Re: [TCLUG:12738] DVD/Reverse Engineering/etc.

[Christopher Reid Palmer <reid@pconline.com>]

On Sat, 22 Jan 2000, Scott wrote:

> Only one other person besides myself seemed to understand that nothing
> like that happened when VHS machines became readily available, and
> nothing like that would happen after DVD encryption had been broken.

I disagree. The difference is analog/digital -- with VHS, you lose quality
every time you make a descendant copy (actually, you lose quality every
time you play the tape!). With DVD you can get ver-bit-im (har har)
copies, and there really is no reason to get the original if you can get a
copy for free.

The content providers do have a legitimate worry. Their problem is that
they're trying to solve the problem in the wrong way, because they are big
and dumb and can't adapt. A better solution than suing everybody in sight
would be to adopt Bruce Schneier's Street Performer Protocol.


--
Christopher Reid Palmer : http://www.innerfireworks.com/

Let go of the hangers-on.