DirecT Action

Innocent people caught in DirecTV's legal assault on programming pirates now have an ally. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Stanford Law School's Center Cyberlaw Clinic have teamed up to create a DirecTV Defense Web site.

DirecTV's absurd position is that anyone who buys a smart card reader or reprogrammer is out to steal its programming. That's like GM saying everyone with a screwdriver is a car thief. If DirecTV is serious about stopping pirates rather than shaking down the innocent, it would fire some lawyers and hire some encryption experts.

Comments

[S^2]

The problem is that Hughes already has lots of crypto experts — it has never been “easy” to crack DTV’s signal (especially when DTV can insert countermeasures to toast black-market hardware).

However, the net changes everything: as soon as anyone can do it, everyone can do it. And if you can’t catch anyone, you must logically go after everyone.

This is another symptom of the content vs. consumer war. Content’s become too cheap and easy to transport, and unsuprisingly, those who profit from content transportation are a bit upset about seeing their business disappear. I imagine that buggy-whip manufacturers felt much the same …

[Anonymous]

Can’t you just use cash to buy one?

[Mark Draughn]

Sigh. I can still remember when it seem ridiculous that anybody should be allowed to outlaw the reception of broadcast signals. I mean, if they don’t want me to receive it, they should keep it the hell out of my house, right?

Now we have a DirecTV mouthpiece saying that the only reason people would buy smartcard programmers it to steal their signal. Why is that argument so familiar?

Years ago, I remember someone writing that if you want to see the future of cryptographic law, look at gun control.

[Hunter]

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION

Jeff, your GM analogy reminds me of the park ranger who wanted to ticket a lady in a boat on the lake. The boat had fishing gear in it that belonged to her husband who was elsewhere in the woods, snapping pictures of wildlife.

So the lady objected to the ticket, saying, ?I?m not fishing. Do you see me fishing? I?m just out on the lake for a leisurely rowing session.?

?Fine, but I see fishing equipment in your boat, so I?m going to have to ticket you $250.00? said the park ranger, as he began writing the ticket.

?Well, then I?ll have to report you for rape!? retorted the lady.

?Rape? What do you mean? I didn?t touch you!? stammered the ranger.

Lady said, ?Maybe not, but I know you have the equipment!?

[flight ticket]

it’s something to think about. discount I’m not sure if I will follow through generlogies with my urge or not. If I do, it lowest must of course be done relentlessly. airfare I can relate, as I feel myself distancing cheap myself from this tedium, far more ticket interested in the shifting time signatures cheapest in the song I’m listening to (three flight of three followed by one of two) low

[Anonymous]

****** A Determinist’s View ******

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Approaching Happiness

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Stop using money, outright.

Pride is sin- if you are using money you are the problem.

That ‘the truth sets us free’ is not just a catch-phrase-

I know predestiny is real because the entirety of the ‘now’ is a product of all experience leading to it. I know ‘choice’ is not real because we are our experience, and only ever can be. — This is knowledge that must be known if we are to transcend our fear.

The entirety of the money system is collapsing. Attempting to maintain a financial state is folly- give until you die.

This exodus is real. It begins with dumpster diving, cardboard houses and planting food everywhere. It leads to the reality of a world of trust where we all know what we are.

This is not philosophical fancy- this is exactly what’s needed to be considered.

The game is not about survival. Or more, it?s about the only true survival; that being of our sanity (and knowing how it responds when we try to ignore truth). It is not about having an alternate ‘system’. It is about doing right regardless of consequence while trusting in love’s inspiration (which is about efficiency).

Money fuels pride.

Pride is ignorance of the fact that anything that comes from us comes from the experiences that made us. A fact that people would ignore because of a want of belief in ‘free-will’. That we are only our experience, objectively, means that whatever we would think of as a ‘choice’ can only be our experience reacting to the ‘now’.

It’s laziness, at it’s root. An apprehension of the ‘daunting’ responsibility of being humble- which is dedication to truth and a knowing that love is real and the only intent. Believing in a lie makes us crazy. When we pretend to believe in a lie we justify it by living a lie, allowing for spite at those who do not believe in that lie, hence suffering.

When we know we will die gracefully we come to see the pure absurdity of being motivated by fear.

love,

David Arthur Johnston

Victoria, BC, Canada

PS: Plain English?

Pride violates me. Pride cannot have a worthy opinion. Pride is a flailing child seeking attention. Pride is rape. Pride is murder. Pride is what makes nuclear bombs. Pride is every act against love. George W. Bush is somewhat right about either being for a thing or against a thing- there is no neutrality- at any time, a person can only be humble or proud.

in practice and hope

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