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TiVo fears new open source license will harm business
As if TiVo honestly needed any more reasons to fear for its life, it looks like the forthcoming version of the General Public License could actually do more "harm to its business." It the firm's most recent regulatory filing, it warned that the third version of the aforementioned license "would prohibit manufacturers of consumer appliances that use open source software from implementing technical measures designed to prevent user modifications," essentially giving the TiVo hackers of the world even fewer hoops to jump through. TiVo fears that if GPLv3 is widely adopted, it may be "unable to incorporate future enhancements to the GNU / Linux operating system into its software," which would obviously affect the outfit in a negative fashion. Notably, Novell has also spoken up about how this latest document could "disrupt its Linux distribution partnership with Microsoft," but unless something major happens rather hastily, the Free Software Foundation reportedly expects GPLv3 to be published sometime this summer.
Canadian cable providers locking out Vista Media Centers?
Nearly a month after Warner Bros. axed advanced screenings in Canada while tagging priacy as the scapegoat, now Canucks are facing another bout with DRM right inside their homes. According to a lengthy list of complaints over at TheGreenButton, it appears that some Canadian cable providers (Rogers and Shaw, namely) are seemingly throwing the broadcast flag onto a questionable amount of content. Essentially, users who are trying to record said programming via their own Windows Vista Media Center setup are receiving all sorts of errors and messages informing them that the material (even on basic cable) they are trying to record is laced with "restrictions set by the broadcaster and / or originator of the content." Interestingly, it seems that the blame here lies more with the cable companies and not some glitch within Vista, as more than a few customers have received responses from their providers suggesting that they ditch the whole PVR idea and instead rely on the company-provided DVR (at a cost, of course). So, dear Canadians, are any of you fighting this same battle?
Finnish court rules CSS DVD protection "ineffective"
A Finnish court in Helsinki has made a ruling that confirms what we've all known for a long time now; that CSS is completely ineffective as a copyright protection method for DVDs. Legally this adds an air of sanity to the previous European Ruling that banned the "the circumvention of 'effective technological measures.'" This early court decision (it could be / probably will be appealed) places CSS outside of this definition, removing the illegal aspect of circumventing CSS in the EU. If the decision of the entry-level court stands, then there are implications for other copyright protection methods, which will no longer be considered effective protection methods if software which undermines it becomes widespread -- certainly the case with CSS, and potentially the case with HD-DVD and Blu-ray. As the case is currently developing, we'd suggest you keep the champagne energy drinks on ice for now: not that the legal status of backing up your DVDs was an effective deterrent in the first place.
AT&T gets green flag to rebrand Burton's NASCAR ride
We know that there's another grueling week to survive between now and the Coca-Cola 600, but here's a NASCAR tidbit that will hopefully satisfy your Sunday desire for a little roundtrack action. AT&T has been given the green flag to rebrand Jeff Burton's (very orange) #31 race car after Judge Marvin H. Shoob of the US District Court, Northern District of Georgia, "granted AT&T's motion for preliminary injunction in its suit against NASCAR." It was noted that the decision gives AT&T "the immediate right to put its logos and brand marks" on the vehicle, and while we're not certain if we'll see a slightly new look come May 27th, we're sure it won't be long before the blue sphere makes its official debut.[Via RCRNews]
1GB Nike shoe USB flash drive disregards trademark
While we've seen the swoosh used on questionably licensed apparel before, we're fairly certain that a one-off Japanese e-tailer isn't selling a svelte Nike USB flash drive before the company itself with due permissions in place. Nevertheless, users can (well, for the time being, at least) pick the 1GB training shoe USB drive for their Mac or PC, and while it doubles as a keychain or hangs on tight to your Kensington lock port, the real utility is stored beneath the toe. Admittedly, it doesn't look half bad (click through for more proof), but we'd recommend plopping down your ¥2,480 ($20) real quick like before the legal teams return on Monday.[Via EverythingUSB]
Gaymer.org looks to trademark 'Gaymer'
Can a man own the term "gaymer"? Chris Vizzini, owner of community site Gaymer.org, is looking to find out as he's applied to trademark the term. Now, before we lose people in a hail of righteous fury and legalese, it should be noted that Vizzini is only looking to trademark the word from online groups trying to use the term in another context. It's also worth noting that the controversial term "gaymer" had been used to describe the gay gaming community before Gaymer.org showed up on the scene. Also, as can be clearly seen in the photo, Gaymers original cider has been enjoyed since 1770 by the island of Britain.There is currently some heated debate about the issue on the Gaymer.org forums and the other large gay gamer community site Gamers.Experimentations.org. Although many don't identify with the term "gaymer," it's still interesting that the term has gotten to the point of needing trademark protection.GayGamer.net's site owner, who goes by the handle Fruit Brute, says, "I know there are many people that frequent our site who are members of both Gaymer.org and GamersExperimentations and I am all for that. I wish there was someway we could combine them all together in one big, happy, rainbow filled, pink glitter sprinkled family, but situations like this really seem to cause people to draw their lines in the sand."To bring the issue into wider focus, what if someone tried to trademark terms like noob, pwn and other commonly used words part of gamer speak? Should one man control a word's destiny online when it's tied to a group in our gamer community?
