A geeky topic (gasp!) - broken AACS

[Infarction]

Presumably anyone who monitors Digg or Slashdot will already know, but the cryptographic key for AACS (the standard used in HD-DVD and BluRay) has been leaked and is spreading like a virus. What do you think the repercussions will be? Is it good that the key leaked?

[Ancient Dragon]

I have no clue -- what in the world are you talking about??????

[Infarction]

The key used for most of the DRMed HD-DVD and BluRay products is out, so now people can decode the data without using proprietary software. Some companies are throwing a fit that the key has been publicized on the internet, and there's a fuss about whether the key should be censored or not.

[Sturm]

Yes its good. As a linux and open source enthusiast I believe that ALL information should be free.

[Ancient Dragon]

If companies give away all information then just how do you expect them to pay the programmers and other staff ??? Yes, I'd like to have Microsoft give away their operating systems and other products too, but if they did that they would have to fire most of their staff. Not very good sense.

[dcc]

Dang...a thread that actually has intellectual merit and doesn't include the word game in the title.

The question that comes to mind is if they are willing to release this information now, what is coming hot on it's heels that is going to make this information obsolete?

[Infarction]

The companies aren't willing to release the information. Someone somewhere reverse engineered it and publicized it; with DRM as unpopular as it is on the web, people are happy to support breaking the mechanism. The companies who created the technology or who depend on it tried to stop it from spreading, but they couldn't keep it in.

An aside: as a Linux enthusiast, I still realize that mandating an open industry would ruin most corporations. Closed source is perfectly reasonable. And at some level, any product worthwhile is not closed source (yes, that includes Microsoft products as well - do you think the US government would use Windows without seeing the source code? And the Chinese government as well?)

[joshSCH]

Well, you knew this would happen sooner or later.. Everything nowadays is being leaked, and published all over the internet. There is no stopping it.. You can pretty much download ANYTHING you want (including OS, music, programs, etc.) illegally from the internet. The fall of huge corporations such as microsoft and apple is not far off.. Soon, (hopefully) there will be nothing but linux and open source!

Or perhaps these corporations will find ways to profit from their products in other ways.. or maybe they will find some way to censor the web, and crush all those who pirate. Who knows?

[Infarction]

Well, you knew this would happen sooner or later.. Everything nowadays is being leaked, and published all over the internet. There is no stopping it.. You can pretty much download ANYTHING you want (including OS, music, programs, etc.) illegally from the internet. The fall of huge corporations such as microsoft and apple is not far off.. Soon, (hopefully) there will be nothing but linux and open source!

Or perhaps these corporations will find ways to profit from their products in other ways.. or maybe they will find some way to censor the web, and crush all those who pirate. Who knows?

Great. The highlights of your post: the destruction of one of the most profitable industries we currently have, which includes massive unemployment (for example, Microsoft employs 40,000+ people within 20 miles of here, and that's just one company); then we can look forward to unstandardized, irregular beta-quality software which is only half-compliant with hardware. Sure, it's got a great ideology behind it, but their production is not up to snuff. And you're supporting illegal actions (intent to steal) in order to bring this about. Not to mention, you'd lose a lot of the competition that open-source is trying desperately to catch up to, so there'd be a lot less incentive for development. :icon_rolleyes:

[joshSCH]

I don't have anything against Microsoft, and I doubt there will be much of a change in my life time.. but, you've got to admit: Piracy is at an all time high. People download torrents of software and keygeneraters all the time! If this trend continues, then Microsoft and other major software companies will undoubtedly go bankrupt. These companies need to find some way to fight piracy (especially from China) if they wish to exist in the future.. And they shouldn't count on the law, b/c that obviously hasn't scared many people into stopping.

[dcc]

How about dropping the sarcasm and simply explain your point.

It would also be nice if you would provide us with links to the information that you are basing this on.

[Infarction]

I don't have anything against Microsoft, and I doubt there will be much of a change in my life time.. but, you've got to admit: Piracy is at an all time high. People download torrents of software and keygeneraters all the time! If this trend continues, then Microsoft and other major software companies will undoubtedly go bankrupt. These companies need to find some way to fight piracy (especially from China) if they wish to exist in the future.. And they shouldn't count on the law, b/c that obviously hasn't scared many people into stopping.

