The whole point is to illustrate the flawed nature of the DMCA, and the fact that it was bad legislation when it was passed and it’s bad legislation now.

No, it’s not picketing in the streets, or ignoring HD-DVD/Blueray players until content producers get the point… and yes, you’re completely right that those steps would be more effective.

But if your goal is to point out that the basic tenants on which the DMCA is based represent bad legislation, then actively breaking the law by posting the number (and creating circumvention devices on purpose) isn’t, in my opinion, as pointless as you make it out to be.

You have to admit that content producers suing individuals on the basis of a 128-bit number is pretty absurd. I think the hubbub is more about pointing out that absurdity.

There is exactly one (1) solution to the “problem” of DRM, and that’s for people who don’t like it to produce their own non-protected content. Period. End of story.

It would be far, far better if the people criticising you here for pouring cold water on their little party went out and wrote some music, made a film, wrote a video game and then sold it unprotected. And didn’t whine when 90% of the people enjoying their work never paid them.

Instead we get these ridiculous anti-DRM “movements” and orgies of self congratulation when protection mechanisms are broken. It’s disgusting to watch, especially when it’s done all in the name of backups, of course.

Posting the number is EXACTLY the same as picketing. It’s a public display of solidarity in an effort to raise awareness of the issue and display the bargaining strength of the collective group.

Just because you don’t like the demonstration being in *your* face, doesn’t invalidate any of the reasons for doing it.

Perhaps you should take your own advice and do something productive. It would make you seem much less hypocritical for condemning others for “internet whining” when you’re just as guilty of doing the same.

Which is exactly what this is. Dave, it’s not your internet. We get to whine, you get to whine, that’s free speech.

“code: 09-F9-11–02-9D-74-E3-5B-D8-41–56-C5-63–56-88-C0”

Bong! You’ve got mail! Oh, is that a DMCA takedown notice?

I agree completely with you David in that it’s very lame to post a number on a blog just for the sake of it (there have been posts which used the number tastefully and for a good reason, but seriously, the big majority of posts were an embarrassment), and we people don’t like to be shown how lame we are, so there you have it.

Having said that, I think you did the right thing, standing by your position and writing about it. After all, you have the same right to tell the world your view on it as much as people have the right to write incredibly lame stuff on their blogs, and that number is just.… so, so lame…

The DMCA and similar laws are unenforcable. (If they weren’t our contries would be called police states.) Such unenforcable laws are harmful and it’s important to expose them as such.

2. Part of the exercise was also to show how blurry the line is between the number and derived artistic works. If I create a song which encorporates the number in, say, its tonal scheme, am I violating some law? Does that have “no artistic merit or value?” Who are you to say what does or doesn’t have “artistic merit or value,” anyhow?