The Linux kernel and digital rights management [LWN.net]

The Linux kernel and digital rights management

Posted May 1, 2003 13:08 UTC (Thu) by smoogen (subscriber, #97)
In reply to: The Linux kernel and digital rights management by error27
Parent article: The Linux kernel and digital rights management

I think the way the laws are being interpreted, you do not own the hardware. The best it can be said is that you have a long term lease on it, but you do not OWN it. Sad.

So you don't own it? So what?

Posted May 3, 2003 2:30 UTC (Sat) by giraffedata (guest, #1954) [Link]

Why is that sad? Isn't this just a wording issue? If we didn't say that customer "owns the xbox" or "bought the xbox," doesn't your whole argument just evaporate? If we keep everything the same except the words and say you purchased the right to do certain things involving a certain hunk of xbox hardware, then is there an issue? If we say MS owns the xbox, like my bank says it owns the credit card in my wallet, does that solve the problem?

Or are you just concerned that someone unwittingly bought these limited rights to use an xbox when he thought he was buying the xbox in the simple sense? We can fix that with publicity.