Re: DRMTICS 2005 Call for Papers

From: Andrew Swallow (am.swallow_at_btopenworld.com)
Date: 05/29/05 

Date: Sun, 29 May 2005 17:33:28 +0000 (UTC)

Sebastian Gottschalk wrote:

> Andrew Swallow wrote:
>
>
>>Invent a method of payment that the customers find acceptable,
>>so few will want to cheat.
>
>
> Simple: No watermarking at all. Flat rate for all media.
>

Too easy to send an email containing the file to a group of friends.

>
>>Make the watermark consist of two
>>parts - first the song ID & singer and second the email address
>>of the user. Include this information in the file header. Append
>>a digital signature. The music can now be traced back to the
>>purchaser.
>
>
> With an email adress???
>

Welcome to the 21st century. Music is sold over the internet.

If you need an email containing the key variable before you
decode the file then the music (etc) company's website has to
be provided with a real email address. We then get the ISPs
to attach the email address to a snail mail address, POTS
number or mobile phone number. It may be slow but we
can find the customer.
>
>>It is possible to change the watermark but this is proof that
>>something fraudulent is going on. Pass laws banning that.
>
>
> Modifying your very own data should be reglemented by law?
>
>
>>Such laws do not get in the way of honest people.
>
>
> Depends on how you define "honest". Really honest people are defending
> their freedom again unreasonable laws.
>
>
>>The players should accept say 5 email addresses.
>
>
> And what stops me from creating a player that doesn't care for this
> nonsense at all? Sorry, but artificially limiting data access in a way that
> works against the users simply won't work. Companies will come, not playing
> the game with your rules, and create non-limiting devices.
>

Nothing. However, we can stop you mass producing and selling
the player. Lovely thing about iPOD type players, most people
cannot change the firmware and those that can may not wish to be
caught carrying one modified for illegal activities.

> BTW, this is also why TCPA even more of a joke.

The basic system needs to satisfy the general public, so illegal
activity stays small. Once it gets large you have lost.

Andrew Swallow