May 1st, 2007
AACS licensing authority censors Cory Doctorow's class blog
This is just so wrong on so many levels. The AACS licensing authority sends a legal threat to Cory Doctorow (blogger, journalist, co-editor of Boing Boing) over a blog relating to a USC undergraduate class that he's been involved in teaching:
I just censored Teque5's post about the AACS processing key. I received a legal threat from the AACS licensing authority, promising a lawsuit if I didn't removing the processing key and the link to the Doom9 forum.
On advice from lawyers, I've censored this material off the post. However, Google maintains a list of over 100 sites that link to the Doom9 post, including one from Boing Boing.
The AACS doesn't like the fact that the blog post contained the AACS processing key that can be used to decrypt all HD-DVD discs. Oddly enough though, the page still contains the processing key in a comment made by someone going under the name of oasis:
It's interesting that the AACS prefers to go after links rather than the information itself - I guess it's just easierI just don't get it. A link is a link and trying to censor who links to what is not going to work. The AACS seems to want to control who links to the Doom 9 forum post relating to the AACS cracking attempts (direct link here) because all that's left for AACS is to try to limit people knowing how ineffective AACS is becoming. Not only will this kind of thing fail (because ultimately it draws more attention to the thing they're trying to hide) but it draws more people into the debate and these people, given the circumstances, are not going to be sympathetic to the AACS.
It's interesting that the AACS prefers to go after links rather than the information itself - I guess it's just easier. Just like it's easier to apply DRM to media, paint all consumers with the "thief" tar brush and ignore those who are profiting from the distribution of copyrighted material.
Viral campaign anybody?
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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