I will admit that piracy is at an all time high. I will also say that it's a serious issue. I will further point out that companies are still able to make a profit. While this can - and is - used as an argument to advocate (or at least not condemn) piracy, it's based on stupid and selfish reasonings. And it then negatively affects consumers who are following the law.

How about dropping the sarcasm and simply explain your point.

It would also be nice if you would provide us with links to the information that you are basing this on.

I though my point was fairly obvious from the abundance of sarcasm. Piracy and open-source are not solutions. Piracy is a problem at best. Open-source is simply an ideology for people not interested in making a profit. However, commerce is driven by profits, and so open-source is an irrational methodology for contemporary economics.

What do you want links for? Proof that Microsoft employs so many people in this region? Go here, download the fast facts. I was off by a bit... it's only a little over 30,000 for this region, 40,000 for the US (as of 2005; it's surely increased a bit since then, and that doesn't count contractors, of which Microsoft deals with many). Do you also want links that point to the quality difference between open-source and closed source products? That open-source products are largely unstandardized and mesh poorly? Or do you want links that piracy is illegal? I certainly hope I don't have to prove that one to you...

[dcc]

Were you born this way or have you worked at this your whole life?

btw...this is a rhetorical remark, not reply will be needed.

[Infarction]

Were you born this way or have you worked at this your whole life?

btw...this is a rhetorical remark, not reply will be needed.

I'm not sure whether to file that under "Personal judgments I could care less about" or "Lamest comebacks ever." But I do find it fun to buck the trend and go against the crowd.

[joshSCH]

*couldn't care less

[Sturm]

If companies give away all information then just how do you expect them to pay the programmers and other staff ??? Yes, I'd like to have Microsoft give away their operating systems and other products too, but if they did that they would have to fire most of their staff. Not very good sense.

I dont. Its not a matter of dislike or like but matter of morality. I believe that proprietary intellectual property is morally and empirically wrong. In fact, the only thing intellectual property rights are good for is hurting the society. When you hide code and ideas you are not contributing to the society, you are not expanding the knowledge base. Proprietary intellectual property is against progress, intellectualism, and the society in general.

Learning is the first step to knowledge, sharing, community.

As I a communist, I do not believe in private industry and other class distinction. Thats why I like linux, open source, the internet, forums, and etc. In daniweb, it doesn't matter how old you are, what race you are, or anything, except perhaps intellectual merit.

[joshSCH]

As I a communist, I do not believe in private industry and other class distinction. Thats why I like linux, open source, the internet, forums, and etc. In daniweb, it doesn't matter how old you are, what race you are, or anything, except perhaps intellectual merit.

tuh, communism.. essentially a great idea, but true communism never has existed, and never will.. The libertarian and anarchists have more hope than the communists =p

[Sturm]

tuh, communism.. essentially a great idea, but true communism never has existed, and never will.. The libertarian and anarchists have more hope than the communists =p

No communism is possible, but only far into the future. I believe communism is already slowly taking hold of the world (or at least socialism). Society today stinks heavily of communism/socialism compared to the early 1900's.

[Infarction]

I'm no expert about political ideologies by any means, but don't communism and socialism have some pretty big differences between them?

[joshSCH]

communism is a form of socialism.. Socialists also included the nazis and um.. well, I can't think of any other distinct group off the top of my head ( besides the soviets).

[joshSCH]

No communism is possible, but only far into the future. I believe communism is already slowly taking hold of the world (or at least socialism). Society today stinks heavily of communism/socialism compared to the early 1900's.

You think? There has been a steady decline of communism since the fall of the soviets back in the early 90s. Truthfully, I think the world sees how unsuccessful the communist movement has been.. Also, it is clearly evident that the open market economic system is much stronger than the command economy.

[Sturm]

I think that communism is subtly taking control (look at my post in the poltical orientation thread for more information). Social Security, health care, medicare, civil rights movement, and the abolishment of slavery are all events that lead to communism/socialism. Think of how are society is different today then the industrious 19th century.