If you couldn't make it to the conference call with Ray Beckerman, a lawyer representing clients in cases against the RIAA, you can listen or download the audio from Archive.org
Now Take Action!
Make a donation to support Ray's clients in these important legal cases.
I've posted the details for the conference call tomorrow.
Remember to join the call on time, space will be limited.
Peter Brown, ED of the FSF spoke with eHome Upgrade about the DefectiveByDesign.org campaign. They have posted an audio file. List on eHome Upgrade.
Tim over at Canadian Linux Nerd mentions the DefectiveByDesign Freedom Rings day of action in post that highlights some of the problems with DRM in music.
...he'd bought a new CD but it refused to play on his Mac. I asked him to read me all the labels on the CD and sure enough it had a "Plays for sure" label. I explained that this meant it would for sure not play on his Mac and advised him to return to HMV where he bought it. He was of course enraged by this, I pointed out that he had in the past told me I was being unreasonable for fighting DRM and that he thought that the Digital Restrictions Management on his iTunes music store music was reasonable even though such music can only be played in iTunes or on his iPod. Since then he has converted all his iTunes music to CD and signed up for Defectivebydesign.
Yesterday, Ian Clarke, one of our LA Freedom Fighters wrote:
Attacking Apple effectively will have much more impact than making a smaller impact on a number of companies/organizations that include Apple. Apple has built a brand based on user and creator friendliness. They should not be permitted to bathe in the glow of helping creators and user-friendliness while propagating user-hostile technology like DRM. Apple needs a strong incentive to use their leverage with media companies to roll back DRM restrictions - right now, very little such incentive exists.
Our June 10th actions at Apple stores across the country continue to get press, even as much as a week after the fact. The chorus of activists dissatisfied with Apple's current position on DRM continues to grow.
Kent Bye of the Echo Chamber Project and Ebb and Flow posted this video of the SF Apple Action. It is very well produced, and does a good job of presenting our position WRT Apple/iTunes.
Just saw this video of the action in San Francisco up on Google Video.
Fred Hickler from Chicago IMC postedthis video of today's action in Chicago. You can also see pictures from the Chicago action and others posted by participants.
UPDATE: Now on Google Video
The StopDRM coalition took to the streets last night to protest legislative action in the French Senate. The action coincided with a visit by Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation. read the press release at Musique-Libre (english translation) or this one in French at StopDRM.info.
Business Week just published this story on their front page in advance of our coordinated DRM Action at Apple Stores on Saturday.
The "Defective by Design" protests are not aimed at Apple (AAPL) in particular, but at what the Free Software Foundation sees as a growing trend toward legal restrictions that bind digital content to particular playing devices.
"This isn't intended to attack Apple and its innovations, but really to draw attention to the existence of DRM technologies, and how they restrict what consumers can do with their music," says Ted Teah, who maintains a directory of free software for the Free Software Foundation.
Two weeks ago we launched DefectiveByDesign.org - the Campaign to Eliminate DRM - since then, more than 2000 technologists have joined us and taken the pledge to stop DRM through direct action.
Now we are taking the campaign to a national stage in an effort to increase discussion of DRM. This Saturday, June 10 at 10:30am (local time) Flash Mobs will gather in San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Long Island and New York converging on Apple stores to warn customers of the dangers of DRM in the iPod and iTunes.
What is DRM?
DRM is an attempt by hardware, software and media companies like Apple to accomplish through technology what they have been unable to fully accomplish by political and legal lobbying -- the authority to regulate what you do in the privacy of your home with media you have legally purchased.
They call this "Digital Rights Management". They make it sound like they are giving you something new. But, you have always had the right to make copies of your media. DRM takes away these rights by using proprietary formats and technology.
Think of it as "Digital Restrictions Management". Technology that restricts what you can do with your computer, the electronic devices you own and the media you buy. DRM can be deployed in software, hardware and in music or movies.
What is wrong with Apple and iTunes?
Apple claims that people would steal from them if they didn't use DRM, and that they have to protect themselves. This is how they would like to portray it, but it's not how it is. Inclusion of DRM in products sold by Apple and other companies is inspired by their greed and desire to control us. To accomplish their goals, they want to monitor, report, and regulate your every interaction with your computer and electronics.
All music purchased from the iTunes music store has DRM in it. That means, at the moment, you can only have a certain number of copies. It used to be you could have 10, then Apple changed it to 7. Nothing stops them from changing it again, to 5, or 3 or 1. With DRM Apple can change the rules AGAIN, and at any time. DRM gives them that power over you. Your devices will have to do their bidding. That is what DRM is about, taking the control away from you, and giving it to Big Media and companies like Apple. The hardware and software they sell you will enforce their rules, by removing your rights. As the largest distributor of DRM infected technology, Apple has set a new low in the mistreatment of our freedoms.
Take back your technology. Say no to DRM in your computer, in your home, and in your pocket.
Join Us Today
LUG Radio talks about the DefectiveByDesign direct action at WinHEC and the concept of FSF and DBD taking direct action to raise the profile of Digital Restrictions.
The segment starts 38 minutes into the podcast and runs for about 13 minutes.
ZDNet's David Berlind posted today about yesterday's action. While there is no new news here, Berlind does give us a little advice. "DRM" is not an acronym that is sexy.
DRM needs a special name. A name that you can sink your teeth into like "spam." A name like "CRAP."
He goes on to say that Richard Stallman has come up with the best words behind that acronym: "Cancellation, Restriction and Punishment"
John Dvorak makes a mention of the WinHEC DRM Elimination Crew event and while he is not really on our side, he does give us props:
Whatever the case you have to admire the fact that they all went out and bought hazmat suits for their protest march.
Thanks to DRM Elimination Crew's Andrew Becherer for "foisting" the story on Dvorak!
From the Seattlest:
but the point is that if you don't like how your software's performing there are other options out there. Now, if it's built into your computer hardware (this protest was staged outside of a Microsoft hardware engineering conference) AND it's mandated by law that you must use DRM-capable hardware (people are working on it) then you're screwed and it's time to put on a haz-mat suit and walk around downtown.
Tell the world (or at least the people you see every day) how you feel about DRM. Buy a t-shirt to support the campaign.
I've posted a short video clip of this morning's DefectiveByDesign DRM Elimination Crew action at the Microsoft WinHEC2006 in Seattle. About 25 DefectiveByDesign members came out around 7:30 to spread warn WinHEC attendees of the dangers of DRM.
For videos check out the group on YouTube
and for pictures on Flickr
