This is my off-topic take on the news of Adobe crippling Flash video with DRM, from BoingBoing:

Seth Schoen, staff technologist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and one of the world’s top DRM technical researchers, has written up an analysis of the DRM that Adobe has built into the latest version of Flash for videos, which prevents video viewers from making mashups and re-edits of the video they see on the net.

Amazingly, Adobe seems to have entirely missed the fact that the reason that the Flash video format has taken off is that it’s so fluid, versatile and remixable — not because they sucked up to some Hollysaurs and crippled their technology.

Lots of computer software begins its life as a tool for piracy, then turn ‘legitimate’ later on. This will be no exception.

Speaking of mashups and re-edits, I can compare them to graffiti. I’m not saying that there is no good or interesting art that comes out of it, but these day I have an ambivalent feeling that the cost is just too great to make these activities desirable.

In graffiti’s case, lots and lots of public facilities and private houses are vandalized just because someone wants to write their name on it, while decaying neighborhoods, disrespecting other users and wasting a lot more money than needed in restoration.

Yes, I know that there is a Banksy in 1 of 100000, and I know that some homeowners are so open that they let everyone graffiti their house. (Besides, those who are committed to do it will find the leeway.)

In the re-edit/remix’s case, lots and lots of videos are just exact duplicates of the original, or just plain horrible work, just because someone wants to tell the whole world instead of his friends one single joke, while encourages the use of the medium for piracy and opens up an irreversible flaw for author who just wants to release their videos as CC:BY-ND-NC.

Yes, I know that there is a (you name it) in 1 out of 1000000, and I know that there are plenty of filmmakers who happily lets others cut their film into pieces. (Those who are committed to remix will find the security loophole.)

With that said, I’m not saying that I support DRM. But I think the DRM is more acceptable – if it is not forced on all videos, and if the author has the choice on whether the video will have it or not.

Anyone who can shred some light on this dilemma is welcome.