use those crappy little MiniDisc players because it's all they know. If people knew more about the joys of MP3 players, maybe they'd buy them. It's not like they're much more expensive than MD players.

All this copy-protection has simply gotten way out of hand. I bought the CD, I want to be able to play it, dagnabbit. If that means putting it on my AyePod, then so be it.

double time · 2003-01-26 5:29 am

I live under a rock

can you plug a stereo microphone into an iPod and record a live concert worthy of sharing with your friends? You can with MD. You can also put more than 5 hours worth of Mp3s on a minidisc too. How about copy protection? Well with an optical in/out you can bypass any form of CD encryption.

iPod plays music better or easier? what's so hard about pushing "play"?
iPods and MD recorders have very different capabilities, and co-exist just fine.

~Coxy · 2003-01-26 8:03 am

can you plug a stereo microphone into an iPod and record a live concert worthy of sharing with your friends? You can with MD. You can also put more than 5 hours worth of Mp3s on a minidisc too. How about copy protection? Well with an optical in/out you can bypass any form of CD encryption.

1. True, although your use of "stereo microphone" is a little overrated.
2. You can put more than 5 hours of *ATRAC* onto a MD, if you record it as singlemix in LP4 mode... If I choose to record things at that low a quality then I could fit several years worth of soun^H^H^H^Hnoise on onto the iPod.
3. You forget to mention that optical in/out is copy-protected in its own right, since you're only allowed to make one generation of digital copy (in real time, no less) from a master.
4. The fact of the matter is that a 5GB iPod can hold as many songs as 30 MDs, in a much smaller package. That's at roughly equivalent quality levels, the figure gets even higher if you allow for the fact that most people encode at 128 or 160 Kbps. eek
Then when you consider that you're getting improved shock-protection, much faster copying levels, a free game ( wink ) and the use of a FireWire HDD for the same price as a NetMD Sony player/recorder, the iPod starts to look like a done deal.

I like MDs, I'd take an MD over a solid-state MP3 player anyday. The fact of the matter is, though, that the iPod is just so much better. tongue

Forums | MacLife

#1 2003-01-24 7:13 am

Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#2 2003-01-24 7:27 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#3 2003-01-24 7:49 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#4 2003-01-24 9:41 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#5 2003-01-24 11:26 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#6 2003-01-24 1:30 pm

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#7 2003-01-24 5:50 pm

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#8 2003-01-24 10:51 pm

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#9 2003-01-25 12:26 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#10 2003-01-26 2:46 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#11 2003-01-26 3:37 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#12 2003-01-26 3:42 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#13 2003-01-26 3:51 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#14 2003-01-26 3:57 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#15 2003-01-26 4:04 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#16 2003-01-26 4:26 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#17 2003-01-26 5:29 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

#18 2003-01-26 8:03 am

Re: Apple, Dell, Intel et al against Copy Protection

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