According to Media Rights Technologies (MRT), Vista, Flash, RealPlayer, and iTunes are infringing products under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and MRT has just sent cease-and-desist letters to Microsoft, Adobe, Real, and Apple. "Together these four companies are responsible for 98 percent of the media players in the marketplace. We will hold the responsible parties accountable. The time of suing John Doe is over," said MRT CEO Hank Risan in a statement.
Microsoft, Adobe, Real, and Apple make media player software which can tune into digital music streams, many of which are transmitted without any sort of DRM attached. These streams can potentially be acquired using streamripper software. MRT claims that all four companies should have used one particular form of DRM, MRT’s "X1 SeCure [sic] Recording Control." The company is threatening the four with lawsuits that could lead to "statutory damages of at least $200 to $2500 for each product distributed or sold". The legal argument at work here is that, under the DMCA, "mere avoidance of an effective copyright protection solution is a violation of the act."
Hank Risan claimed that "Stream Rippers [sic] are growing at the rate of well over 15 million units per month, with over 250 million user downloads in the last few years, costing the entertainment industry $20 billion to $50 billion annually. The problem has now eclipsed P2P file sharing as the #1 form of digital piracy." He also claims that Vista includes a built-in ripper (Sound Recorder) which can "deaggregate performance-based streams of unlimited duration and convert them into unprotected WMA downloads, easily uploaded onto Zune players." MRT seems to suggest that even using DRM is not enough, as it can be removed via a stream ripper. It implies that every media player on the market would have to use MRT's technology, or else, lawsuit.
News source: Ars Technica
Microsoft, Adobe, Real, and Apple make media player software which can tune into digital music streams, many of which are transmitted without any sort of DRM attached. These streams can potentially be acquired using streamripper software. MRT claims that all four companies should have used one particular form of DRM, MRT’s "X1 SeCure [sic] Recording Control." The company is threatening the four with lawsuits that could lead to "statutory damages of at least $200 to $2500 for each product distributed or sold". The legal argument at work here is that, under the DMCA, "mere avoidance of an effective copyright protection solution is a violation of the act."
Hank Risan claimed that "Stream Rippers [sic] are growing at the rate of well over 15 million units per month, with over 250 million user downloads in the last few years, costing the entertainment industry $20 billion to $50 billion annually. The problem has now eclipsed P2P file sharing as the #1 form of digital piracy." He also claims that Vista includes a built-in ripper (Sound Recorder) which can "deaggregate performance-based streams of unlimited duration and convert them into unprotected WMA downloads, easily uploaded onto Zune players." MRT seems to suggest that even using DRM is not enough, as it can be removed via a stream ripper. It implies that every media player on the market would have to use MRT's technology, or else, lawsuit.
News source: Ars Technica
EDIT: MRT has a service called "BlueBeat". It's streaming radio. Hmm.
Agreed. I'm surprised that they haven't sued anyone for breathing yet. Maybe one day soon.
i dont get their case, they are sueing becuase this software can listen to music streams that are un protected...wouldnt it be dthe responsability of the company creating the stream to put some sort of DRM?
They need to go after the people committing the crimes, not the music providers. It would be the equivalent of suing Sony, BMG, etc for providing albums, tape, and CD's with no DRM. This ranks up there as one of the more stupid lawsuits.
I'm surprised Johnson and Johnson hasn't sued all of us for claiming that we don't "buy enough shampoo".
What a joke is MRT. What kind of world is it where you can't even record off of the radio (and I'm sure VCRs are going to be illegal soon), but hey if you want to use our services (and pay) which are the same thing, that's fine.
Whatever.
Far from it. If you read the information on it, they literally sent Adobe/Microsoft/Apple/RealNetworks Cease and Desist for not using their DRM - thereby violating the DMCA for distributing a "circumvention device". (Reference: http://sev.prnewswire.com/multimedia-onlin...0052007-1.html)
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I am curious how to deaggregate performance-based streams and convert them into WMA.
but about the topic.... this is going to far they bitch about everything nowadays... i mean using streamrippers especially on low quality stuff (64bit rate) i would not even care about if i was in there situation since the quality is already low in the first place.
they might as well give up cause they cant stop technology no matter how many people they sue etc.... bottom line is people are going to get it no matter what if they pay or not etc etc etc
but about the topic.... this is going to far they bitch about everything nowadays... i mean using streamrippers especially on low quality stuff (64bit rate) i would not even care about if i was in there situation since the quality is already low in the first place.
they might as well give up cause they cant stop technology no matter how many people they sue etc.... bottom line is people are going to get it no matter what if they pay or not etc etc etc
And this is exactly why they get away with it. What losses??!?
