One simple way to fight Piracy / Warez - everybody helps !

[james0tucson]

Some of the action taken by copy protection on music software goes too far. See, my rights surrounding my creative work are at least as important as some publisher's rights. So when their software runs the risk of coming between me and my creative work, it's my copyright that's been violated. Whether they have a copyright infringement problem is a totally separate issue from that, and I don't care about it, because it's not germane to the damage done to me (the abridgement of my own rights.)

Most people don't seem to see it the way I do. And some who understand my position realize the risk is low (you're only going to use a piece of software for a short time, and essentially throw it away, and not allow yourself to be locked out of your recordings, etc.)

But I'm resolutely opposed to using any software that the publisher thinks I need active permission from them to use, now, or in the future.

I'm satisfied when protection schemes place all responsibility on me.

Here is my extremely ridiculous scenario:

I have just woken up in the cryogenic room on my space craft. I have a computer that can emulate a 21st century PC-compatable, the Windows API, etc. Am I locked out of my creative works because the software can't "call home" to authorize? Am I locked out because some specialized piece of hardware didn't make it to the 25th century with me?

For example, if I'm able to keep the key and install bits of eXT, it still works in my silly example. Does Cubase?

Don't try to argue that I won't be going into cryosleep and waking up at Alpha Centauri -- I know that. My problem is much more fundamental that this. I will not willingly allow your company to place cryptographic protection against my creative works unless you explicitly purchase the rights to those works from me.

So I can't buy Cubase, or use any recorder that does a one-way digital with no digital output (like Sony consumer recorders), and I also don't care to use any hardware device which has undisclosed protocols for interoperability, although I will consider this if they are not protected by cryptographic means.

My argument is from the point of view of being the artist. Most DRM and software schemes are presented as protecting "the artist" as if the consumer is not *also* "the artist."

But in the case of music software, the consumer has rights that are being waived by his use of the product, and I find that abhorrent.

I'm one of those people who believes rights, particularly Constitutional Rights such as copyright, are worth killing and dying to protect. So I take this matter very, very seriously, and I *will not* use any product that could place a corporation's interests between me and access to my creative works.