Friday, January 27, 2006
The Scary Future of DRM
Posted by Chris Gohlke in "THOUGHT" @ 06:00 PM
"Going to the movies is not what it used to be. Security at the studio-owned theatres is heavy, it's not a trip to be taken lightly. But if you want to see the film everyone is talking about without waiting a year for the home release, you have little choice. When you enter the lobby the first thing you see are long ranks of tiny, thumbprint activated lockers. This is where you must leave all of your electronics, your personal server and peripherals, even your watch, and you had better not be wearing smart spectacles or contacts. As you enter the security zone you're scanned for anything you may have forgotten. Cochlea and optical implants must be capable of responding with a coded RF identification signal to indicate their systems are secure and cannot record. People with older models, or models implanted abroad where such interrogation is illegal, are turned away. Perhaps they would like to see one of the older releases? Once through the scanner you must submit to a biometric ID test - this is where the known bloggers, hackers and spoilers are ejected. Finally there is the non-disclosure agreement to be signed - these days most moviegoers choose to sign via the MPAAs annual subscription, just trying to take some of the hassle out of visiting the cinema. Finally you get to see the film. In the auditorium the audience is constantly scanned by an AI looking for suspicious activity, so don't rummage in your pockets for too long. It's strange that all this effort to protect the movie industry has done so little to improve the movies."
Tarmle has written a really interesting blog post of a scary, yet somehow not out of the realm of possibility view of the future of media if DRM trends continued. Reads a lot like something out of "Snow Crash". Be sure to give it a quick read.
Tarmle has written a really interesting blog post of a scary, yet somehow not out of the realm of possibility view of the future of media if DRM trends continued. Reads a lot like something out of "Snow Crash". Be sure to give it a quick read.
