Apple Goes on Legal Assault on External DVD Production??
I ran into this article this morning. It seems Apple is going all out to control DVD production on the Macintosh. I'm not sure what I think about it yet, but it seem more stories, such as this one, keep coming from Apple lately. I thought I'd share and get feedback from the AI peoples....
Apple douses DVD burning fire
By Declan McCullagh
Special to ZDNet News
August 29, 2002, 5:04 AM PT
WASHINGTON--Apple Computer has invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to prevent its customers from burning DVDs on external drives.
Earlier this month, the company's lawyers sent a stiff warning to an Apple dealer, warning that a patch to Apple's iDVD burning software ran afoul of the controversial 1998 copyright law.
"They alleged it violated Apple's intellectual property and the DMCA act," said Larry O'Connor, president of Other World Computing, a Macintosh dealer.
O'Connor said his company values its close relationship with Apple--it's been a dealer since 1988--and backed down immediately. "No. 1, we don't want to get into a fight with Apple," O'Connor said Wednesday. "No. 2, we're an Apple certified developer. We're not out there to offend Apple."
At issue in the legal threat is Apple's well-received iDVD application, which permits users to burn DVDs only on internal drives manufactured by Apple. In unmodified form, it does not permit writing to external drives manufactured by third parties.
That means Macintosh owners with older computers or laptop computers, or people who opted not to buy the "Superdrive"-equipped Macs, could not use iDVD to save movies.
In response, Other World Computing began bundling a product called DVD Enabler with its external Mercury Pro DVD-R/RW FireWire drive. DVD Enabler modified iDVD so the application would save completed DVDs to a FireWire-connected drive.
A press release from Other World Computing dated Aug. 12 said the company "will no longer market its DVD Enabler software, effective immediately."
The DMCA, which took effect two years ago, limits selling software that "is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing protection afforded by a technological measure that effectively protects a right of a copyright owner."
Matt Deatherage, a former Apple employee who edits a daily Macintosh newsletter, said Apple's legal threat reflects the company's underlying business strategy: If iDVD is useful only on internal drives, people may buy more computers.
"I think it's one of those areas where Apple has decided it's an advantage to have iDVD on new machines and they don't want it available as an upgrade kit," Deatherage said. "Apple's basic job is to sell new machines. Hardware is 85 percent to 90 percent of Apple's revenue each quarter."
Other World Computing's O'Connor said he believes Apple made a bad decision. But, he said, "there was no ill will. We thought we were doing something good and hoped they would agree."
Apple does sell an iDVD upgrade on its site for $20, but it lists as a requirement a Macintosh equipped with an internal DVD-RW drive.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
here is the link...
<a href="http://netscape.com.com/2100-1106-955805.html?type=pt"; target="_blank">http://netscape.com.com/2100-1106-955805.html?type=pt</a>;
Apple douses DVD burning fire
By Declan McCullagh
Special to ZDNet News
August 29, 2002, 5:04 AM PT
WASHINGTON--Apple Computer has invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to prevent its customers from burning DVDs on external drives.
Earlier this month, the company's lawyers sent a stiff warning to an Apple dealer, warning that a patch to Apple's iDVD burning software ran afoul of the controversial 1998 copyright law.
"They alleged it violated Apple's intellectual property and the DMCA act," said Larry O'Connor, president of Other World Computing, a Macintosh dealer.
O'Connor said his company values its close relationship with Apple--it's been a dealer since 1988--and backed down immediately. "No. 1, we don't want to get into a fight with Apple," O'Connor said Wednesday. "No. 2, we're an Apple certified developer. We're not out there to offend Apple."
At issue in the legal threat is Apple's well-received iDVD application, which permits users to burn DVDs only on internal drives manufactured by Apple. In unmodified form, it does not permit writing to external drives manufactured by third parties.
That means Macintosh owners with older computers or laptop computers, or people who opted not to buy the "Superdrive"-equipped Macs, could not use iDVD to save movies.
