IP-Watch.org
reports that "EU Online
Content Stakeholders Debate DRM", which demonstrates the need for
a much more informed debate on Digital Restrictions Management.
On the one side there is the Business Software Alliance (BSA), a
known mouthpiece for Microsoft's corporate interests with a flaky
grasp on truth in numbers, as the Economist has found: "BSA or just BS? Dodgy software piracy data". It
seems to continue this tradition with its newest claims based on "BSA
data" that DRM would have allowed for an additional EUR 247 million
worth of music downloads, because people would have bought many more
players if there had not been private copying levies.
Unfortunately it appears that Commissioner Reding and even the
European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) were
impressed by the BS(A) claims, believing in the perpetuum mobile of
total control of all aspects of society without any damage to freedom
of speech or privacy.
As the TiVo, which spies on the viewing habits of its owners and
reports them back to the company, and the SONY
rootkit, which reported data about CDs played, demonstrated, both
are already proven false by existing DRM solutions.
The saddest part in all of this is probably played by the European
Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC), which supports
the quest of the industry to increase control and dependency of
authors and composers by means of DRM, giving them even worse deals
and negotiating positions in the future.
The only voice of reason in all of this discussion seems to have
come from the European Consumers'
Organisation (BEUC), which pointed out that Digital Restrictions
Management is not about Copyright, but about protecting the business
model of centralised and controlled distribution channels, which is
why they call for an open dialog on alternative remuneration
proposals.
The Commission plans to make its mind up until the end of the year,
and right now seems inclined to follow the lead of the BSA. Where that
is heading becomes clear at the end of the article, when they point
the finger at the EU Data Protection that makes it difficult for the
BSA to play private police and enforcer for the large media
corporations.
