Computer piracy debates

[lordlundar]

Now that most DVD and BluRay players are active on your internet connection, either through your computer or the port on the back of the unit, what's to stop them from introducing it again?

Largely because it's too inefficient. There's no id code distinguishing one copy of a movie from another copy so it wouldn't work with existing medium and they can just cut out the middleman of a physical product with digital distribution.

[crashhelmet]

Largely because it's too inefficient. There's no id code distinguishing one copy of a movie from another copy so it wouldn't work with existing medium and they can just cut out the middleman of a physical product with digital distribution.

They could start encoding the discs with them and all it would take would be a firmware update provided via the player's internet access to see whether or not the "License" was valid. DIVX players required a phone line to dial out. They could do a quick verification over a broadband connection while the un-skippable trailers were playing.

[Ginger Tea]

I'm surprised RIAA? or whomever is the music loby group in the states hasn't made it that mp3hard/sofware manufacturers store a play count so when you sync for example your iPod with iTunes (which does have a play counter) it then say's "Hey you have played this song X times, now give us X*$y in backdated royalty cheques."

[crashhelmet]

Something else to keep in mind, which almost makes me want to pirate out of spite, is "Hollywood Accounting"

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm surprised RIAA? or whomever is the music loby group in the states hasn't made it that mp3hard/sofware manufacturers store a play count so when you sync for example your iPod with iTunes (which does have a play counter) it then say's "Hey you have played this song X times, now give us X*$y in backdated royalty cheques."

Please don't give them any ideas...

[draco664]

Please don't give them any ideas...

If you think they haven't already considered this idea, you're dreaming.

The problem with it (from their point of view) is that the counter is just a bunch of ones and zeros on a disk they don't control. About 5 minutes after they institute a counter-based royalty fee, there will be a downloadable application that allows you to reset the number to whatever you like.

The RIAA and Co have learned their lesson on the technical side of things. One of the companies spent something like 10 million developing a new copy protection system, only to have it circumvented just days after its release by the dastardly fiendish method of using a black marker on the outer edge of the disc.

[Rapscallion]

I remember one of the big names suing over how their copy protection could be circumvented by holding down the shift key when putting the disk into the computer's CD ROM tray. It was one of those that installed itself onto your system rather like a rootkit and took over your computer.

They dropped the suit within a few days.

Rapscallion

[lordlundar]

They could start encoding the discs with them and all it would take would be a firmware update provided via the player's internet access to see whether or not the "License" was valid. DIVX players required a phone line to dial out. They could do a quick verification over a broadband connection while the un-skippable trailers were playing.

Hence why I said they could cut out the middleman of physical medium with digital distribution.

During the DIVX disk fiasco bandwidth wasn't large enough to accommodate the films so the disk required. Now it's no longer an issue so why bother with making the disks?

[Nekojin]

I remember one of the big names suing over how their copy protection could be circumvented by holding down the shift key when putting the disk into the computer's CD ROM tray. It was one of those that installed itself onto your system rather like a rootkit and took over your computer.

They dropped the suit within a few days.

Because they really, really didn't want the precedent set saying that they couldn't install shit on people's computers without express authorization. That one's long overdue.

[Dreamstalker]

I own a flashcart (keeping it working with the 3DS is something of a cat-and-mouse game of firmware updates, but doable) and have downloaded the ROMs of a few DS games that aren't available in the states. When I can find said games for a reasonable price and be sure they will work on my 3DS (that's another thing I take issue with: region-locking) I will buy the games and delete the downloaded content.

I've gotten cracked copies of games which I already purchased solely for the fact that the non-DRM copy will play. The way I see it, I already paid for the game and am entitled to one that works without mucking with hardware.

Sony comes up with plan to stop used game sales. Essentially, it seems to be an embedded chip that will 'lock' a given game disc to the console it is first used in (not sure exactly how). Subsequent uses will check to see if the disc and console IDs match; no match, no work. I can already see issues with this approach; mainly what happens if you need to send your console in for repair (sometimes, there's no guarantee that you will get the exact same one back)?

[s_stabeler]

There is a more basic issue in that case, Dreamstalker. First Sale rights. Once you pay Sony for that copy of the game, their rights to that copy are exhausted. AKA, they aren't allowed to forbid used game sales.

the other issue is what happens when you upgrade to the latest console? You would be unable to play all your existing games... oh dear.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

I own a flashcart (keeping it working with the 3DS is something of a cat-and-mouse game of firmware updates, but doable) and have downloaded the ROMs of a few DS games that aren't available in the states. When I can find said games for a reasonable price and be sure they will work on my 3DS (that's another thing I take issue with: region-locking) I will buy the games and delete the downloaded content.

I've gotten cracked copies of games which I already purchased solely for the fact that the non-DRM copy will play. The way I see it, I already paid for the game and am entitled to one that works without mucking with hardware.

Sony comes up with plan to stop used game sales. Essentially, it seems to be an embedded chip that will 'lock' a given game disc to the console it is first used in (not sure exactly how). Subsequent uses will check to see if the disc and console IDs match; no match, no work. I can already see issues with this approach; mainly what happens if you need to send your console in for repair (sometimes, there's no guarantee that you will get the exact same one back)?

That will totally blow up in Sony's face. Gamers will not respond well to that at all.

A couple of developers have already tried to "crimp" used games by issuing one time use codes for online gaming (EA did this with Madden) so if you bought a used copy you'd have to pay extra for a fresh code if you wanted to play online.

Didn't go over well and practically no other developers went that route.

[Gravekeeper]

I like that Sony's patent made Gamestop's stock plunge -.-

EA has been crimping with bonus DLC. Buy it new, get the DLC, buy it used, gotta throw them $5 for the DLC but the game is perfectly functional without it. THey've done that with every Bioware game for like the last 5 years. Doesn't bother me much.

[Andara Bledin]

I appreciate the idea that the way to stop piracy is to make buying the game outright more attractive.

DLC is one of the better implementations.

It's a bonus for the production house in that it also makes first sale more attractive without being harmful to the secondary market.

^-.-^

[Hyena Dandy]

So, John de Lancie made a documentary about bronies, and repeatedly personally asked it not be pirated.

It got pirated, so he stopped shopping it around to TV Stations, and festivals.

See, this was the sort of thing I'm talking about when I talk about piracy that's an actual problem. It's not like taking from a major international production company where they won't take a hit. And people are using the same excuses that you always get. THAT I find extremely personally frustrating.