DRM: An Interview

A friend of mine in my high school requested an interview about DRM for a paper he was doing. I am reposting it with his permission. (Thanks Patrick!) Also, I have cleaned up the grammar and such before posting.

(20:26:56) Patrick: Is Sony leading the DRM movement?
(20:28:59) Just One Trip: No, Sony's not leading it. The RIAA (Recording Industry Assoc. of America), of which Sony is a member, is the biggest proponent. Several of the record labels in the RIAA have been attempting to use DRM to protect online music and CDs from piracy, but no method has worked. Sony just happens to be the player that botched DRM so bad that now many people who didn't know about it before do now, and have a negative view of it.
(20:29:47) Patrick: Ah.
(20:30:25) Patrick: In what way would the common music CD be affected by DRMs?
(20:32:56) Just One Trip: Well, the idea is that people do what is called 'casual piracy.' In essence, it is people buying CDs and then making copies for their friends. DRM on CDs was introduced in an effort to try to prevent this. In the process, DRMed CDs do not meet the specifications Phillips requires to be able to use the 'CD Audio' logo, so the lack of this logo is a giveaway that a CD contains it. DRM often installs a poorly-designed player into the Windows operating system and makes it so that only protected music files can be listened to on your computer, but these files are often of poor quality, and the software is often buggy and can make systems unstable and more likely to crash.
(20:33:10) Just One Trip: Not that that's the intention, it's an unintended side-effect.
(20:35:15) Patrick: How would the DRM know if it was on the buyer's computer or a friends?
(20:35:20) Patrick: Internet registration?
(20:35:28) Just One Trip: Huh?
(20:35:38) Just One Trip: I don't think you follow, let me explain how DRM works.
(20:38:11) Patrick: Okay.
(20:38:29) Just One Trip: In the case of CDs, when the CD is put in the computer, the Windows operating system uses the 'autorun' file and automatically installs the program onto the system, in order to prevent copying. Most DRM methods make their presence known and run in the background to try to prevent copying. The problem with Sony was that they took it a step further and decided to hide the software with what's known as a rootkit. A rootkit essentially modifies the way the operating system works; in this case, the operating system automatically hides any files that began with '$sys$.' While it may seem benign, what happens when a virus gets in that starts with that string? All of a sudden, the virus scan can't detect it because Windows is hiding it due to the rootkit.
(20:39:39) Patrick: Okay, but what would prevent someone from just loaning the CD to a friend?
(20:39:47) Just One Trip: Nothing.
(20:40:03) Just One Trip: The goal is not to prevent people from loaning CDs.
(20:40:12) Just One Trip: The goal is to prevent illegal COPYING of CDs.
(20:40:18) Patrick: I see.
(20:40:43) Just One Trip: If you loan it to a friend and you cannot make copies, then you are without that CD until you get it back.
(20:40:57) Patrick: Right
(20:41:15) Just One Trip: And the music industry is okay with that, because it encourages people to buy more CDs.
(20:41:32) Patrick: Does the copyright protection affect imaging programs (i.e. Alcohol 120)?
(20:41:45) Just One Trip: I have never heard of Alcohol 120, what is it?
(20:42:31) Patrick: It's a great program that allows the user to create a CD image, which is a CD burned to the hard drive to replace the CD.
(20:42:35) Patrick: I use it for games.
(20:43:44) Just One Trip: Ah, well, the DRM does not prevent that. But if you try to run your CD image that you created, you will wind up with the DRM installed, unless your program disables Autorun.
(20:44:32) Patrick: That sucks.
(20:44:39) Just One Trip: I know.
(20:44:51) Just One Trip: But that's the good part about current DRM schemes.
(20:45:59) Just One Trip: If you know how to disable autorun (Windows does not make it easy), you are safe from the schemes so long as you do not run the program manually. Further, if you use the Mac OS or Linux or any operating system besides Windows, you are safe from DRM, as it is only made for the Windows operating system at this time.
(20:46:33) Patrick: Yeah.
(20:46:37) Patrick: I hate autorun.
(20:46:49) Just One Trip: It can be disabled, if you can find the right registry keys
(20:46:53) Patrick: Yeah.
(20:46:59) Patrick: Oh well.
(20:47:14) Patrick: Are there any DRM plans for video games?
(20:50:39) Just One Trip: Yes, actually. At this point, the GameCube and PSP have almost 'natural' DRM, in that since it is not possible to copy the GameCube disks or UMD media for the PSP, there is no concern. I am no expert on the X-Box or the PS2, however I can say that there are rumours that Sony's PS3 will have a string on the disk that, upon first use in the player, will be coded with that player's unique ID. That disk will then only play on that PS3--no reselling your games, no copying and giving them to friends, and if your PS3 dies, tough luck. Further, the PS3 will contain Blu-Ray, a new DVD standard that uses a blue laser rather than a red one to fit more data on a single disk. This has DRM to prevent copying also, including a requirement for a constant internet connection so that if a disk that has been 'compromised' is put in the system, the Blu-Ray player immediately dies and must be sent in for service.
(20:51:43) Patrick: Wow, that seems communistic.
(20:51:43) Just One Trip: Thus many people are opposed to the Blu-Ray standard.
(20:52:05) Patrick: I can see why.
(20:53:27) Just One Trip: HD-DVD, which is backed by Microsoft, is better, although not much better. It does have DRM of its own similar to the Blu-Ray, but not the player-killing DRM of Blu-Ray. Microsoft wants HD-DVD to allow copying so that media can be played using the Windows Media Center Edition and streamed to the X-Box 360 among other uses.
(20:54:14) Patrick: I still don't like Microsoft.
(20:54:20) Just One Trip: Agreed.
(20:54:40) Patrick: Are there DRM plans for DVDs?
(20:56:29) Just One Trip: There already is DRM on DVDs. However, thanks to a European named 'DVD Jon,' the DRM, known as CSS, was cracked within a few weeks. His program, named DeCSS, is used today to allow DVDs to be played in the Linux operating system. I've already detailed what is in store for HD-DVD and Blu-Ray, the up-and-coming formats.
(20:57:02) Patrick: I didn't know that.
(20:57:09) Just One Trip: Yep.
(20:58:18) Just One Trip: When I installed Linux, I had to install the DeCSS plugin along with the mplayer and Xine media players that I use.
(20:59:10) Patrick: DRM is Digital Rights Management right?
(20:59:12) Just One Trip: Yes.
(20:59:16) Patrick: Good.
(20:59:18) Patrick: And...
(20:59:43) Patrick: I think thats it for now.
(20:59:52) Just One Trip: Okay, well, if you need any more, let me know.
(21:00:05) Patrick: Great.
(21:01:02) Patrick: Well, I have to go write a paper now.
(21:01:06) Patrick: Thanks for the help.
(21:01:18) Just One Trip: Okay, best of luck to you.

