This is exactly the kind of thing I hate. It is so frustrating. And it's just the tip of the iceburg. They (large entertainment copyright holders) want to embed this sort of thing into every digital device. Microsoft is on board. Intel is on board. Our access to general purpose computers is in jeapordy. I know that sounds far fetched, but it's not.
Dvd region coding is one example. The new windows media player is another. Did you know if you rip mp3s with WMP it adds in a unique identifier ke produced from the unique hardware signiture of your machine. So if your computer dies, and yo buy a new machine and put the old hard drive in it, none of your mp3s will work! Thanks microsoft
Yes, it is true that presently, if you even know this is enabled by default, you can turn this "feature" off. But you also agree in the EULA that microsoft can remotely, without warning you, update the software at any time! I feel sure the ability to switch this off will soon go away.
Eldred v. Ashcroft is going to be a very important case. (Although it won't have any effect on this dvd region coding nonsense.)
By the way, you can still buy dvd players from the far east that are region coding free. I think apex is one maker.
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Dvd region coding is one example. The new windows media player is another. Did you know if you rip mp3s with WMP it adds in a unique identifier ke produced from the unique hardware signiture of your machine. So if your computer dies, and yo buy a new machine and put the old hard drive in it, none of your mp3s will work! Thanks microsoft
Yes, it is true that presently, if you even know this is enabled by default, you can turn this "feature" off. But you also agree in the EULA that microsoft can remotely, without warning you, update the software at any time! I feel sure the ability to switch this off will soon go away.
Eldred v. Ashcroft is going to be a very important case. (Although it won't have any effect on this dvd region coding nonsense.)
By the way, you can still buy dvd players from the far east that are region coding free. I think apex is one maker.
- jim 10-06-2002 7:03 pm