Open Foolishness

RIAA: Anti-Virus Software Should Filter Pirated Content
In addition to your modem, media player and ISP-level filters...
11:55AM Thursday Feb 07 2008 by Karl

Public Knowledge posts a video from the recent State of the Net Conference, at which the RIAA's Cary Sherman discusses ISP piracy filters. Of course, many piracy filtering systems like the one being tested by AT&T could easily be bested by encryption. Sherman has a solution for that: spyware/software on your PC, buried in your anti-virus software or within your modem that would restrict you from viewing certain content:

Filters can be put in the applications for example. You know, one could have a filter on the end user’s computer that would actually eliminate any benefit from…encryption because if you want to hear it, you’d have to decrypt it, and at that point the filter could work. Why would somebody put that on their machine? They likely wouldn't want to do that, they'd do that when it benefits them such as for viruses...

This is such a bad idea!

What is the very first thing Joe Average Jr is going to do if this were enacted?

Let's all say it together, "Disable the anti-virus software!"

...then Joe Jr. will go back to doing whatever he might have been doing AND proliferating virii!

And somebody gets paid to think up this FOOLISHNESS???

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Notice: Any resemblance to any Pirate(s) living or dead is purely coincidental. No animals were harmed in the posting of this blog. Do not operate heavy equipment. Be sure you have at least eight hours to devote to sleep before becoming active. Keep out of the reach of children ... and Pirates.