Re: Why DRM exists [was Re: Flame Linus to a crisp!]

Larry McVoy
2003-04-27T22:24:07Z

> > factor in the emergence of the DMCA and DRM efforts. This community
> > thinks it is perfectly acceptable to copy anything that they find useful.
> > Take a look at some of the recent BK flamewars and over and over you
> > will see people saying "we'll clone it". That's not unique to BK,
>
> Build something making the same things possible and then more. But then
> thats exactly what BK did. Does that make you a crook ?

If I had been sitting there with a copy of clearcase or reverse engineering
from the data stored by clearcase, I'm pretty sure rational would have
something to say about it.

But you are still missing the point. As long as the feeling is that it is
OK to reverse engineer by staring at the file formats, the corporations
will respond by encrypting the data you want to stare at.

In other words, it's pretty much hopeless to try and catch up that way,
you might as well go try and build something better from the start.
--
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Larry McVoy lm at bitmover.com http://www.bitmover.com/lm