09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Posting this set of hexadecimal numbers may very well get Shift+Backspace in trouble. For those of you who do not know what this number represents it is a key that can be used to break the DRM (digital rights management) on HD-DVD’s. On May 1st 2007 bloggers began posting this number everywhere they possibly could including the creation of songs and videos posted on sites such as YouTube.

Now, the MPAA and has been sending out cease and desist orders and launching lawsuits to thousands of websites that have published this number. Do you recall when DVD was cracked? HD-DVD creators always thought their DRM was 100% uncrackable. Wow, how pompous can you get? When are these massive companies going to realize that DRM is not the solution to piracy? A few weeks ago Apple announced that the iTunes music store was going to be offering DRM-free songs for download. The amount of positive press this garnered was insane and I am sure that Apple is still selling more songs than ever before.

Leaving DRM behind, something in todays business world really bothers me. It seems as though so many companies are trying to fight against piracy and open-sourcedness. Of course piracy is affecting media sales but as long as we see musicians and actors with everything they could ever imaging it will continue (not to mention these new TV shows about record/television/movie executives children who have nothing else better to do). It is time that these media-giants realize that world is changing, there is still billions of dollars to be made but adjustments are necessary.

Okay, this turned into an unorganized rant really quickly. I will write more on these topics in the future. I am not spreading this code because I have used it (or will ever use it) but because I feel that this is a step in finally convincing the corporate world that for every intelligent person they employ there are a thousand who are smarter.

Be sure to read more on the HD-DVD crack, if you search for that string of numbers you will find endless articles regarding it and the massive MPAA takedown-attempts.

Ranted out,

Cole