Ownership of Data and Products

Louis Rossmann

Pirating always wins

Louis has no problem with paying for products that are good experiences, and he doesn't do his form of activism because he's just "poor", which is typically the criticism he receives. - Paying for content often results in worse experiences than pirating it would - Netflix example - Paid for a premium 4k plan from Netflix because he has the ability to watch that level of quality using his TV - Uses TV with Firefox to watch it, the stream looks bad. Uses CTRL SHIFT ALT D to see that it is in fact streaming at a low bitrate. - Thinks: Is this by design that the quality is not as good for computer users pushing them to use Netflix app on smart TVs, which are closed-source and offer Netflix more control. - Configures Smart TV connection to Wifi Network, only connect to Netflix. - All privacy-invading settings are turned off, he finds that the stream quality on the smart TV is significantly better than on his computer.

It could still be coincidental, but I’m not convinced.

• Reasons on the generous side
  • Platform Optimization: Streaming services often optimize their apps for specific platforms. The Netflix app on a smart TV might be better optimized to deliver high-quality streams compared to a web browser on a computer.
  • Device Capabilities: Smart TVs might have hardware or software features that allow for better video decoding and streaming performance compared to some computers.
• Not so generous interpretations
  • DRM (Digital Rights Management): Smart TVs and proprietary apps might have more robust DRM implementations, which streaming services prefer for delivering higher-quality content to prevent piracy.
  • Intentional Downgrading: Streaming services might intentionally downgrade the quality on web browsers to push users towards their apps on other devices, which offer more control over the user experience and data collection.

Piracy offers a better experience and community support compared to official services. He refuses to pay for services that provide a worse experience than pirated alternatives. He prefers to avoid ecosystems that treat customers poorly, even opting out of mainstream content altogether.

Why you shouldn’t connect your peripherals to the Cloud.

• Wikileaks dump shows that CIA could turn Smart TVs into listening devices.
• No way that he’s having closed source software that connects to the internet.

Smart TV stealing your data

• Paid over 3,000 for a tv, there’s a setting “Do Not Sell My Personal Information”, already turned on out of the box, you have to opt out.

Adversarial Relationships with companies

• Companies often treat paying customers worse than pirates, creating an adversarial relationship.

You will own nothing and be happy

==Paying for digital content often results less ownership than pirating.== - True ownership should mean that content cannot be revoked without legal authority or due process. - The terms of service often mislead consumers by implying ownership. (saying that you bought a digital product from them, then stating in the TOS that they can revoke ownership.) ## Digital Content Ownership Issues: - Companies revoke access to purchased content due to restrictive terms of service. - Despite “purchasing” content, it is actually a revocable license. - Telstra Service Incident: - Vicky Russell spent over $2,500 on digital media, believing she owned it. - Telstra shut down their service, moving to Fetch, requiring additional hardware purchases to access her content. - After media attention, Telstra provided the necessary hardware for free. It costs them less to make her happy than treating all consumers right. ## Ownership of Products and Right to Repair - If you cannot repair a product yourself, you do not truly own it; the manufacturer retains control. - Ownership should include the right to modify, repair, and use the product without restrictions. - Many modern products, especially electronics, are designed to be difficult or impossible to repair by the owner. - proprietary tools, serial number pairing, and lack of available parts prevent consumer repairs. ## Examples of Abusive Practices: - **Amazon:** - E-books can be inaccessible when moving between countries. - **Sony:** - Can revoke purchased content without notice. ## AI and Account Termination: - AI can wrongfully terminate accounts, leading to loss of access to purchased content. - Example: An Amazon account was terminated due to a supposed "racist doorbell." ## Call to Action: - Support indie creators who respect consumer rights. - Reject mainstream services that abuse consumer rights.