DRM threatens UK's special relationship
DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE appears to have been an evil plot to unlock Her Majesty's government from the special relationship that Blighty has with its former colony of Virginia.
The newish boss of the United States of America, President Barack Obama, stuck for an idea of an official gift for the Scottish Prime Minister Gordon Brown during his state visit of that country, hit upon a wizard idea.
Why not give Gordon a bumper set of DVDs with all the US classics? So he sent his aide around the corner and came up with 25 of the greats, wrapped them up and presented them to Gordon after dinner.
Brown, incidentally, gave the American President in the form of a penholder carved from the timbers of an anti-slavery ship. The sister ship, in fact, of the one that was broken up and turned into the desk in the Oval Office, which is a bit spooky if you ever saw the horrible flick National Treasure because it means the two timbers are in the same place.
However Gordon was apparently touched with his gift until he got it home. He had just popped the pop corn, and settled down on the sofa at Number 10 and stuck the disk in the machine, only to discover that evil movie moghuls wanted to stuff up his night's entertainment.
Gordon's machine told him that he was living in the wrong region for this disk to work and, other than coasters, President Obama's gift was a bit like that pot of gold that the Irish President once gave him that turned into Ian Paisley in the morning.
In the good old days Britain could send a warship into New York harbour and scuttle its fleet. Alas these days the only nukes we have are old and made in America anyway.
According to a Daily Telegraph hack who rang up the White House to warn about the dangers of DRM to the special relationship, the aide "tittered". µ
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Maybe it's too soon but I was expecting a couple of comments bashing Nick to hell by pointing out that region code is not DRM and most DVD players now are region-free or easily unblockable etc etc.
Or maybe I'm the only one who did never see region code as DRM. Because it really is. Ancient and flawed, but still as annoying as any DRM solution. Obama could do something about that to avoid the now upcoming global thermonuclear war with old american nukes.
Another reason why HM Govt is not fit to pass any laws regarding technology... #10 must have the only region locked DVD player left in the country!
Perhaps Mr. Obama and Mr. Brown now begin to understand what the problem with region codes, DRM etc. is. Time to make such restrictions illegal in the EU.
In any case, thanks Nick, great story.
From what I'm aware the newer form of region protection IS DRM ... to the extent that shortly all your region free good players will be useless...
I know its coming, not sure if its out in the wild yet... but maybe I'm giving Nick more credit than is due?
Maybe the gift was suggested by the Vice-president,isn't he supposed to be in the entertainment industries pocket? It just goes to show you how stupid and detrimental DRM is.
"Democrats' Retarded Manners"
then yes, DRM is to blame.
...did he fob Gordo off with wrong region DVD's, but his 'Top 25 US films' included Lawrence of Arabia - probably one of the best British films of all time.
Brown should ask for a gift receipt at this point. Then he could return the DVDs and use them to buy Obama a copy of "How to win friends and influence people."