DTR's PDR DVD writer heaps on DRM when burning
Sure, there's been more than a few attempts to offer up DRM-laced burns, and while the overall success level is certainly debatable, DTR is giving the whole secure writing thing a go anyway. The company, which specializes in making sure that content guardians rest easy, has announced a two-faced DVD burner that can write both normal, non-protected discs or "burn secure downloaded content." Apparently, the Protected Disk Recorder (PDR) will arrive in an external flavor that can connect to "PCs, game consoles, and more" via USB, and while it can reportedly add-in whatever flavor of protection the manufacturer wants, DTR also states that its new device can "provide additional access control functions which further enhance the security of downloaded media." Currently, we've seen no details in regard to price or the actual target market, but if history continues to repeat itself, this is just another layer of DRM waiting to be cracked. [Warning: PDF read link]
"Marco" pasta is a good match for mushroom sauce, litigation
NeoGAFfer Chittagong found this bag of pasta in a Citymarket in Finland. The package is sending a very clear message, and that message is "It's-a not quite me, Maaaario!" Apparently when Mario and Luigi took off on their Mushroom Kingdom adventure, Mario's less-famous identical brother Marco stuck around and devoted his time to making delicious dried pastas. Either that or some unscrupulous company has shamelessly ripped off Mario's likeness. We'll leave it up to you to determine which is more likely-- that this is the work of an unknown relative of a fictional character or of real-world jerks. Hey, maybe Marco will show up in Good Smash Friends Battle for the Nintenco Wuu!
Patchwork enforcement on the naming policy
Pepe has done an informal but (as he says) "real FREAKIN interesting" little study of supposedly inappropriate names via the Armory. Blizzard's naming policy, as you'll know if you've ever run afoul of it, is pretty stringent-- you're not allowed to create obscene names at all (obviously), names based on real-life or well-known sources (so no trademarks or references to celebrities or Blizzard employees-- Legolas is completely out), harassing words or phrases, or "partial or complete sentences."Now, you can't really argue with most of that. The obscene stuff is a given, of course, though where Blizzard gets their criteria for obscene is anyone's guess-- one of my guildies had an undead warrior named "Skinflayer" that Blizz forced him to rename (he renamed it to Tenderheart, actually). And the copyright and famous names seems a little silly, but it's most likely just Blizzard covering their backside-- you never know what copyright holders will do when it comes to user-created content. But harassing phrases? No l33tsp33k? How can Blizzard possibly track this stuff?The fact is, as Pepe points out very effectively, that they can't (except on Blizzard employees, strangely enough). Reported names, of course, will probably get a message that they must be changed, but there's no way that Blizzard actually examines the rolls name by name to figure out which are compliant with the ToS and which aren't. The problem, then, becomes who gets punished and who doesn't, and what whims that comes by. While I'm with Blizzard on the player bans, I'm not with them on this one-- either they need to stick to their naming policy or change it. As Pepe shows, just a few minutes of Armory browsing yields hundreds of "violations." I've included all of Pepe's links after the break-- be warned that some of the names are in fact obscene according to Blizzard's policy, and thus might be offensive to some of our readers.
