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Re: [LUG] HTML5 DRM

 

On 17/04/13 20:33, Kai Hendry wrote:
On 17 April 2013 18:49, Rob Beard <rob@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
 From what I've read the BBC are kinda being forced to use DRM as a
requirement of the media companies who supply the BBC with some of the
content (I'm sure I read somewhere that the majority of stuff broadcast on
the BBC these days is from other suppliers which they don't hold the rights
for).
I'm sure that's an excuse. It would be so influential if British
programmes could seen all over the world without DRM. Feel like we are
missing a huge opportunity to take the lead with HTML video and to big
up British programming.

Not sure if you saw this interesting DRM discourse:
https://plus.google.com/app/basic/stream/z13qtnxhuojytbjbr04ci3cowrmtehsy324

you can't watch BBC programmes all over the world right now, with or without DRM. iPlayer, ITV player, TVcatchup (phone app) etc. only work with a UK IP address. There is FilmOnTVlive, website and app, which seems to be part of a project by a slightly dodgy US millionaire which rebroadcasts UK (and other countries TV) illegally. The company is trying to make money through ads, paid for HD and it's own content off the back of UK taxpayers and advertisers.

The only way to use these services is to subscribe to a UK based VPN or install Joderal Bank on the terrace of your apartment for Astra 28 satellite services.

I doubt if the beeb or their suppliers are very worried about domestic piracy, but overseas sales are often massive, BBC originated content on The History Channel and The Nature Channel etc, not to mention "Downton bloody Abbey". For recording domestic TV, just attach a hard drive to your digital player or get the video recorder out of the attic or stick a TV card in your PC (with a CAM unit for subscription stuff).

As for Netflix DRM, its exclusive series, (a rather excellent US remake of "House of Cards") appeared on torrent sites about 30 minutes after each episode was broadcast. So as with Game of Thrones DRM is entirely pointless (the producers of GofT have said that piracy doesn't seem to affect DVD sales and they quite like the cultural buzz of being the most torrented programme in the history of the internet).

I feel the BBC should have the right to protect overseas sales, netflix and HBO have the right to the revenue which enable them to produce wonderful dramas like House of Cards and Game of Thrones. If it was possible for me to watch these things on my OS of choice without taking a Sky subscription I wouldn't be so bothered by DRM, especially if I could make a fair use copy for myself, and would pay actual money to watch them.

I approve when publishers release e-books without DRM, TOR scifi for example. I have downloaded a few books via torrents when the publisher doesn't release a UK e-edition, but always feel guilty and in a couple of cases have paypal'd the price of the book to the author (though as has been pointed out this does nothing to support the publishing eco system). I also make de-DRM'd copies of most of my kindle purchases, but these people need the money and I'm happy to give mine to them.

Cory Doctorow and others argue that DRM is pointless for books and de-DRM'd content helps them with publicity etc. and sells paid for versions. I would like this to be true, but suspect that if/when print publishing becomes secondary and if/when downloading this stuff for free becomes massively easy this may not remain the case.

So this is not a straightforward issue. I have not clear opinion and is somewhat conflicted about it. But on the one hand for the moment DRM is ineffective and a pain in the posteriour (remember region coded DVDs?), on the other hand content creators need the dosh. So my solution to this dilemma is....

S


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