Now this is nothing new but recently I've heard more and more people/sites mention this since it becomes effective July 01, 2005. At that time it will be possible (not to say that it will happen then) for your cable company to control how long you can retain your (digital) recording if you use their DVR cable box. HBO could instruct the cable companies to remove content that is older than 6 weeks from the DVR. Now this also impacts TiVo and PC based PVR software as well. I haven't read the actual legislation but this doesn't seem to bode well for the fair use act. Today you can copy VHS and CDs for you own personal use but can't do this with DVDs (legally). This seems like a step in the wrong direction. What do you think?
For more info look at this PC World Article
Overview below comes from here:
"Digital rights management (DRM) technology is rapidly becoming a concrete reality, built into the products that consumers buy and affecting the way people obtain and enjoy movies, music, books, television programs, and other digital content. It is natural that the creators and owners of content are seeking technical locks to protect that content from the piracy that digital networks have made easier than ever. At the same time, those digital locks on content will have a profound effect on how people view, watch, use, and share information - especially through the new and powerful forms of communication offered by computers and the Internet.
The "broadcast flag" - a method for protecting digital television broadcasts - has emerged as one of the first major debates over government mandates for DRM copy protections. As the result of a Federal Communication Commission decision issued in November 2003, starting in July 2005 it will be illegal to manufacture or sell devices that receive over-the-air digital television broadcasts unless those devices include certain copy protection technologies."
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