[pp.int.general] An answer to RMS' critique of the PP.SE political programme

[Brian McNeil]

On Mon, 2009-12-07 at 08:15 +1300, Edison Carter wrote:

> 
> I do NOT agree that more needs to be done to protect Free software.
> The pirate party's existing policies, if enacted, would be completely
> devastating to the proprietary software companies and make them no
> threat at all to Free software.
> 
> I have always asserted that MSFT's anti-copying features are weak by
> design, to make copying Windows 'inconvenient' rather than impossible.
> If they were to release a truly unbreakable anti-copying system the
> vast majority of users of 'pirated' software and many paid users also
> would switch to Free software in a fairly short time. 
> 
> For all practical effect, DRM with any weakness is the same as no DRM
> if it's legal to find the weakness and share software that breaks it,
> so if the Pirate Party succeeds in removing anti-circumvention laws
> this would leave MSFT with only two options; "Unbreakable DRM" which
> drives away much of their userbase, or no DRM at all. If we succeed
> with a no-drm policy then they have no option.

DRM is a joke that should be outlawed.

Developing schizophrenic systems that sometimes pretend they don't have
the key to unlock data you own? That's an utter waste of time and money.

Then legislate against breaking it? That's making a law against being
intelligent and inquisitive, as well as an attack on academic freedom to
research.

I said a long time ago, any DRM system will not last too long if left in
the bedroom of a sufficiently bored teenager. Worst-case, they go to
university and break it there for a paper.

DRM isn't a crypto race; it's a corporate control versus public interest
and rights fight.
> 
> Do we really need to see their source code as well? I do not think
> so. 

Legislatively requiring they amuse us? I've worked on proprietary
systems where they call it "Open" and have a "no comments in the source"
policy. When you start finding out who wrote what code you soon figure
out why.




-- 
Brian McNeil <brian.mcneil at wikinewsie.org>|http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Brian_McNeil
Content of this message in no way represents the opinions or official position
of the Wikimedia Foundation or any of its projects.
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