iPad and DRM

This weeks technology buzz is focused almost entirely on Apple's new iPad. Rants, critiques, raves, and reviews – it's even in the national news. What a great scam! How many other companies' products are featured on prime-time news? Few if not none. Well, this week the trumpets heralded the arrival of the new iPad, (the 21st Century's answer to the Etch-a-Sketch).
And what was the great fanfare about? Is it some revolutionary new technology? A new "killer-app" that will shave hours off' your work day, or an entirely new way of accessing the burgeoning Internet information super-highway?
No, it's none of the above. The single most interesting news about the iPad is that it will retail at prices starting as low as $499.00.
Bam! There it is! You can acquire this marvelous new piece of the Apple-tosh techno-toy for a mere $499.00.
Here's a quote from Peter Jeffrey's most excellent Wall Street Journal write-up:

(It's a hilarious article >> check out the complete article on the Wall Street Journal website!)

“

The iPad (TM, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, PATENT 53872800635Q63, OUR LAWYERS EAT YOUR KIND FOR BREAKFAST) runs on a new platform conceived by us and God and consisting of a single sheet of silicon so thin it shouldn't work. It is produced by the amazing Chinese. We don't really want to know how they do it or what that beige plume over the factory is. They do a brisk business melting down antiquated consumer electronics, too, so you can throw out your hulking TV, along with that amusing PC, the embarrassing dishwasher (there's an app for that) and your Kin--ha ha--your Kin—hee HEEEEEEEEE--your--oh please, please, we're dying over here! Your Kindle.

©WallStreetJournal 2010
”

What wasn't reported in the news is the DRM, (Digital Rights Management), implementations on the iPad. Supposedly the device is powned! - You can gain possession of said iPad for a mere 500 bucks, but you don't get to own any of it. - It's locked down so to speak.

DRM became an issue at the turn of the century as new technologies made access to data, ie. music-files, videos, and other original 'art-works', ever easier to access and disrtibute. Ironic.
One of the words often used on social-internet sites is 'share'. It's used everywhere, from online service sites to embedded applications on devices such as the iPad. Share This! Share That! Fortunes are being made everyday through the public 'sharing' of information - Facebook, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, etc, etc - but companies such as Apple and it's film, music and publishing industry allies would have you do anything but "share". At least nothing of theirs.

In summary

I'm no expert. I have no concrete information or insights into this massive new technology-industry that's changing the way people interact with each other and the world around them.
As far as I know, the rampant patenting, encoding and encrypting of the worlds information might be a good thing.
I know many, many people make their living from these technologies, and many more have struck it rich in the goldfields of the information age.
Sometimes unfair and restrictive laws have benefits that outweigh their social costs, - I know, I know, what a load of bull-crap! The FSF and the software they produce and promote has made it possible to question such laws. - Might be worth having a read before they "come for you"!

The following text is a verbatim re-sharing of the Free Software Foundation's "Defective by Design" newsletter which highlights some of the news and events related to the release of the Apple iPad.

January 28, 2010 - somewhere in the western hemisphere....

Dear supporter,

Today, Apple launched a computer that will never belong to its owner. Apple will use Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) to gain total veto power over the applications you use and the media you can view.

We've launched a petition calling out Apple's new product for what it is: a frightening step backward for computing and for media distribution. Can you read it, sign it, and share with friends?

http://defectivebydesign.org/ipad

Also, when you've signed, please take the time to share the petition on sites like Identi.ca and Reddit:

http://www.defectivebydesign.org/shareipad

Defective by Design's John Sullivan is on the ground at the Apple event with a group of protesters, letting the public and journalists know about the "Restriction Zone" Apple is constructing around their products. We'll be posting images from the event throughout the day, so sign the petition and please check back frequently and help us circulate these images.

http://defectivebydesign.org/ipad

This summer we saw the dangers of DRM on ebook readers, when Amazon deleted hundreds of copies of George Orwell's 1984 from readers' computers while they slept. Applying this control to a general purpose computer marketed especially for media distribution is a huge step backward for computing, and a blow to the media revolution that happened when the web let bloggers reach millions without asking for permission.

DRM and forced updates will give Apple and their corporate partners the power to disable features, restrict competition, censor news, and even delete books, videos, or news stories from users' computers while they sleep-- using the device's "always on" network connection.

Apple can say they will not abuse this power, but their record of App Store rejections gives us no reason to trust them. The Apple Tablet's unprecedented use of DRM to control all capabilities of a general purpose computer is a dangerous step backward for computing and for media distribution; we demand that Apple remove DRM from the device.

http://defectivebydesign.org/ipad

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely, Holmes Wilson, Matt Lee, Deborah Nicholson, Peter Brown and John Sullivan -- the DRM Elimination Team