Re: GPL V3 and Linux - Dead Copyright Holders

[Karim Yaghmour <karim@opersys.com>]

Pierre Ossman wrote:
> That's understandable. I cannot require them to go out of their way to
> accommodate my desire for tinkering. When they decide to actually put
> time and effort into preventing me from tinkering then I get a bit
> annoyed. I still cannot really do much about it though. If people keep
> buying the crap then it will continue to be produced. What I can do is
> say that such a system is not allowed to be based on my work. It may not
> matter in the long run, but at least I'm doing something.

FWIW, let me just say that I fully understand and respect your point of
view. I don't take any enjoyment out of seing some of the stuff I've
done used in such a way either. I just have a different take on how that
best be solved.

> Things might
> get better by itself, or worse for that matter, but I'd prefer to not
> stand idly by, hoping it will go the way I'd like.
> 
> I try to not sound like a doomsday prophet, but I tend to get a bit
> worked up when I consider what it would be like with this DRM nonsense
> taken to the extreme. :)

Going a little bit off topic here allow me to say that I personally
find most of the actual content out there being sold is utter junk.

I don't remember which one it was out of Siskel or Ebbert (and god
rest his soul I don't even remember which one passed away), but one
of them appeared on this documentary once and said something like:
"If you're 30 and you've got a degree, there's absolutely nothing
for you to see at the movie theater." And my impression is that this
applies readily accross the board for all entertainment. I mean, for
pete's sake, these supposed content providers are offering up new
"artists" every other week and they keep pumping out these totally
brain-dead TV shows ... Heck, I can't remember the last time I opened
the TV or listened to the radio and thought: "this is actually worth
my time." So, as far as I'm concerned, the brand names can encrypt
the content all they want, it's probably more interesting to watch
that way anyway.

FWIW, I suspect that part of the reason a lot of these folks are
seeing a decline in sales is mainly because their content isn't
something the clients think is really all that worthy.

Think about it, when is the last time you heard of an artist or
saw one perform on screen or elsewhere and thought to yourself:
"wow, this is really a talented person/group."

And to be quite frank, I have no pitty for artists who boo-hoo in
public about those darn "pirates" taking their income away. The
human species has been pumping out performers, singers, composers,
... artists for thousands of years before anyone was able to
record them. The only difference here is that many modern "artists"
think they have a god-given right that society continue to
sustain their relatively-recent recording-media-funded revenues.

Digital media only means bubble-gum "artists" fade away. True
ones are likely continue being what they are, regardless of the
fate of recorded-media as an income.

Karim
-- 
President  / Opersys Inc.
Embedded Linux Training and Expertise
www.opersys.com  /  1.866.677.4546