Western Digital to Consumers: “We Own You”
Posted on December 13, 2007
Filed Under /dev/null/ | 2,143 views |
In one fell swoop Western Digital has taken itself out of the running for any future hard-drives I might buy by deciding they’re the arbiters of user data:
One of the world’s largest hard disk manufacturers has blocked its customers from sharing online their media files that are stored on networked drives.
Western Digital says the decision to block sharing of music and audio files is an anti-piracy effort.
…
Western Digital has blocked users from sharing more than 30 different file types, if they are using the company’s software, called Anywhere Access.
Evidently WD has forgotten that they’re in the business of simply arranging magnetized dust onto aluminum platters and not in the business of playing Cops and Robbers.
Amusingly Western Digital’s own site promoting these drives states:
Add this unique remote-access storage system to your wired or wireless network and you’ll have a surprisingly simple and secure way to access data and photos, at home, in the office, and anywhere in the world–even when your local computer is off.
…
This storage system and all the files on it are always accessible when you need them, even when your local computer is turned off.*
Note the asterisk at the end of that statement. The fine print follows with:
Due to unverifiable media license authentication, the most common audio and video file types cannot be shared with different users using WD Anywhere Access. A list of the non shareable file types can be found here.
These file types being:
AAC Advanced Audio Coding
AIF Audio Interchange File
AIFC Audio Interchange File
AIFF Audio Interchange File Format
AMF DSMIA/Asylum Module File
ASF Advanced Streaming Format
ASX Advanced Stream Redirector
AVI Audio Video Interleave
CDA CD Audio
DVI DivX AVI
DIVX DivX AVI
FAR Farandoyle Tracker Music Module
IT Impulse Tracker
ITZ Impulse Tracker
KAR Karaoke MIDI
MDZ Cubic Player/Cross-View Music Module Description
MOV QuickTime Video
MP1 MPEG Layer 1 (Audio)
MP2 MPEG Layer 2 (Audio)
MP3 MPEG Layer 3 (Audio)
MP4 MPEG Layer 4 (Video)
MPA MPEG Audio Stream, Layer I, II or III
MPE MPEG Video
MPEG MPEG Video
MPG MPEG Video
MPGA MPEG Layer 3 (Audio Stream)
MPV2 MPEG Audio Stream, Layer II
OGG OGG Bitstream
OKT Oktalyzer Tracker Module
PTM PTM - Poly Tracker Module (Audio)
QT QuickTime Video
QT1 QuickTime Video
VOB Video Object (DVD Video)
VOC Creative Labs Sound
WM Windows Media Audio or Video
WMA Windows Media Audio
WMV Windows Media Video
Basically everything to do with music and video. In other words, should you use your computer to create your own music or video that you then might want to watch or playback elsewhere, WD has already convicted you of a crime and sentenced you to “no can have, not yours.”
Suck on that all you indy musicians and high-school film students, that’ll teach you to get all uppity and creative.
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It’s bullshit, but pretty damn easy to work around.
just change the file type/extension when you have access to the drive…