Bitcoin Forum

I just stumbled upon this open-source DRM software infrastructure:

from their company page http://mutableinc.com (http://mutableinc.com):

and from their open-source code repository http://sourceforge.net/projects/openipmp (http://sourceforge.net/projects/openipmp):

Now, me personally, I don't like DRM.  However, I can see how it is possible to enfore so-called "intellectual property rights" using voluntary means, such as embedding DRM codes inside of a media file and using ostracism, such as making such DRM "protected" media files unplayable, of course, using entirely voluntary and peaceful means (no threats from men with guns).  So I was thinking, what would be a great way to complement an open-source DRM management software with some sortof open-source currency...maybe bitcoin?

With DRM, all you're doing is offering an inferior product.

drm is in the linux kernel. the difference is you switch it on or off.

I think it's quite different than DRM that they're talking about.

http://dri.freedesktop.org/wiki/DRM

Agreed.  Which is why Eric Fontaine releases recordings of all his live jazz performances DRM-free at http://podcast.ericfontainejazz.com (http://podcast.ericfontainejazz.com) and http://youtube.com/ericfontainejazz (http://youtube.com/ericfontainejazz)...

I agree. But there is a market for inferior products.

ocremix.com <- support them

ocremix is awesome!  So many great arrangements of video game music.  And they typically distribute the original flac (compacted wav) along with the mp3 in the free torrent download for each alblum.

Oh yes, I agree that open-source DRM is sortof a sick idea.  But it may be useful on occasion when you wish to give out a free low-quality version but make people pay for the high-quality DRM-free version.

DRM is irrelevant in this scenario. Let's assume the low-quality version is 128Kbps mp3. It's free, so why bother with DRM? It would just force people to install extra software. And then you stated that the high-quality version, presumably FLAC, has no DRM.

I will, however, agree that if DRM is demanded by the content provider, it should be open-source. That way, it does not rely on obscurity and I can see exactly what it's doing, avoiding all the problems with XCP and SecuROM.

Here's an even sicker idea...Using Linux and open-source to improve the functioning of the military-industrial complex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CXLCnHBcWw




Of course.  Maybe I should have been more specific: maybe a business wants to stream the free low-quality version of their media to only their specific proprietary player (that likely includes ads or costs money), so they use open-source DRM to ensure that their media produces garbage static (or simply can't play) on players that don't provide revenue to the business.  Of course people could record the audio going from the computer output terminal to their speakers, but by that point it would be of so low quality or be so difficult that people might instead simply purchase the DRM-free high-quality version.


Exactly.  Basically apply the Interoperability, Bug-free, and other positive qualities that result from the open-source model to DRM so business can profit from their investments of paying coders, musicians, artists, actors, producers, desigerns, or other creators of intellectual property content.  Just take a look at the PS3, where SONY's complex and multi-stage DRM system was completely hacked (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPjd6gHY6A4) by clever hackers exploiting poor code (likely because SONY used closed-source non-peer-reviewed security systems) with basic algebra.