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Western Digital's 'Digital locks'

NorvuNorvu
edited December 2007 in Technology
One of the world's largest hard disk manufacturers has blocked its customers from sharing online their media files that are stored on networked drives.

Western Digital says the decision to block sharing of music and audio files is an anti-piracy effort.

The ban operates regardless of whether the files are copy-protected, or a user's own home-produced content.

Digital activists say it is the latest step in a so-called war on copyright theft that is damaging consumer rights.
I never had any brand loyalty towards Western Digital, but they've soiled their name in my mind. I doubt I'll ever buy their hardware again.

A quote from the end of the article, which I doubt any of us will argue against.
Mr Brown said the industry did not need to use DRM, nor employ laws which prohibit the bypassing of DRM, in order to protect their financial interests.

"Media companies are trying to force people to think about copyright infringement almost in line with murder on the high seas.

"Copyright law is about copying and reproduction of work; that is on the statue books for everyone and is sufficient to tackle the problem.

"Digital restrictions management...is a restriction of our rights and the use we make of media files, that historically and legitimately we have been used to.

"The idea this is somehow protecting someone is untrue - it is an attack on us as citizens."

Comments

  • AprecheApreche
    I'd like to see exactly how this technology works. My guess is that there isn't really any DRM going on here.
  • ......
    Hmmmm, I agree that I'd like to see how they will do this, but. F them. I bought those bits! They are mine and WD shouldn't even bother.

    Thank god they can't touch my 500 gig drive anymore.
  • NorvuNorvu
    Oh, forgot to link to the actual article.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7136069.stm
  • am_dragonam_dragon
    edited December 2007
    Not sure how it works, but it fails when no one buys it.
    Post edited by am_dragon on
  • dnguyen411dnguyen411
    From what I've been hearing, all it does is look at the file type (i.e. mp3, avi, mpg, etc.) and blocks those types of files. I also listen to Buzz Out Loud and they hypothesized that WD did this to avoid getting sued by the RIAA and MPAA. Because their software allows you to access your files from a remote location, WD is afraid that the RIAA and MPAA will say that they are providing a possible way to distribute unauthorized copies of music and songs. On one hand, I understand that WD wants to protect themselves but this is a crappy way of doing it since you are locking out people who would use the sharing software legitimately. My solution, don't install the software. Like any normal external hard drive, the OS should be able to recognize it as a drive and, with a little bit of work, set up your computer to have remote access to the drive. But, if WD locked out the functionality for some reason, don't get this drive.
  • AprecheApreche
    From what I've been hearing, all it does is look at the file type (i.e. mp3, avi, mpg, etc.) and blocks those types of files.
    What do you mean by "block". Without precise details of how this functions, I can't really give an opinion of it.
  • dnguyen411dnguyen411
    I don't have all the details (I'm too lazy to look right now), but the software's filter looks at the file container type. If you have a file names "music.mp3," the software will not allow that file to go through. But, if you rename it to "music.txt," you would be able to download the file from your own hard drive then change the file type back to mp3.
  • AprecheApreche
    I don't have all the details (I'm too lazy to look right now), but the software's filter looks at the file container type. If you have a file names "music.mp3," the software will not allow that file to go through. But, if you rename it to "music.txt," you would be able to download the file from your own hard drive then change the file type back to mp3.
    Go through what?
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    edited December 2007
    Here's a link to the Wired article on the subject. Apparently it does its DRM duty only if you use its included client software. You can access it as a samba share, thus circumventing the "DRM".
    Link to SAMBA instructions.
    Post edited by Victor Frost on
  • AprecheApreche
    Ah, so basically here is the deal. This hard drive is just a normal external hard drive. However, it comes with some Windows software that makes sharing files over the network very easy. This software, however, does not allow network sharing of files with certain file extensions. There is nothing preventing you from taking this drive and using it like any other external hard drive. There is nothing preventing you from sharing files on this drive over the network the way you normally do.

    The only evil here is that it happens to come with some shitty software to make network sharing easier. Just don't use that software. There is no DRM in the drive. Heck, I wouldn't even call this DRM at all. It's just that there happens to be some network file sharing software on a CD in the same box, and that software happens to be shitty and has less features than free software that does the same thing.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    So.. Let me get this strait. It installs software that stops you using network shares. I thought this kind of thing would target P2P programs. Already there is a small community of hacker types assembled just to solve this problem.
  • AprecheApreche
    So.. Let me get this strait. It installs software that stops you using network shares. I thought this kind of thing would target P2P programs. Already there is a small community of hacker types assembled just to solve this problem.
    From what I read it doesn't stop you from using network shares. It just provides you with a network sharing application that sucks.
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