DRM in Your Car's Engine
DRM in Your Car's Engine
May 20, 2009
GamePolitics readers are familiar with the Digital Rights Management controversy which marred the release of Will Wright's long-awaited Spore last year.
But DRM and the consumer-unfriendly Digital Millenium Copyright Act are apparently concerns for drivers as well as gamers.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that a proposal before Congress would allow independent auto repair shops to break the DRM which currently locks them out of your car's diagnostic computer:
The Right-To-Repair Act of 2009 (H.R. 2057)... points to a much bigger consumer issue... One underlying legal problem here is the DMCA, which prohibits bypassing or circumventing "technological protection measures..."
And the issue goes beyond the importance of being able to get independent repair and maintenance services. The use of technological "locks" against tinkerers also threatens "user innovation" -- the kinds of innovation that traditionally have come from independent tinkerers -- which has increasingly been recognized as an important part of economic growth and technological improvement...
In short, thanks to the DMCA, we need a Right-To-Repair Act not just for cars, but increasingly for all the things we own.
Via: boing boing
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Posted 02/09/10 at 03:31pm
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
DarkSaber: Hm, Bioshock. Not that Zippy likes to beat the dead horse by ranting about it for TWO $&%£ING YEARS!
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:30pm
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
DarkSaber: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.173063-Bioshock-yet-another-zippy-rant
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:20pm
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
DarkSaber: Although, unsurprisingly, he's just being called an idiot alot and criticised for being as illegible as always.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:18pm
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
DarkSaber: Oh good lord, I just found Zippy on The Escapist.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:14pm
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Valdearg: IE: Male body/Female Mind or Female Body/Male Mind.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:13pm
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Valdearg: @Zip: TG == Transgendered/Transsexual.
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:09pm
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
DarkSaber: Forget it Zippy, it's an abbreviation of a big word and so would be wasted on you
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:07pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:....TG?
Posted 02/09/10 at 03:02pm
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Valdearg: @DS: Im sure that's what they'd do if it wasn't legal to just tell Gays/TG's to "Screw off," just because they're who they are.
Posted 02/09/10 at 02:50pm
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
DarkSaber: Whoever told him/her/it that is dumb. They should have done like most companies and made-up some bullshit, yet legal, reason for it not getting the job.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:16pm
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:10pm
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:00pm
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:53pm
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Andrew Eisen: Eye color isn't covered either but I doubt it would be considered legal to refuse to hire people with green eyes.
Andrew Eisen: Eye color isn't covered either but I doubt it would be considered legal to refuse to hire people with green eyes.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:48pm
Andrew Eisen: My explanation is longer than the Shoutbox will allow. Suffice to say that while those who are discriminated against do have legal recourse, anti-discrimination law should specifically cite sexual orientation so that there’s no question about it.
Andrew Eisen: My explanation is longer than the Shoutbox will allow. Suffice to say that while those who are discriminated against do have legal recourse, anti-discrimination law should specifically cite sexual orientation so that there’s no question about it.
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Comments
Will the horror ever end?
Hey that sounds like a great idea. Perhaps we can get a "Right to Patch Act", in which we are allowed to break DRM on games in order to patch bugs ourselves.
Maybe we could follow it up with the "Right To Backup Act", in which we have the right to create and use backups of our media.
Eventually if we get enough of these acts we may even be able to convince the government to repeal the DMCA.
But we all know what will happen. Some committee that is in the pocket of the Media industry will deny this bill and state that auto repair shops have to go through the same inane process of begging for a three year exception like the rest of us.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Sigh, I wish this wasn't true.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
Accept and Embrace it you rent you don't own.
Damn right!! Lock 'em out!! I would too, if I was Enzo Ferrari. If you don't, next thing you know is that there'll be an F430 sitting on four cinder blocks in some idiot's driveway for months with the engine lid gaping open, ruining the resale value of F430s everywhere. Lock 'em out!!
There's DRM in cars now? When did this happened?
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Since Diagnostic Computers became the way to 'fix' cars.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
I thought in the US monopoly situations were illegal? I am sorry, but when we down own the shit we flat out buy... I think it is about time for anarcy. Let the US fail, let the companies fail, we need to build it all from scratch again.
Nido Web Flash Tutorials AS2 and AS3 Tutorials for anyone interested.
How to set Xbox 360 Parental Controls
So even cars have DRM? I didn't know that, but I shouldn't be surprised what with how almost everything nowadays is computerized. I wouldn't be surprised if my toaster didn't have a computer chip installed somewhere inside it at this point.
If the DMCA statute is so backwards and restrictive that there are legal risks with repairing faulty merchandise, then I think it's time it got a few revisions... or better yet, a repeal.
--- I do more than just play games. I draw, too: http://www.silvermelee.deviantart.com
You wouldn't download a car...
If we don't own but rent everything now, we should pay rental prices.
This just goes to illustrate the Law of Unintended Consequences in action. The fact alone that a special act is needed just to repair cars should point out how deeply flawed and problematic this piece of legislation is. As always, if only the gaming community complains, no one cares. But once it starts affecting other parts of everyday life and impacts the average Joe will the case against the DMCA gain some real traction. Video games are one thing, but god forbid it starts meesing with our cars, which one could argue is a valued piece of Americana. Expect there to be big outcry for repealing the DMCA some time soon in the wake of this.
black manta
With HDCP the very video data we whatch is DRM'd, hell the way its implemented you can't watch 1080 stuff without it.....
I am a criminal because I purchase media,I am a criminal because I use media, I am a criminal because I chose to own media..We shall remain criminals until Corporate stay's outside our bedrooms..
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com
Correct me if I'm reading this wrong, but this bill would pretty much allow more people the ability to fix a car, right? Is there anything wrong with that? I mean, I try to stay away from dealerships whenever possible, so this is a good thing for someone like me, right?
Makers of DRM are just pursuing their own agenda and it seems that there is no heart put in when thinking of the drivers as well as gamers. KW Variant