Events.PiratesInBrussels2025 page history

CONTENT

CONTACT

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RIGHTS

  • code

  • content
  • artwork
Recent Changes - Whiteboard / Flashcards

CONTENT

CONTACT

UPDATES

MONETIZATION

Web Monetization enabled, thanks for your support!

Web Monetization is not enabled. To learn about it and support this website financially check Monetization.

RIGHTS

  • code

  • content
  • artwork

Pirates In Brussels 2025 {Events}

Brussels, Saturday 4/10/2025 at Cafe Leopold, Place Wappers

Own objectives

  1. link content consumption with increasing control and thus lack of agency
  2. one answer to that... FLOSS&OSHW
  3. ironically enough, only optionally actually pirating, but ideally not

RestrictionStack embedded on usage graph

BigContent Chokepoint RestrictionStack

Principle

  • link modern consumption of digital content, e.g. ebooks, music, streaming videos, etc
    • no direct access to content, rather access to tool that dictate how content can be consumed
    • rules of such tools evolving over time
      • Nintendo "Seal of Quality"
      • 1984 remotely deleted from Amazon Kindle
      • Netflix password sharing
      • adblockers blocked from "stores" including browser extensions
      • mobile stores publication process, e.g Play Protect, or Developer Registration while limiting Web alternatives
      • Newag (Poland) preventing train repair if not in "official" locations
    • rethoric and FUD
      • "You wouldn't download a car" from the Home Motion Picture Association (MPA)
      • "Home Taping Is Killing Music" by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI)
      • yet practice of abuses with the actual content producers
        • how many cents do artists get per book, per song played, etc
        • how many Euros do companies that own the right to their work
        • distinguishing copyright owners and actual creators
      • Gates' 1976 "An Open Letter to Hobbyists"
      • conflating Terms of Services (ToS) or End-user license agreement (EULA) with law
        • legalese as FUD
  • ... to restrictions
    • DRM, e.g. Widevine
    • locked bootloader, UEFI, etc
    • no direct installation but funneling through official stores, e.g "sideloading" as a concept in itself
    • OEM deals
  • ... and the consequences of those restrictions
    • device is a limited consumption tool not owned by the consumer
    • security risk through black boxes
    • performance cost
    • ecological cost
    • psychological cost, lack of trust in own devices that are often always on and always nearby, listening
      • experience of ads on local ice skating rings
    • breaking accessibility
    • continously shifting landscape
      • privacy zuckering
      • enshittification
      • blocking adblocker, alternative players (e.g. yt-dlp)
  • ... yet showcasing alternatives
    • FLOSS+OSHW
    • self hosting and federated hosting
      • including with financial contribution options
        • Funding.yml for code
        • liberapay
    • free content, CC0, copyleft, etc
    • direct payment to creators, no intermediaries
      • intermediaries that are more fair
        • lower margin
        • no right take away from creator
  • ... and finally my own personal motivation.
    • mind attrophy and fear
      • learned helplessness
    • Matryoshka dolls of nested technical and legal black boxes
    • professional consequences
      • why I don't work under NDA anymore
    • societal consequences

Ideas

  • sketch the restriction stack
    • hardware
      • lack of debug pins
      • no public documentation
      • independant system (e.g. mobile phone) : bootloader verification
        • no keys available except manufacturer
        • required pairing (e.g. VR headset) via proprietary app (thus Gadgetbridge)
      • dependant system (e.g. GPU for desktop) : driver
        • no public code
      • dongle requirement (e.g. no relying on BT/WiFi/etc)
    • software
      • no alternative OS
      • no possibility of installing alternative OS (see bootloader)
      • no software installation
      • no alternative distribution mechanism
      • no plugin or extension system
      • closed source
      • no public documentation
      • lack of standard
  • demonstration with actual hardware
    • including legitimate alternatives, e.g.
      • Great : Precusor, PGB-1
      • OK-ish : SteamDeck, PinePhone (despite proprietary components), Lynx (same), PineTab 2, rooted PirateQuest Quests
      • Bad : Switch, iPhone, Android (Googled) phones or tablet, Meta Quest
  • process of going from Bad to OK-ish
    • rooting
      • finding exploits for that
    • clarify the risk of going so
      • unsure path
      • giving money to manufacturers who do not support OSHW
    • examples with the downsides
      • Lunii - Ma Fabrique à Histoires : alternative open source ways to add content
      • Quest : rooting, accountless
      • SteamDeck : desktop mode
      • Lynx : rooting
  • tools helping going from OK-ish to Great
  • visualization, e.g. Venn diragram, of solutions that do respect contraints, e.g. autonomy and agency of users while economically sustaining artists
    • iFixit repairfability index
    • Mozilla Privacy Not Included
    • Open Products Facts
  • map the legal landscape
    • e.g. DMCA is a US law
      • link with WIPO and global consequences
        • reliance on US distribution platforms

Content alternatives

Those must be DRM-free but do not have to be free of charge.

Overall see https://www.defectivebydesign.org/guide which has books, video, audio (including audiobooks) and software (including games) categories.

Consider also your local public libraries or dedicated media library. They typically have a vast collection in local language, passionate staff eager to help and the price is often absolutely amazing, typically less than buying a single item. They also pay back rights to creators.

References