Kaleidescape escapes DVD CCA's wrath in court
We all know that bit about a "speedy trial" doesn't exactly come to fruition in most cases, and after three excruciating years of battling innovation stranglers the DVD Copy Control Association, Kaleidescape has escaped unscathed. The firm's DVD ripping / streaming jukebox was under fire for obvious reasons, as it not only encouraged the ripping of "protected content," but it helped users rip and transmit the data around their network. The DVD CCA whined that the machine "breached a contract" when it crafted a product that enabled users to copy its locked-down material onto hard-drive based servers -- the judge, however, felt otherwise. In fact, it was ruled that "nothing in the DVD CCA licensing agreement prohibits the development of products that allow users to copy their DVDs," thus, no contract was breached at all. One down, too many to go.
UK Court: videogame ideas can be copied
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/UK_Court_Rules_Game_Developers_Can_Plagiarize_Others_Work'; The terrific Tobold points us to this article about a ruling in the UK's Court of Appeal that has ramifications for our whole industry. The judge there says that ideas behind computer games can be freely copied-- it's only the source code and the graphics that cannot. Tobold ties this directly into connections players have been making between Lord of the Rings Online and WoW-- the two systems have lots of similarities (the UI layout is almost exactly the same at first glance)-- and says that Blizzard, for example, would never be able to sue Turbine, maker of LotRO.Of course IANAL, but I'm pretty sure this isn't a groundbreaking ruling. While graphics and the code are undoubtedly covered by copyright (because you can clearly look at them to tell whether they're identical or not), it doesn't seem like gameplay ideas would be-- game designers have always borrowed popular ideas from each other, going all the way back to the idea of experience points and hit points. Even something like Madden's "Playmaker" feature can be copied-- while other companies can't call their feature "Playmaker," they can definitely use the analog stick to direct plays.Besides, if you ask me, Blizzard has nothing to worry about, especially from LotRO (I hear Turbine couldn't get the rights to the movies, so while you may see the Treants or visit Lothlorien, it won't be anything you recognize from the films). The magic of Blizzard's game is in the design and the polish of how it's put together. Even they borrowed familiar MMO ideas to try and improve on them, and I'm sure they have no problem with Turbine doing the same thing.
DVDFab: Now with HD DVD backup support, enjoy!
Another day, another all-in-one solution for copying AACS-protected HD DVDs hits the streets. Fengtao Software has thrown support for the next generation format into the latest beta version (3.0.9.0) of its DVDFab copying software. Following in the steps of Slysoft's AnyDVD HD, the maker of DVDFab HD Decrypter says Blu-ray backup support is "coming soon", and that it's capable of copying an HD DVD to the hard drive -- sans any copy protection restrictions -- in less than one hour. Of course the changelog doesn't provide details on how DVDFab does it's unDRMing thing, but with so many methods available, does it really matter which one? Still no word on how AACS LA plans to respond to the growing availability of easy hacks and DRM-free HD editions of Hollywood's latest, but at this rate we'll have a war between various makers of one-click backup software to rival Blu-ray vs. HD DVD.[Via AfterDawn]
Digital FAIR USE bill introduced to amend DMCA
Ah, the day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived -- well, sort of. Yeah, it is still a bill, but it's a refreshing start on a long overdue amendment. While content guardians (we're looking your way, MPAA / RIAA) have done their fair share of beating around the issue and insisting that DRM-laced content was the only way to go, consumers haven't exactly been thrilled about such limitations since day one. In yet another glorious case of red and blue coming together for the good of mankind, Rich Boucher (D-Va.) and John Dolittle (R-Calif.) introduced a breath of fresh air they call FAIR USE, or Freedom and Innovation Revitalizing U.S. Entrepreneurship. The idea, of course, is to simply "make it easier for digital media consumers to use the content they buy" by amending the Digital Millennium Copyright Act; according to the duo, the DMCA simply "goes too far by dramatically tilting the copyright balance toward complete copyright protection at the expense of the public's right to fair use." Boucher further substantiates his case for the most down-to-earth politician of all time by suggesting that if the DMCA remains unadulterated, "individuals will be less willing to purchase digital media" due to the unacceptable restrictions that come along with it. We'd ask for an amen, but we don't want to set off any minor earthquakes.[Thanks, Kevin M.]
