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Re: Iceweasel and DRM

On 15/05/14 01:33 PM, Jerry Stuckle wrote:

On 5/15/2014 12:16 PM, Gary Dale wrote:

On 15/05/14 04:04 AM, Andrei POPESCU wrote:

On Jo, 15 mai 14, 00:27:08, Gary Dale wrote:

I disagree. Browser support for DRM makes it easier for people to
provide
content that uses DRM. After all, if every browser supports it, why
not use
it?

Debian is based on freedom. Iceweasel exists because Firefox contained
proprietary parts.

Iceweasel exists because the trademark policy for Firefox requires all
changes to the browser to be approved my the Mozilla Corporation and
this conflicts with Debian's usual security support strategy for stable. 

Lately Mozilla has been providing the ESR and Debian has been upgrading
iceweasel in wheezy via the security archive. I'd say there are chances
that Jessie releases with Firefox instead of Iceweasel.


To not remove digital restrictions support undermines a
major strength of Debian. If people want DRM, they can always download
Firefox but they should have a choice for freedom.

There is no need to remove *support* for DRM, as long as it is Free
Software (according to Debian's definition). Whether to use it (or not)
must be the choice of the user.

Kind regards,
Andrei

I disagree again. The presence of DRM material is an affront to the open
nature of the web. Mozilla's decision to cave in to the DRM crowd
doesn't need to be echoed by Debian. DRM isn't a user's choice. It's the
choice of the site owners. Groups like Debian should be backing the FSF
on this by refusing to endorse web content restrictions.
As it should be. The site owners own the content, and they get to decide what is being done with it.
Copyright violations are rampant on the web. If there were no problem, DRM would not be required. People deserve to protect what they worked hard (and often paid) for.
Just because it's there does not mean you have a right to use it as you see fit. Try using a car that was parked on the street, just because it was there. See how far you get. 

Jerry
Nonsense. There is the concept of fair use. No right is nor should be unlimited. DRM throws centuries of jurisprudence out the window.
DRM exists not because of copyright violation but because people can get away with it. DVD's CSS for example never prevented anyone from making a copy of a DVD. It just prevented legitimate owners of DVDs from taking their DVDs with them when they switched continents.
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