[mythtv-users] ATTENTION: Want to help remove 5C FireWire encryption?

[Brian Wood]

On Feb 7, 2007, at 8:04 AM, Steven Adeff wrote:

>
> True, it really is the content owners causing the headaches. The funny
> thing is though, if say Comcast or Dish or DirecTV refused then one
> would think HBO would loose a lot of subscription money. It's too bad
> all the content providers don't band together in the name of their
> customers and refuse to play by HBO's rules.
> Oh wait, right, we're less than 1% of their customers, the rest are
> content with the status quo...
>

But the "content owners" are in fact the cable and satellite owners,  
as well as the major network owners. Just look at the ownership of  
any of the major (or even minor) media conglomerates. An individual  
"content producer" can't get a product to market without selling out  
the rights to these virtual monopolies who also own the manufacturers  
producing the equipment.

I was going to cite examples but it's not really necessary I'm sure.  
Time Warner Cable paying HBO a "subscription fee" is just the pot  
paying the kettle, they just move money around on paper to minimize  
taxes.

Then we have a system where "ignorance of the law is no excuse", but  
even the authors of those laws can't agree on what they mean.

So the folks with the money can do pretty much whatever they want, up  
to and including outright murder if it's in their financial interest.  
This is based on the "my  lawyer can beat up your lawyer" theory of  
who is right.

And this is the "land of the free".