Oh crap! The Broadcast Flag is back! But what is it and why should you care?
Well, if you believe the movie and recording industry people... it's a way to protect digital media from being stolen as it is broadcast to people's fancy new HD televisions. They worry that since the signal is so good, people will just steal media instead of buying it legally on DVDs or Pay-Per-View or cable or whatever.
Hey, that doesn't sound so bad does it? I mean, stealing is bad. If everybody steals movies and television shows, that means the people who make the stuff won't get paid. And if people don't get paid, then that means nobody will MAKE movies and television shows anymore. That would suck ass!
But here's the problem... protection never works out. Thieves ALWAYS find away around copy protection.
No, the people who suffer are law-abiding citizens. The Broadcast Flag completely controls what you can do with the content you pay for. You are no longer "the decider" of what you can record on your TiVo or take with you on your iPod... NETWORKS are. They control if you can record it, when you can record it, how you can record it, where you can watch it and, assuming you are able to record it at all, how long that recording will last. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Since they control EVERYTHING to do with the content, there's no telling what's going to happen. Never mind that you pay for the right to view the material, they get to decide how.
And this is why attempts to introduce Broadcast Flag legislation have always failed. It's simply not a solution that's fair to law-abiding citizens. But that doesn't keep the ass-wipes from continuing to try. They are always trying to sneak it into other law "packages" in the hopes that nobody will notice.
And that makes me very angry...
I mean, holy crap... IT'S OVER! WE DON'T WANT YOUR F#@%ING BROADCAST FLAG! How many times does it have to be defeated before it will just DIE??
I say the next ass-hat who tries to sneak it into legislation should be shot.
Maybe then the rest of the idiots will get a clue, and I won't have to read about some dumbass politician wasting time and tax dollars on this crap again.
Maybe then our lawmakers will focus on important stuff... like health care or something.
Maybe then law-abiding people will stop getting screwed over what they legally pay for.
Maybe.
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Yes, and maybe porcine barnyard inhabitants will sprout feather-adorned appendages and take to the skies!
Never fear! The Open Source Community is here!
Valiently sucking down massive amouts of caffeinated beverages as they manfully hack their way around all such restrictions and limitations, consequences be damned!
Now aren’t you sorry you picked on the A/V Club geeks when you were in high school?
Uhhh… that would be me who was a member of the computer club and playing Dungeons & Dragons on my lunch hour.
Good times. Good times. 🙂
That would really tick me off, but I don’t have cable or an HDTV or a DVR so… not so much. By the time I catch up with the technology, all our freedoms will be gone.
I do my share of sucking caffeinated beverages, but I NEVER try to restrict anyone’s rights. Ever.
You absolutely made my day, Dave. We have effectively made this an All Ass Weekend with our blog themes.
Is an Ass Flag on the horizon?
When was the last time something was broadcast that was worth recording?
Why are you shooting reigning American Idol Taylor Hicks in the face?
Because I am tired of him screaming “SOUL PATROL” all the time and acting like a dork!
Well, that PLUS he happens to be holding Broadcast Flag legislation!
🙂