Western Digital has decided to unilaterally decree what files we may share:
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.
The excuse, apparently, is copyright protection. However, all is not as simple as it would seem. You see, Western Digital will stop me sharing my own content:
Western Digital says the decision to block sharing of music and audio files is an anti-piracy effort.
The ban operates regardless of whether the files are copy-protected, or a user’s own home-produced content.
And just who the fucking fuckitty-fuck do Western Digital think that they are to decide what I might do with my content, of which I am the copyright holder, not them?
Digital activists say it is the latest step in a so-called war on copyright theft that is damaging consumer rights.
That’s putting it mildly, to say the least. One of my roles as an assessor is to record my clients’ professional discussion. I use a digital recorder and save the file on my hard drive as a standard Windows audio file. I then copy this onto a disk for their portfolio of evidence. Sometimes, I may (rarely, I admit) have to send it as an email attachment or post it online for them or my agency to download. All of this is perfectly legitimate. Western Digital, in their arrogance, are presuming to stop me doing this. Well, they would if I was stupid enough to buy their product – not a mistake I plan on making.
From what I can gather from the BBC piece this is a software based system – presumably, the answer is not to use Western Digital software for file sharing… Or am I missing something?
The Register has more:
From the WD site:
“Due to unverifiable media license authentication, the most common audio and video file types cannot be shared with different users using WD Anywhere Access.”
Except that, this is a network drive being sold for the very purpose of sharing files:
The storage device is billed as a “surprisingly simple and secure way to access and share data and photos” using your home or office network.
As El Reg points out:
And technically that’s true — namely, the “way” in question is not letting you do it. Abstinence is simple and secure. You’ve got to hand it to Western Digital.
So, they are selling a network drive so that we can store and share files… but we can’t share them…
If you must have the drive, you could work around the crippled WD Anywhere Access client app. Or be satisfied sharing your impressive collection of .doc files. But this is — supposedly — a remote access hard drive.
No. Fuck that! These people just won’t get my money in the first place. I will share over my network whatever I bloody well like and it is none of Western Digital’s business. I can find another disk manufacturer that will meet my needs. Hopefully, the inevitable hornet’s nest will cause them to think again.
No you don’t understand, we are Globalist slaves now
Pricks! They’ve moved in over here too, the home of file sharing.
I actually suspect this device would be breaking some sort of trades description act. It’s a network drive that basically doesn’t do what it says it does on the box. In the UK that’s not legal I’m sure.
Zorro, you could be right.