The AACS key protests go beyond copyright
My column this week is about the AACS key protests, in which millions of people posted a 128-bit number that is a partial key to unlocking the encryption on HD-DVD and Blu-ray DVDs. The MPAA has been trying to cease-and-desist these numbers away, claiming that they violate the DMCA because they allow people to circumvent the DRM on high definition DVDs. But popular sentiment is so anti-MPAA that nobody has been able to squelch the number from popping up everywhere, including Wikipedia, MySpace, LiveJournal, Digg, and Wired.
Why are people protesting? It’s not because they want to copy their high definition DVDs — it’s because the AACS scheme allows a cartel of electronics and entertainment companies determine which DVD players are “authorized” to play their discs. Consumers who aren’t lucky enough to have bought an authorized player won’t be able to play their lawfully-purchased media. This cartel can also revoke authorization at any time, thus forcing expensive upgrades on consumers who were prescient enough to get authorized players. The whole thing feels like an excuse to force people to buy new DVD players. And that’s why consumers are fighting back. Read more.
June 6th, 2007 at 5:19 am
Of course people want to copy their HD-DVDs. The reason this is all over the place is that the illegal information is so small (a string of numbers, or one large number if you want to be precise) you can put it in a single line of text. So trying to shut the thing down on a distributed medium like the Internet is impossible, especially if you can get the copyright-haters riled up. Remember DeCSS? (Of course you do.)
Personally, I don’t care if the record companies go out of business. But I’m happy a system the Pentagon designed to prevent the obliteration of the US’s computer systems during a nuclear attack is making it harder and harder to hide information from the people.