New DRM defeated BEFORE release!

Following the recent debacle involving the AACS encryption system used to protect hi-def films, the AACS Licensing Administration came up with a patch in order to patch up the security hole. The patch was scheduled to be released next week. Unfortunately, the patch has already been cracked!

The system is broken and they're still trying to resuscitate it. It's quite sad to watch, really. Once the scheme is broken, it's an easy matter for the hackers to break any patches to the system.

The only way that the AACS can survive is if the techniques to circumvent the system are not known. However, the internet has ensured that everyone in the world knows about it. The more they try to silence the crowd, the faster the word spreads. They cannot possibly silence everyone in the world. In fact, their action in trying to shut down sites that carry information about the circumvention might possibly be misconstrued as a violation of free speech.

The war is already over. The content providers just have not realised it yet. They should just come up with something new. With all the money that they're throwing into DRM, I'm sure that they can come up with some new marketing technique that allows them to make money, while providing the consumers with a happy experience. Either that, or they're doomed to go away.

Sometimes, I find that we're living in very interesting times. The Internet is a great leveler. People power has never been stronger than this. I see online petitions actually winning support and changing national politics. I see the constant fight between old monopolistic business models with the fledgling democratic users. I see the poor and needy, given a chance to grow and prosper. The Internet will change the world forever. At this time, we are only beginning to see the tip of the ice-berg. There are more exciting things to come!