So if I run a company, and I don't make $15,000,000 that I wanted to.... is it a loss then? NO! A loss is a negative value as recorded in your general ledger at the end of the fiscal year. These jokers saying that they're "losing money" is simply fud and propaganda to help fight their fight, and as long as people don't see through this hole, they have substantial ground to walk on. Simply put, the RIAA, MPAA, haven't "lost" any money, they just haven't "made" as much money as they wanted to. So take a note out of their book here if you own a company and your not making as much money as you want to because someone else is offering a cheaper/better service than you... sue their ass off, why not... it's a loss since you'd have the money if they weren't offering a better deal than you. So you should rightfully claim that loss from the company who's taking your business... at least... that's what these companies all seem to think.
My my my... don't we live in a greedy world. But just remember, these companies aren't "losing" any money, they're just not making as much as they want to.
Next thing you know they'll sue these companies for not forcing users to use their... uhh... version of the ActiveMovie player (anyone remember that from Windows 95?) completely locked down with their BS DRM. Wonderful.
This joker is a hundred times worse than HBO's exec calling for DRM to be renamed DCE.
Hey, maybe for sight too.
Since this is how they want DRM to go, at least it seems.
I will rip what I want, and put it onto whatever player I want, and nothing the MRT or MPAA or RIAA or whatever the initials of the month association can do will put a stop to it.
I'm going to sue Toyota for not equipping my 4Runner with 6 point harnesses.
I'm going to sue Toyota and Pontiac for not using pick-proof locks on the doors and ignitions.
I'm going to sue my landlord for using standard locks instead of barrel locks.
I'm going to sue Verizon, Bank of America, Southern California Edison and countless others for not guaranteeing data encryption for my passwords and other info.
I'm going to sue Nike because their shoes did NOT make me run any faster or jump any higher.
And I'm going to sue MRT for gross negligence and incompetence for not suing sooner. I have music related property out there and they didn't do enough to protect me.
Last edited by tao muon on 13 May 2007 - 08:12
yup, thats the way i think too
I'm so sick and fed up with these people. RIAA and MPAA, all their members and other similar agencies need to die. I honestly think we are better off without the big labels and production companies in the long run, let some smaller independent companies give it a try.
I'm so sick and fed up with these people. RIAA and MPAA, all their members and other similar agencies need to die. I honestly think we are better off without the big labels and production companies in the long run, let some smaller independent companies give it a try.
Exactly. They go and sue random people (and even those who haven't logged on to the internet), they claim that they are losing $29083493 billion dollars a year because everyone in the world 100 times over would have paid for the media or movie had they not found it for free, and they go and threaten people in to giving them money. First of all, probably a good majority of the people who download content for free would simply just go without the content if they could not find it for free or share with a friend who bought it.
Is it illegal to watch a movie or listen to music with somebody else now if only 1 person paid for it?
Just on that note, if you read the warning at the beginning of the movie, it says "Not for Public Performance" in other words, only YOU may watch this movie, your family... may not.
According to Media Rights Technologies (MRT), God is infringing his product under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and MRT has just sent a cease-and-desist letter to God.
God makes human vocal hardware which can hum and whistle music, without any sort of DRM attached. These streams can potentially be acquired using ears . MRT claims that God should have used one particular form of DRM, MRT’s "X1 SeCure [sic] Mind Control."
He also claims that humans include a built-in ripper (a brain) which can "deaggregate performance-based streams of unlimited duration and convert them into unprotected WMA memories, easily uploaded onto Zune players."
Comeon, you know this is next.
The content owners are obviously happy with the current DRM systems in place on media players or they wouldn't licence their content to the stores.etc
MRT don't own the content so they have no right to argue how it should be protected.
OH! i know! One of my neighborhood grocery store is going to sue me cause i shop at the one closer to my house!
In order to make sure people are fairly buying their own bread, this new revolutionary system of packaging employs face-recognition technology embedded with each slice to ensure that the eater may only be the individual who originally purchased the right to eat that particular loaf. BRM will thus effectively ensure that bread-eaters are fairly purchasing and are not illegally sharing bread.
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