[opendtv] Re: Microsoft's Masters: Whose Rules Does Your Media Center Play By?

Richard C. Ramsden wrote:

> Microsoft is in an odd position. Technically respecting the
> "broadcast flag" is illegal.

It's not illegal, and what's more, "respecting" it is an undefined concept.

The courts decided that the FCC was overstepping its bounds in its 2003 ruling 
about how this flag was to be implemented in receivers, but that doesn't mean 
that manufacturers can't interpret the field to mean anything their fevered 
minds can come up with.

I agree with Tom. Microsoft is pandering to the media moguls, assigning a 
meaning to that flag that neither the ATSC nor the FCC had *EVER* envisioned.

The ATSC calls it a "redistribution control" flag, then gets all wishy washy 
about what that means. The FCC had tried to be more precise, but the courts 
didn't like that.

Microsoft took it upon itself to pretend the flag means "copy never." 
Completely out of the blue.

I find it unethical for manufactuers to sell products that are NOT in the best 
interest of their customers (within legal limits, of course). I don't know how 
anyone can stand by and watch this sort of collusion between industries going 
on and not become irate.

Bert

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