RIAA lists top 25 universities handing out piracy notices
The "good guys" have tried to tempt college kids with free legal music for far too long to no avail, and after continuous failed attempts at gaining traction here in the US, it's no surprise that the RIAA would devote precious man-hours to concocting a most-wanted list of pirating schools. It should be noted that the top 25 is based on the amount of warnings sent out from the university to its students, and some schools may be omitted simply due to a lack of response on the administration's end. Nevertheless, it's reported that over three times as many infringement notices have been sent out during the 2006 - 2007 school year versus the year prior, but the RIAA did attribute some of that boost to its heightened awareness and tracking capabilities. Interestingly enough, the top spot holder doesn't seem to be overly concerned about its position, as Purdue feels the "service provider" shouldn't be the one lashing out at "criminals," essentially brushing that RIAA grief right off its shoulder. Still, we all know what you're here for, and that's to see if your alma mater made the dubious cut (full list after the jump), and while some here at Engadget can proudly proclaim to be in the top ten (ahem), drop us a comment and let us know where you stand.[Via TWW]
Yahoo!, Monster supports Jobs in DRM battle
Looks like Steve Jobs has found allies in the form of Yahoo! Music and Monster Cable executives in the quest to banish DRM. An executive from competitor Yahoo! Music, Dave Goldberg chimes in with: ``I've long advocated removing DRM on music because there is already a lot of music available without DRM, and it just makes things complicated for the user." Claiming Microsoft's brand of DRM ``doesn't work half the time", the exec claimed Yahoo! made several attempts to offer music with or without DRM, and the removal of DRM has improved sales. Additionally, Monster Cable backed up Jobs with a statement from head Noel Lee: ``Monster Cable shares Mr. Jobs' vision of breaking constraints for legal music downloads.... DRM is a complex and political issue, but digital music compatibility is even more complicated to consumers and limiting to the industry.... We are proud to support an open format and leaders like Steve Jobs who are making the efforts to get us there." The Monster Music branch offers a music format known as SuperDisc, which contains high definition surround tracks and DRM-free files. So... what now? Will other companies continue to stand up, or will Apple and the others buckle under the continued pressure from major labels to keep the DRM system intact?
CPCC wants to tax your iPod
Bad news for our buddies up north: Canada's Private Copyright Collective (CPCC) is hoping to tax consumers who purchase portable MP3 players, planning to compensate musicians for money lost due to copyright infringement and music copying. The Canadian federal court turned down the previous lobbying attempt made by the CPCC last year, because their law did not recognize portable players' hard drives and memory storage among its list of recording media. However, this hasn't stopped the CPCC from trying again, with a new proposal that suggests taxes on MP3 players in the amounts of $5CAD for players with up to 1GB of storage, $25CAD for players up to 10GB, $50CAD for players holding 10GB-30GB, and $75CAD for any player holding more than 30GB. Steep. In addition to MP3 players, the CPCC hopes to include memory cards (SD, MMC, Memory Sticks, etc.) to the list of taxable items. (Insert eye rolling here.)(via MacNN)
MP3 player levy could be reinstated in Canada
Continuing to prove that music rights-holders just don't "get it" is the news that the Canadian Private Copying Collective is pursuing the reinstatement of levies on MP3 players in Canada. You may remember that the CPCC was the body that lobbied hard for the original enactment of a levy on MP3 players that was in effect from December 2003 until the following December: in the end the levy was overturned by Canadian courts, and various companies that passed on the tax to customers were forced to offer refunds. The reason for the overturning was the fact that the levy focused on hard drives, which, in the court's eyes, didn't fall into the category of "audio recording media." The CPCC is now calling for the Canadian Copyright Board to classify MP3 players as a whole under category of "audio recording media," as well as an increase in the levy range from CAD$5 to $75 depending on the capacity of the storage. Fortunately, several experts in the field of intellectual property have stated that it's unlikely the CPCC will get its way: David Fewer, a professor at the University of Ottawa, states that he thinks the CPCC is "really getting quite existential" regarding whether or not players like the iPod are "mediums" or "players." We love a debate on the existentialism of MP3 players as much as the next geek, and when the end result could be a tax that blames all consumers for a problem -- which is supposedly "contained" -- that could be addressed in oh-so-many other ways, you know which side we'd be on.
