
Digg shuts down user submissions after every story on the front page is the HD-DVD key - nickb
http://www.techpwn.com/?p=422
======
nickb
Kevin Rose gives up: <http://blog.digg.com/?p=74>

Is it too late for Digg?!

~~~
whacked_new
By that blog post, no way. Respect for that move!

~~~
Goladus
Yeah, honestly I bet those AACS lawyers are reeling right now.

I'm sure they'll have it all straightened out in the morning, but right now I
bet they feel like I did that time I stepped in a hornet's nest by accident.

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BrandonM
Everyone keeps talking about infringing copyright, but isn't this code just
used to be able to play DVDs? Isn't this the code that is built into every HD-
DVD player so that it can decrypt and playback DVDs? By posting the code,
Linux users are now allowed to view HD-DVDs that they have legitimately
purchased. This has nothing to do with copying.

The whole problem with DRM is the basic assumption that every user is a
potential thief. The real problem is that it's often more convenient (not only
for monetary reasons) to get a copy than to buy the actual material. As soon
as someone has to go out and buy new computer hardware to be able to play a
legally-purchased DVD on their Windows Vista install, just because of DRM,
then that convenience is gone.

DRM, especially in its current implementation, doesn't work. Digg users were
trying to do something to finally end the craziness surrounding it.

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dhouston
now it's down;

<http://www.getdropbox.com/u/2/digg.gif> if you want a screenshot of what it
looked like before it died :P

edit: back up now

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schoudha
I really don't understand certain users. Digg is a great and useful service,
why try to abuse it?

Are pirates so proud of stealing that they have to broadcast it to the whole
world?

~~~
jaggederest
It's a number. You can't copyright a number. It's also censorship. Censorship
is bad.

People shouldn't need these things explained to them.

~~~
schoudha
That's not what I'm saying. I agree that Digg shouldn't censor it. My point is
that the original poster shouldn't have posted it.

Clearly, the intention of this particular number is to steal. It's not enough
that pirates steal, but they have to publicize their behavior and tactics and
encourage others to follow them. It's this type of publicity that fools people
into thinking that somehow digital piracy isn't equivalent to walking into
Best Buy and shoplifting.

I can only hope that one day these characters get caught and have to face the
MPAA in court.

~~~
Goladus
It's not stealing, nor is there implicit intention of stealing. This is a
piece of information that is a part of every single HD-DVD player and every
single HD-DVD disc. It is the nature of people to be curious, and to share
their findings with their peers and to the world. This is how science and
technology have advanced for centuries. Censorship strikes at core American
values, which are based on more fundamental observations of human nature that
apply to everyone in the world.

Furthermore "Stealing" is one of the worst possible words to use. Duplicating
and distributing media is not stealing. The term Copyright Infringement and
it's important not to conflate the two. In some cases, Copyright Infringement
is a far more expensive than stealing, but they are not the same thing.
Whenever something is stolen, there is -always- an identifiable victim, no
matter how minor the victimization might be. There is always someone who has
lost something. In the case of copying an HD-DVD, there is no such automatic
loss.

Stealing someone's copyright is stealing. Plagiarism is stealing. Breaking an
exclusive license agreement is not.

------
codeLove
Kevinrose:
<http://digg.com/tech_news/Digg_This_09_f9_11_02_9d_74_e3_5b_d8_41_56_c5_63_56_88_c0_4>

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rms
it's definitely been an interesting day for social news...

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yaacovtp
and 7 of the top stories on reddit are about digg.

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PStamatiou
would be interesting if this signals the downfall of digg.

~~~
schoudha
Is that really necessary man?

~~~
krose
09_f9_11_02_9d_74_e3_5b_d8_41_56_c5_63_56_88_c0