In response, Other World Computing began bundling a product called DVD Enabler with its external Mercury Pro DVD-R/RW FireWire drive. DVD Enabler modified iDVD so the application would save completed DVDs to a FireWire-connected drive.
A press release from Other World Computing dated Aug. 12 said the company "will no longer market its DVD Enabler software, effective immediately."
The DMCA, which took effect two years ago, limits selling software that "is primarily designed or produced for the purpose of circumventing protection afforded by a technological measure that effectively protects a right of a copyright owner."
Matt Deatherage, a former Apple employee who edits a daily Macintosh newsletter, said Apple's legal threat reflects the company's underlying business strategy: If iDVD is useful only on internal drives, people may buy more computers.
"I think it's one of those areas where Apple has decided it's an advantage to have iDVD on new machines and they don't want it available as an upgrade kit," Deatherage said. "Apple's basic job is to sell new machines. Hardware is 85 percent to 90 percent of Apple's revenue each quarter."
Other World Computing's O'Connor said he believes Apple made a bad decision. But, he said, "there was no ill will. We thought we were doing something good and hoped they would agree."
Apple does sell an iDVD upgrade on its site for $20, but it lists as a requirement a Macintosh equipped with an internal DVD-RW drive.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
here is the link...
<a href="http://netscape.com.com/2100-1106-955805.html?type=pt"; target="_blank">http://netscape.com.com/2100-1106-955805.html?type=pt</a>;
Comments
If they don't want other prople to use iDVD, fine. But why don't they sell a damned stand-alone version that works with external drives??? Charge more than 20 bucks for it. Charge even 120 (but beef it up) that's pure profit. Ooops I forgot, we're supposed to buy a whole new machine everytime we want to upgrade. That must be Steve's long-standing "bleed the stone" consumer loyalty policy at work.
Or better yet Apple, take that Pioneer drive and disguise it in a beautiful Apple style firewire case bundled with iDVD and sell it through your stores. MAYBE some powerbook owners, or iMac owners that want to get into home DVD could then BUY FVCKING EXTERNAL DRIVE FROM YOU!!!
What would people say if Microsoft intentionally crippled competing accessories?
But as Steve says "Don't Steal Music." How about "We Have Exclusive Hardware, Exclusive Software, and Exclusive Ever-Shrinking Markets"
Apple should have learned from the days at the Xerox PARC that market share and NUMBERS beat the actual quality of technology. Look at M$FT- its about getting as much out there as possible to the end user- to get them using the product. I think that people that have a chance to use iDVD would gladly buy their next Mac with one- rather than "sight unseen- trust us, its great" kind of shyt.
Apple - here is a news flash: You want people using Macs and Mac software. Do what it takes to get that into the hands of people who can support you long term. Nixing everything ever made to compete with your software team is plain DUMB.
iMovie --> hack of Final Cut (which Apple bought)
iTunes --> hack of Cassedy and Greens SoundJam Pro (which Apple bought)
iDVD --> hack of Astart's DVD authoring package(which Apple bought)
And there are more, yes Steve Jobs is good I agree. But none of these are *killer* apps and Apple surely programmed none of them(their entire development focus was OS X). <hr></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.faqchest.com/prgm/hypertalk/metac-01/metac-0104/metac01041412_19001.html"; target="_blank">http://www.faqchest.com/prgm/hypertalk/metac-01/metac-0104/metac01041412_19001.html</a>; <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
iDVD contains a MPEG Encoder. These are licensed and NOT free. Therefore you will never see iDVD on a free download.
Furthermore iDVD does not come with the OS it only ships on DVDR enabled Macs so if someone is trying to use it on an external drive then they've most likely bootlegged it.
So in summation a bunch of idiots out there want Apple to pay for their right to burn DVDR on whatever drive they want. That's not going to fly.
Stories like this let us know who the pessimists are versus the optimists. I've seen people flying off at the handle over this and I just have to wonder why they look at only the negative side. EVERYTHING is associated with a cost.
