M$ has one up on RIAA, sues Ghosts

The release of FairUse4WM is sure to have irritated Microsoft a lot. The software allowed any user to strip the Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) software from legally downloaded files, thus allowing him or her to do whatever he pleased with them like loading them on to iPOD. As the release of a anti-FairUse4WM had proved to be just a temporary solution, Microsoft now seeks to put an end to this threat the best way it can: with a lawsuit. However, the company might have a lot of trouble in the court.
M$ started the anti-FairUse4WM by sending out odd takedown notices against people who host copies of FairUse4WM, a program that lets you get more use out of the music and video you buy by breaking off the DRM.

Microsoft takedown notices to FairUse4WM hosters is asserting that FairUse4WM violates Microsoft's copyrights in Windows Media Player. This proved to be an odd claim -- it may be that FairUse4WM is a DMCA violation because it circumvents Windows Media Player, but it's quite a stretch to say that it violates Microsoft's copyright. But with the endless supply of lawyers M$ has at hand they might prove it.
Here is one such notices posted on forum.doom9.org.
But it seems that M$ is still not happy and went on filling a law suit against the creators of FairUse4WM software.
But still it has to find those creators. By looking at the filling M$ does not know much yet about those who created the software, like most of us!, it has named ""viodentia"" as the ring leader of the team (supposed to be about 10).
To unearth the real names behind those ghost or nick names, M$ plans to subpoena e-mail service providers. May be that will unearth those programmers.
It is so funny to read comments on the digg story, the best so far for me is;
Fastest Windows Patch: Two Weeks
Fastest Windows Media DRM Patch Three Days

But Apple's iTUNES is not faring better either, here is a comment about Apple, "I speak from experience. Because I buy a new Powerbook every ten months, and because I always order the new models the day they're announced, I get a lot of lemons from Apple. That means that I hit Apple's three-iTunes-authorized-computers limit pretty early on and found myself unable to play the hundreds of dollars' worth of iTunes songs I'd bought because one of my authorized machines was a lemon that Apple had broken up for parts, one was in the shop getting fixed by Apple, and one was my mom's computer, 3,000 miles away in Toronto."
All I know is that this whole DRM thing is silly. Only music I listen is on the radio and TV, and I wonder how long that will last, way these mega billionairs go. I think these things bother and scare me more than north Korean dummy for a dictator does.
I think people ought to look more in the direction of EFF
Read here a talk EFF fellow gave in front of a Microsoft crowd, he started his speech with;
"Here's what I'm here to convince you of:

1. That DRM systems don't work

2. That DRM systems are bad for society

3. That DRM systems are bad for business

4. That DRM systems are bad for artists

5. That DRM is a bad business-move for MSFT"
If you did not know what EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) it is time you did, go over there, see what they do and if that is your cup of tea, join, you might save your children's cups of teas.

Tags: FairUse4WM, M$, DRM, EFF, digg