[Leaplist] HD-DVD AACS hacked

[Chris]

William Warren wrote:

> actually the encryption wasn't broken.  The software player left the 
> encryption key in plaintext in ram.  The person found this key and 
> used it to unlock the content...:)

It's the second oldest battle in history. Build an impervious
vault door and someone will tunnel through the floor. The
door didn't get hacked - but the results are similar.

This iteration of the battle will only be won when consumers
are a little more educated about the rights they have yielded
to voracious content providers and sold-out legislators - and
media prostitutes like Attorney General Gonzales, who has
somehow managed to morph DMCA violators into terrorists.
No, I'm not kidding, he really did (yet to date, the DMCA has
not been used to prosecute one single terrorist, or terrorist-
funding entity - go figure)

I'm not sure we can win through technology and clever hacks.
It seems clear that the future of DRM is extracting every last
penny from every single play. Somehow, we have to convey
that clearly, and unambiguously to the general public.

Preferably without sounding like raving geek maniacs.

Do content providers deserve compensation? Sure, why not.
However, there's a far cry between reasonable compensation
and bleeding the last drop of blood, under penalty of draconian
legislation. But as long as the public at large is willing to put up
with it, we're not going to see a huge improvement in the
current climate.

And I'm not sure that the cure is going to come from us. If
history teaches us anything, it's that the greedy and oppressive
become more greedy and oppressive. They can't stop - until
the level of outrage at their behaviors reaches a critical
level. We're not at that level yet. We don't need workarounds
and hacks. We need a majority of the market that is just flat
fed up.

But the market isn't there yet - and it may have to get worse
before it gets better. So hang on to your seats, it's going to be
a bumpy ride. And keep putting the word out. Because content
control is content control, and it's a very small and very seductive
step for a government to realize something - once successful
mechanisms are in place, that means  ALL  content - whether
copyrighted - or just "approved" as non-terrorist. It's not just
about whether you can listen to a "Dixie Chicks" track.

Cheers,

Chris