Star Wars TSG, because everyone wants to be George Lucas
Grubs (that's what I call Daring Fireball's John Gruber, we're cool like that) posted Star Wars TSG to his Linked List and it is a winner. And by winner I mean a small, free application that wastes far more of your time than it should, but for some reason you're not upset about all that lost time.Star Wars TSG does one thing: lets you create your very own 'Star Wars title crawl.' If you don't know your Ewoks from your Klingons you might not be aware that the opening title sequence to each Star Wars movie follows the same basic format. This is the format that Star Wars TSG allows you to create for yourself. It even outputs your creation in a number of different sizes. One word of caution: this application renders a sequence of bitmaps that you can stitch together using QuickTime (or another movie editing suite). This means that you should be careful where you point the 'Destination Folder' in the Generate section. You're going to be generating around 800 images to create your masterpiece, and something tells me you don't want them all cluttering up your desktop.
Canon set to buy out Toshiba's display stake, SED production in sight?
There's not too many technologies that eventually surfaced after hitting as many snags as these long-awaited SED TVs, but it looks like the final hurdle may finally be overcome. Canon has just announced that it will buy out Toshiba's stake in the pair's joint venture in order to get that pesky Nano-Proprietary patent lawsuit off their collective backs. The lawsuit claimed that its original agreement to license technology to Canon did not extend to Toshiba, thus presenting quite the quandary when Toshiba kept trying to get its SED displays out to showroom floors. SED TV production, however, is still up in the air, as Canon said that prior plans to erect a $1.49 billion manufacturing facility in Japan is now "under review," and an analyst even mentioned that the company might end up "reconsidering growth drivers to replace SED." Nevertheless, Canon is still clinging to the idea of popping out SEDs for now, although it was mentioned that it would be "on a smaller scale," which isn't apt to give these elusive sets any kind of price advantage whenever it lands. Interestingly, Toshiba still stated that if things went smoothly, it would buy some of the manufactured SED displays directly from Canon and throw its own logo on it, theoretically bypassing the lawsuit and simultaneously snubbing Nano-Proprietary. But hey, we've got no qualms with a little joint venture competition, and considering how every other HDTV price is falling through the floor, we'll bet they need it.[Thanks, Greg]
Attributor software scours the internet for copyrighted material
While we can't argue the usefulness of sites like YouTube, certain content "owners" have some (understandable) beef with their media (or text, etc.) being passed around the internet like hors d'oeuvres at a reception. While scanning programs aren't exactly new, Attributor Corp. is hoping to cash in on the recent push to eliminate unlicensed content from floating around so freely. The company's yet-to-be-named software purportedly scans the internet for specific "digital fingerprints" tailored to a client's media, and can sniff out occurrences with "as little as a few sentences of text or a few seconds of audio / video." The firm says that it will have "over 10 billion web pages" in its index before the end of the year, presumably implanting fear in the hearts of dubious uploaders everywhere. Of course, the company could stand to make hefty profits by extracting portions of royalties companies and individuals are able to garner thanks to its eagle-eyed software, and also hopes to "encourage more owners to put their content online with confidence that they'll be able to police its use and share in any profits." Although Attributor has started testing the system already, it won't be officially available until "the first quarter of 2007," and more notably, it won't be sweeping those oh-so-dodgy P2P networks anyway (at least initially).[Via Slashdot]
