The Beeb have written up their own story about plans to encrypt certain information from set top boxes. They’ve quoted my blog post for a few days ago. For completenes, I feel should say that I should have added an update to the blog a few day ago. I never got round to it and didn’t expect the issue to become a news story today. So, I’ve updated the post that you can read again here.
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3 comments ↓
Please fight this.
I watch HD content using a Linux PC using Open Source software on my TV. These proposals will, I believe, remove my ability to watch content I have paid for.
I don’t want to be forced to buy a consumer set-top box with a hidden DRM ‘tax’ .
I object to this change in relationship between the BBC and Licence Payers.
The encryption and digital rights management that the BBC proposes to place into consumer set top boxes is DRM by proxy for Third Parties. That is, the licence fee is being used to subsidise Third Parties’ Intellectual Property Rights. That is, surely, not something that the BBC is allowed to do.
Third Parties do have Intellectual Property Rights but obliging the BBC to police those Rights is an outrageous misuse of both Licence Fee Payers money and a commercialised taxation onto every single set-top box. In effect the Licence payer is double charged.
The BBC should be encouraged to rebuff such third parties. If HD content is too valuable for Third Parties to allow onto the Internet without policing then they should attend to it without involving the BBC.
People on this thread may be interested in this latest post on the BBC Internet blog:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2009/10/freeview_hd_copy_protection_a.html
Nick Reynolds (Social Media Executive, BBC Online)
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