Flagging the Broadcast Flag

I apologize for the lengthy delay between posts; I have been quite busy with school work. I have some major assignments due in the next week and a half. Once I get those done and turned in, I'll get back on track.

But in the mean time, today we're going to discuss the future of television.

At this point, you're probably wondering just what I'm talking about; the future of television.

If you have satellite TV or digital cable, then you already know what's coming, in a way. In much the same way that satellite TV and digital cable are going to a digital format, like most cellular phones, regular, over-the-air TV is doing the same thing. WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC was the first television station in the US to do so in 1996, and since then almost all of the rest of the nation's TV stations have joined in.

But there are multiple reasons for going digital. The largest reason is that digital TV stations can be put closer together on the band. This means that after the transition, some of the TV frequencies will be reassigned. Some channels between 52 and 69 will be reassigned to public safety. Others will be sold for cellular phones or wireless internet or other services. That will leave us with 2-51, and of those, channel 37 is reserved for radio astronomy, and channels 2-6 have been proven to have problems with digital television.

In addition, digital TV is the primary method for receiving HDTV (High Definition TV). That's something that more people have heard of. For those who haven't, HDTV is simply TV with more lines of resolution, which creates a clearer, sharper image for the viewer. Some people claim it is like looking through a window. This is the biggest draw for the consumer to digital broadcasting. Although it is available via cable and satellite, it is often much more compressed and prone to "artifacts" (those little blocks that you see on satellite before the rain knocks out the signal) than over-the-air is.

The last major draw is the ability to "multicast." This means that since the digital broadcast is sort of like an endless computer file, it can be divided into multiple "streams." That's right, multiple programs on the same channel. It's difficult to have more than one HD (High Definition) stream and one SD (Standard Defition--like today's TV) at the same time, but if a station chooses not to broadcast in HD, as many as six SD feeds will fit on one channel. How do you tell them apart? Well, in digital receivers, they "remap" to different numbers. For example, my local Fox station (Fox 21/27) broadcasts in HD on 27-1, and then they carry the WB on 27-2 (and their repeater does the same with Fox on 21-1 and WB on 21-2). Other stations do the same thing with their streams. The technology to remap also allows stations to keep their identity. For example, 27-1 is actually broadcasting on channel 17, but thanks to remapping, most people never know. (For information on where your local channels are, check out AntennaWeb).

But how does the Broadcast Flag tie into everything? The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) wants the FCC to require the use of a Broadcast Flag to allow them to control the use of what is viewed on digital television. This would allow them to control whether or not material can be recorded, for how long a recording could be kept, in what quality the recording could be made in, among other things.

This is not the first time such a case has occurred. In the 1980's, the VCR was released. In what was known as The Betamax Decision, the Supreme Court ruled that since VCRs could be used for legitimate purposes, such as for time-shifting (which is what TiVo and related devices are used for), that VCRs could not be banned. Now, the Broadcast Flag threatens those freedoms that the Supreme Court has stated we have.

At one point, the FCC had mandated that all receivers sold after a certain date have the broadcast flag, but a judge ruled that the FCC did not have the authority; only Congress did. Recently, the MPAA submitted a bill to Congress (that happens all the time folks, no need to gape in horror) that would have made the manufacture of receivers with outputs to current analog TVs illegal! This would mean that if someone wanted to continue watching TV in the digital age, they would have to buy a new TV with the broadcast flag and more limited rights. Thankfully, the bill has not been acted upon and there is no requirement to incorporate the broadcast flag.

The FCC operates under the premise that these are the public's airwaves, not the MPAA's or anyone elses. What we do with things broadcast over the airwaves should not be left up to the MPAA to decide! Likewise, the FCC should have no say in cable television, as cable has almost nothing to do with the airwaves (I'm talking about the censorship here, which will be discussed in detail in a later column).

It is important that we stand up for our rights in this digital age , or else these rights will disappear.