[governance] Why HTML5 #DRM is dangerous for Free Software (was Draft Statement...)

[Norbert Bollow]

Roland Perry <roland at internetpolicyagency.com> wrote:

> Why would DRM on a Disney Movie download stifle the ability for the
> Open Source movement to continue to develop and distribute its work
> freely?

Whether we like it or not, Disney Movies are part of culture. If the
typical way to watch such movies is to do via one's computer, and it
is impossible to watch them on operating system platforms which are
Free Software (aka Open Source software), then people will have to
choose between enjoying their human right to privacy (let's face it,
there is no trustworthy way to protect one's privacy while using an
operating system platform which is not Free Software) and enjoying
their human right to fully participate in culture.

Of course, if the introduction of DRM for movies is fully successful,
it won't be long before DRM is also introduced for other types of
content. For example, DRM for business correspondence. Ouch, then you
suddenly can't read business correspondence if you're not using a
“trusted platform”.

If more and more important content gets DRM-encumbered, it would
remain legally possible to develop and to distribute operating system
platforms which are Free Software, but that would be increasingly
pointless, as those platforms would be less and less useful. (I'm
talking about use as a general-purpose desktop computer platform
here, not about use in special-purpose embedded systems.)

Greetings,
Norbert

-- 
Recommendations for effective and constructive participation in IGC:
1. Respond to the content of assertions and arguments, not to the person
2. Be conservative in what you send, be liberal in what you accept

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