AACS / DMCA and the power of many
So, I’m away from the blogosphere for a few days (an occurence that will likely be all too common over the coming months, as I’m on 1-in-4 call), and look what I miss. Apparently some people posted a 128-bit number that’s important in decrypting the new HD-DVDs. The industry has tried to suppress this with a slew of legal letters, and guess what, the Internet really doesn’t like it when people try and delete some data. Now it’s everywhere, including in this terrible rap song. This YouTube video below is even better.
I really can’t say it any more succinctly than Cory Doctorow:
This is the law of the land, and it stinks. If there was ever an example of why the DMCA needs to die, this is it. The idea that a sixteen-digit number is illegal to possess, to discuss in class, or to post on a news site is offensive to a country where free speech is the first order of the Constitution. The MPAA and RIAA are conspiring to unmake America, to turn this into a country where free expression, due process, and the rule of law take a back-seat to a perpetual set of governmental handouts intended to guarantee the long-term profitability of a small handful of corrupt companies.
Ah, I love the Internet. I also love Canada, because here I can write this without fear of the DMCA:
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
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