Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

How could they be? They are completely uninvolved. Take another example: if you film [maliciously] someone being, say, raped using a Sony camcorder are Sony party to the offence? (the metaphor isn't quite right but I cant think of a better one off hand, it serves)

The other mistake, I think, is in believing the data in it's particular form is what means he is breaking the law. Because I'm sure every sane person agree's it is impossible to impose laws on a specific string of bits - if you happened to randomly "type" the bits that, when parsed as an MP3, sounded exactly like the Lady GaGa song would you call that a violation?

However the intent to provide the copyrighted material to someone whatever the form you hand it out in is what's important. right?

(I make no comment on whether such law is right/wrong etc.)

Re: Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

#5

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jan 08, 2010, 8:13 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

#6

Post by pcof » Fri, Jan 08, 2010, 8:14 PM UTC

There are an infinite set of mathematical tricks available here, some of them so obfuscated that enforcement would probably need a few years to catch up. Not to forget that printing a hard copy of the bytes of an MP3 may even warrant you free speech protection (remember the reaction to the DeCSS legal issues, like printing it in T-shirts).

Re: Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

#7

Post by houseabsolute » Fri, Jan 08, 2010, 8:25 PM UTC

Classic geek-misunderstanding-that-mathematical-ambiguity-is-not-legally-interesting post.

Re: Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

#8

Post by praptak » Fri, Jan 08, 2010, 8:36 PM UTC

Not new, Jason Rohrer even wrote a proof-of-concept implementation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monolith_%28computer_program%29

Re: Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

#9

Post by cookingrobot » Fri, Jan 08, 2010, 8:47 PM UTC

This also allows some good plausible deniability. If someone knows you're using this sytem and forces you to decode your collection of random bit files, you can arrange 9 out of 10 of them to get a harmless plausible result (a bunch of harmless pictures / private tax files etc). Only by adding the last bit file does it turn into what you're trying to hide.

If you only show part of the solution, it looks like you've unlocked it and the result is harmless.

Re: Technology to circumvent online copyright enforcement

#10

Post by est » Fri, Jan 08, 2010, 9:01 PM UTC

Since the OP is talking about XOR, why not use Information Dispersal Algorithms ?

I asked a similar question on #askreddit the other day, what if I put the odd bits of a movie on a server in Ukraine and the even bits on a server in Sweden, a special kind of media player live steam the content, reassemble small chunks in memory on the fly and playback it on a monitor directly? Technically I am not pirating the movie unless I was caught watching it right now.

The #askreddit people suggested me consulting a lawyer :)