<strong>I read an enlightening response on this from Ars.
iDVD contains a MPEG Encoder. These are licensed and NOT free. Therefore you will never see iDVD on a free download.
Furthermore iDVD does not come with the OS it only ships on DVDR enabled Macs so if someone is trying to use it on an external drive then they've most likely bootlegged it.
So in summation a bunch of idiots out there want Apple to pay for their right to burn DVDR on whatever drive they want. That's not going to fly.
Stories like this let us know who the pessimists are versus the optimists. I've seen people flying off at the handle over this and I just have to wonder why they look at only the negative side. EVERYTHING is associated with a cost.</strong><hr></blockquote>
iDVD 2 is for sale at the Apple Store. No one is expecting them to give it to them for free or to bootleg it or to take a hit and support third parties
<strong>.
Or better yet Apple, take that Pioneer drive and disguise it in a beautiful Apple style firewire case bundled with iDVD and sell it through your stores. MAYBE some powerbook owners, or iMac owners that want to get into home DVD could then BUY FVCKING EXTERNAL DRIVE FROM YOU!!!
I was actually expecting Apple to do this. I'm really surprised they never did. I would have bought one in a heartbeat
Now they'll just have to wait a few more years before they get anymore hardware money from me. I really can't afford to buy a new Mac everytime they come out with something cool. I guess they really are against upgrading.
<strong>I
iDVD contains a MPEG Encoder. These are licensed and NOT free. Therefore you will never see iDVD on a free download.
Furthermore iDVD does not come with the OS it only ships on DVDR enabled Macs so if someone is trying to use it on an external drive then they've most likely bootlegged it. </strong><hr></blockquote>
WTF? ... Before I start to get worried...
1: Jaguar ships with all the iApps, right?
2: I have an iMac 800 Superdrive running 10.1.2 and iDVD v2.0, so, if I buy Jag and decide to do a clean install I lose iDVD 'cos its not included with the OS?
<img src="confused.gif" border="0">
Does Apple not make DVD Studio Pro for use with external DVD writers?
<hr></blockquote>
For $999? Are you willing to pay that much to author DVD's? iDVD is for consumers, and is easier to learn than DSP(I think).
It would be great if they offered their own FireWire SuperDrive though, and included iDVD.
Obviously, it's a cheap ploy to force Mac users to buy new Powermacs.
I think a better, more honest ploy would be to use PERFORMANCE to influence sales, instead of this cheap backstab. But Apple knows that they're Motorola's little bitch and so they pass the treatment on down to the consumer. Sort of like a 4th grade kid getting bullied by a 6th grader, and then going off to bully a 2nd grader to feel better about himself.
I like Apple very much but sometimes their actions really test my loyalty.
Looks like it'll be a few years before I'm burning DVDs.
I think there is way too much angst over this. I tend to have the belief that iApps are created to ensure that Apple has at least the minimum apps for a chosen genre. iDVD is good and currently it's for for Apple computers with Internal Superdrives. If Apple let's a bunch of external drives be supported what's the incentive for a 3rd party Developer like Sonic Solutions to create a Mac product. I can just see it right now first you'll be bitchin' at Apple for not supporting 3rd parties...then they will and competing apps will leave the platform. Next at wintel app with nifty features will come and you all will bitch about not having that feature.
Apple doesn't intend to control the market. Get over it and yourselves. They must consider Developer Relations. The current limitations of iDVD allow a 3rd party room to market a step up app. I'm not looking forward to the day I must rely on Apple for all my apps.
You don't think iMovie stepped on third party ground?
How about iTunes?
How about Final Cut Pro?
How about Sherlock 3?
Apple is not afraid to take away third party options in the areas they are interested in. Schiller said that in an interview recently.
there is no third party stepping up to the plate with a cheap and easy to use DVD production program. Apple has an opurtunity to make a good amount of revenue on selling iDVD 2, a program they have already written and are selling just by allowing external drives to be used. it's ludicrous that they aren't doing this