4 ms·

I would suggest they remove the screenshot of the Avengers movie given the amount of DMCA going on for such things... (loosely suggesting some open source softw

by bArray 6y ago

I would suggest they remove the screenshot of the Avengers movie given the amount of DMCA going on for such things... (loosely suggesting some open source software could be used for viewing pirated material.) Big Buck Bunny by the Blender Foundation could be a good replacement [1]. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqz-KE-bpKQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqz-KE-bpKQ

capableweb 6y ago
The case of youtube-dl using snippets of copyrighted material for testing is very different from showing a media player viewing copyrighted material. The former is easy to argue is breaking copyright protections while the latter is not. We'll be in a very different world if VLC couldn't even show that it can play mainstream media in it (check out the screenshots over at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html)
- bArray 6y ago
  I see what you're saying, but isn't showing screenshots of obviously copyrighted material just another form of testing?
  - capableweb 6y ago
    No, testing (in terms of software testing) refers to the process of verifying something is working as expected. The test suite for youtube-dl is/was using snippets of DRM protected material to ensure that their anti-DRM techniques were working as expected. Showing a screenshot of copyrighted material is just that, showing a screenshot of copyrighted material. Nothing is downloaded, asserted or even evaluated. For all we know, they can have a license for that material (or live in Germany, where ripping your owned DVD disks is legal). Two vastly different things.
- garmaine 6y ago
  It's not showing a DVD or BluRay player, or a web-based streaming browser plugin. It's showing a clearly named Matroska video file containing a copyrighted movie that is very unlikely to be legally available in Matroska format. Sorry there isn't a defense here that would stand up to review.
  - mcbits 6y ago
    If you own the DVD or BluRay, there's nothing wrong with backing it up to a file named Avengers.PIRATED.BluRay.ReLEAsE.1080p.Cr4ked.mkv or whatever suits your fancy. And taking a screenshot of it would not be evidence of infringement, because there would be no infringement. I understand your paranoia when it comes to the MPAA, and certainly there's nothing physically stopping them from becoming a thorn in someone's side. But let's be clear, they would be in the wrong.
waheoo 6y ago
Sorry what things? This isn't a YouTube video. What are they going to do? Get whatever hosting company their with a boat load of bad press?
- bArray 6y ago
  > This isn't a YouTube video. You can get high-resolution copies of the Big Buck Bunny film and play it locally in the same what. > What are they going to do? Obviously this would be a malicious use of DMCA (as it has been with other cases of open source software), but they could: * Tie them up in long and expensive legal battles, using the system itself to punish them * Have their repositories DMCA'd * Contact their service providers and have them revoke their services I am just suggesting caution.
pfp 6y ago
I would rather suggest not succumbing to self-censorship & chilling effects. Though I find myself wondering whether a screenshot of a .mkv of a copyrighted film is really tactful for a Serious Project aimed at mainstream audience. Chilling effects again. Maybe the user just ripped his own DVD/BR for personal convenience.
- garmaine 6y ago
  It's not chilling effects. It's honest-to-god photographic evidence of breaking the law. Now it's a shit law that I certainly don't agree with, but it is law. MPAA would be fully within their legal rights to shut this project down, with prejudice, based on that screenshot. Why risk it?
  - KMnO4 6y ago
    What law prevents one from owning a movie on their hard drive? What if they purchased this movie?
    - garmaine 6y ago
      The DMCA’s anti-circumvention provision, and similar laws on other jurisdictions.
- capableweb 6y ago
  > screenshot of a .mkv of a copyrighted film is really tactful for a Serious Project aimed at mainstream audience Take a look at the VLC homepage. I think VLC is both a serious project and aimed at mainstream audience, but somehow they "got the balls" to use screenshots from Ironman and more. I agree with your "not succumbing to self-censorship" in general.
eps 6y ago
That's one creepy looking bunny. Not the best choice either.
npteljes 6y ago
Yeah I think that if they still want to present the same movie, they could use the movie trailer instead.

by bArray 6y ago

capableweb 6y ago

The case of youtube-dl using snippets of copyrighted material for testing is very different from showing a media player viewing copyrighted material. The former is easy to argue is breaking copyright protections while the latter is not. We'll be in a very different world if VLC couldn't even show that it can play mainstream media in it (check out the screenshots over at https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html)

bArray 6y ago
I see what you're saying, but isn't showing screenshots of obviously copyrighted material just another form of testing?
- capableweb 6y ago
  No, testing (in terms of software testing) refers to the process of verifying something is working as expected. The test suite for youtube-dl is/was using snippets of DRM protected material to ensure that their anti-DRM techniques were working as expected. Showing a screenshot of copyrighted material is just that, showing a screenshot of copyrighted material. Nothing is downloaded, asserted or even evaluated. For all we know, they can have a license for that material (or live in Germany, where ripping your owned DVD disks is legal). Two vastly different things.
garmaine 6y ago
It's not showing a DVD or BluRay player, or a web-based streaming browser plugin. It's showing a clearly named Matroska video file containing a copyrighted movie that is very unlikely to be legally available in Matroska format. Sorry there isn't a defense here that would stand up to review.
- mcbits 6y ago
  If you own the DVD or BluRay, there's nothing wrong with backing it up to a file named Avengers.PIRATED.BluRay.ReLEAsE.1080p.Cr4ked.mkv or whatever suits your fancy. And taking a screenshot of it would not be evidence of infringement, because there would be no infringement. I understand your paranoia when it comes to the MPAA, and certainly there's nothing physically stopping them from becoming a thorn in someone's side. But let's be clear, they would be in the wrong.

waheoo 6y ago

Sorry what things? This isn't a YouTube video. What are they going to do? Get whatever hosting company their with a boat load of bad press?

bArray 6y ago
> This isn't a YouTube video. You can get high-resolution copies of the Big Buck Bunny film and play it locally in the same what. > What are they going to do? Obviously this would be a malicious use of DMCA (as it has been with other cases of open source software), but they could: * Tie them up in long and expensive legal battles, using the system itself to punish them * Have their repositories DMCA'd * Contact their service providers and have them revoke their services I am just suggesting caution.

pfp 6y ago

I would rather suggest not succumbing to self-censorship & chilling effects. Though I find myself wondering whether a screenshot of a .mkv of a copyrighted film is really tactful for a Serious Project aimed at mainstream audience. Chilling effects again. Maybe the user just ripped his own DVD/BR for personal convenience.

garmaine 6y ago
It's not chilling effects. It's honest-to-god photographic evidence of breaking the law. Now it's a shit law that I certainly don't agree with, but it is law. MPAA would be fully within their legal rights to shut this project down, with prejudice, based on that screenshot. Why risk it?
- KMnO4 6y ago
  What law prevents one from owning a movie on their hard drive? What if they purchased this movie?
  - garmaine 6y ago
    The DMCA’s anti-circumvention provision, and similar laws on other jurisdictions.
capableweb 6y ago
> screenshot of a .mkv of a copyrighted film is really tactful for a Serious Project aimed at mainstream audience Take a look at the VLC homepage. I think VLC is both a serious project and aimed at mainstream audience, but somehow they "got the balls" to use screenshots from Ironman and more. I agree with your "not succumbing to self-censorship" in general.

eps 6y ago

That's one creepy looking bunny. Not the best choice either.

npteljes 6y ago

Yeah I think that if they still want to present the same movie, they could use the movie trailer instead.