Re: [microsound] //Copyright monopoly and creative sounds

[derek holzer <derek@xxxxxxx>]

regarding Linux and copyright/digital rights on the hardware side, i 
think the example of the LinuXBox is an important one:

Micro$oft did everything they could to keep people from realizing the 
possibilities of what an XBox really is: a 733 MHz computer with an 
adequate graphics system and halfway decent soundcard. it was made to be 
a game system which would only play corperately-licensed entertainment 
software. it wouldn't even read an burned CDR! this kind of hardware 
lockage is similar to the kind of hardware-based "digital rights 
management" schemes you will see in the near future from all the major 
market players.

the Linux hackers made quite a game out of defeating one after the other 
of these protection schemes. the result was an operating system for a 
piece of relatively cheap hardware [+/- $200] which could run a number 
of sophisticated sound and image processing applications under Linux. 
just a couple weeks ago, I saw a demo by Johannes Taelman of Belgium, 
where he had converted an XBox running Linux and a webcam into a very 
nice little motion-sensor with visual and audio output.

see:
http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~jtaelman/articles/x__y/index.html
for more info.

put simply, the more kinds of successful hacks and outright debunking of 
proprietary systems which take away people's rights to a product they 
have already paid for [i.e. hardware systems], the more people will see 
that there is an alternative to the kind of money-grubbing and 
definitely user-UNfriendly shit that windoze and mac users have to deal 
with on a daily basis.

[by this i mean all the software you ever "stole" buggy + cracked 
versions of--because otherwise it cost $1000!, all the nag screens you 
"ignore", the dongles you do or don't actually use and lose, the lost 
passwords and massive "secret key" files, the "extra bonus" software and 
spyware that comes with just about any "free" program you find these 
days, the pop-up advertisements when you just want to play a song, or 
the inability to sucessfully transfer some type of digital media from 
one machine to another... the list of infringments on YOUR digital 
rights goes on and on and on... whether or not you install Linux as the 
solution to these problems is entirely up to you, of course. but please 
let me know if there is another one :-) ][/end "religeous" rant]

best,
Derek

Michal Seta wrote:

>getting further off topic here...
>
>One more reason to upgrade to linux?
>In the past five years that I have been using linux I had almost
>forgotten what entering a serial number/pass means...
>
>I am not saying this to start another religious/OS/platform/whatever
>war.  Linux is a _real_ alternative to Microcrap.  One can get
>immediately productive with it (be it office applications, graphics,
>music, digital audio, internet etc).  It's true that some aspect of
>the OS are still a little immature and many applications are alpha or
>beta (and will be for a long time) and in general more
>time/testing/developers are needed to make it perfect (whatever that
>means) but there are many mature tools available (UNIX type systems
>have been around for a very long time!) that may suit many needs.
>True, one may need to adjust one's working habits but any change
>requires some adjustments.  Besides, possibly this change will be
>enriching.
>
>Now, to get back to copyright issues, those who are concerned about
>copyrights and their social, moral, philosophical, legal etc aspects and
>influence on one's creative/productive life, linux is, again, a
>possible path.  Check out gnu.org to learn about copyleft applied to
>software.  Many artists have been copylefting their music/art and
>deriving licenses from the GPL.  Check out also
>http://creativecommons.org/ for another type of license to support
>creative work.
>
>cheers
>
>On Mon, 28 Apr 2003 07:44:08 -0600
>Jeffrey wrote:
>
>  
>
>>*Sigh*.  I think you're right.  Microsoft's "Palladium" gets really 
>>intense and can bind things down to the hardware level, which always 
>>worries me.  I have enough problems just moving serial number and 
>>preference information around between machines.  I'm not looking 
>>forward to a day when I buy a new computer or any other piece of 
>>digital equipment and find I can't access half my library without 
>>jumping through lots of hoops - even though I may even still be within 
>>my licensed "rights".
>>    
>>
>
>  
>

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