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from the take-a-little-ride-on-the-old-John-Deere dept.
An article about how the Russian military stole farm equipment from a John Deere dealership in the Ukraine, only to find it all remotely disabled when trying to use/sell it on the other side:
Russian troops in the occupied city of Melitopol have stolen all the equipment from a farm equipment dealership -- and shipped it to Chechnya, according to a Ukrainian businessman in the area.
But after a journey of more than 700 miles, the thieves were unable to use any of the equipment -- because it had been locked remotely.
Over the past few weeks there's been a growing number of reports of Russian troops stealing farm equipment, grain and even building materials - beyond widespread looting of residences. But the removal of valuable agricultural equipment from a John Deere dealership in Melitopol speaks to an increasingly organized operation, one that even uses Russian military transport as part of the heist.
[...] Other sources in the Melitopol region say theft by Russian military units has extended to grain held in silos, in a region that produces hundreds of thousands of tonnes of crops a year.
Are there other examples like this justifying some sort of limited DRM? How prominent do you think this will be held up as an example in lobbying efforts to justify not passing "Right To Repair" laws?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by requerdanos on Tuesday May 03 2022, @11:48AM (7 children)
One group of people exerting unjust power over another, also unjust, group does not "justify" DRM. It's jerks being jerks to other jerks.
defectivebydesign.org [defectivebydesign.org]
(Score: 5, Interesting) by richtopia on Tuesday May 03 2022, @02:58PM (3 children)
I would say military applications of DRM are appropriate. I mean literally missiles only being activated with the launch key. Which I suppose predates DRM, so a Physical Rights Management.
Now, in this example the consumer (the military) specified this protection and owns the key, so maybe it isn't Rights Management but rather protection against unauthorized use. Using the key example, is a house key a rights management technique?
Not a lawyer. Not a crypto expert.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 03 2022, @08:32PM (2 children)
The issue isn't that it's being used here, it's that they had to include it to begin with. If ever there were a justified reason for using DRM, this would be it. But, having every one of these subject to cracking is dangerous. What's to stop Russian cracking of our farm equipment?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 04 2022, @12:24AM (1 child)
A tool is a tool. Just because it can be misused doesn't mean we avoid it otherwise we'd be living in caves.
That said, DRM's original intent is for misuse against the consumer/general public which I think is mostly what most people are against that you've kinda also noted in the first part of your sentence.
However, the second is a bit unnecessary, most things are subject to cracking including a normal physical lock, doesn't mean we want to avoid it.
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 04 2022, @02:48AM
You're missing the point. If enough of them got locked up, it could damage huge amounts of crops. We had enough trouble when folks from South of the border couldn't sneak in and pick our cross, this could be worse.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by mcgrew on Tuesday May 03 2022, @06:42PM (2 children)
DRM? How is this Digital RIGHTS management or even digital restrictions management when tractors aren't digital devices? The same goes for cars, DRM shouldn't be legal for this.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 03 2022, @11:26PM
The same way that banning replacement ink cartridges and water filter cartridges is DRM protected: The software that enforces it is an access control and therefore protected by the DMCA.
(Score: 2) by arslan on Wednesday May 04 2022, @12:27AM
A lot of things are being made "smart" via digitizing some of the functions - whether sensible or not. That is a valid digital property, hence has attached rights - regardless if DRM is the right thing to do or not. Just answering your question.