There are probably some teenagers pirating stuff right now who weren't even alive when this comic was drawn. I'm old.
this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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I tried, but I can't, since it's Creative Commons
Technically you can: if you distribute the comic but don't give the attribution, you are breaking the terms of the license which is just about the closest thing to "pirating" it that you can do.
But "breach of license" is so much more lame than "piracy!"*
*Yes, a lot of piracy is itself breach of license, hush
For DRM free audiobooks check out Libro.fm.
Here is my idea: Everyone makes a private key. When they buy a song they receive the file and a digital signature by the label saying they sold it to your private key. When you are caught with a bunch of songs, you have to prove ownership using your key. Tadaa provable ownership, no blockchain, You loose the file, but still have the signature? You can download it again and all is good.
A digital signature from the label would be created with their private key.
What would they be signing? Your public key plus the ID of the song? They can't sign your private key, it's private.
What stops you sharing your private key and a song with a friend. Then when either of you need to provide proof, you can both show that you have the private key that matches the signed file?
But what if you still have file, but lose the signature?
Well if the record label was still around they could make ownership details public, or let you download the signed file again.
Ok, what next?
xkcd comics are available under a CC-By-NC 2.5 licence, so you've successfully pirated by not including attribution (as long as people can't tell at a glance that it's xkcd from the art style or comment thread you posted it to), but to seal the deal, it'd be a crime to sell it.
I couldn't tell at glance this was from xkcd and am willing to testify to a jury, when's the court date?
First, someone has to email licensing@xkcd.com to tell Randal Munroe that there's a potential licence violation so he can file a suit.
Whaaaat? This has to go through reporting to count?
Maaaan, pirating things is so complex these days. I long for the days of napster and emule.
Small note: iTunes doesn’t have DRM anymore (since 2009)
Apple Music (the subscription) has DRM though, but you should never have a collection on a subscription service, because it can go away at any time
Yes, exactly. The comic was published on October 13, 2008, according to Explain XKCD, that's probably why iTunes is in it.
And that's why Bandcamp exists. No DRM, whatever format you like and you support the artist.
Plus prices on there are lower than basically everywhere but amazon, and amazon doesn't really count because they only give you low quality MP3s
Oh man. One time, at band camp…🐈⬛ 🪈
Yes? Did something happen at band camp?
Let's hope the new owners won't destroy it.
Last time I bought audiobooks I got them from Downpour which included DRM-free downloads as either MP3 or M4B files, in addition to listening through the website or app. I believe Libro.fm may also offer this. Most of my ebooks are through Kobo and are DRM free as well.
Does depend in some cases on the publisher.
Buy CDs.
Fun things, under some legislation, ripping your own CD is not necessarily legal.
You mean those things that get scratched all the time and not have their revenue go towards the artist anyway?
Several years back, a group of friends and I gathered with our copies of the Nine Inch Nails album "The Downward Spiral." Unfortunately, all three CDs were heavily scratched. However, by combining parts of the same songs that played well on different discs, we managed to create a complete version of the entire album.
The record companies never gave a damn about quality.
Support creators though. Especially if the thing you pirate isn’t from a soulless corporation. This is why creators should always have something like a ko-fi or Patreon page. So I can pay them directly if I enjoyed their work.
I buy a ton of XKCD merch for this very purpose. I support others on Patreon, by buying from their advertisers and by buying their audiobooks on Libro.fm or a physical copy.
Amazon and other middlemen add nothing, they simply take a cut off the top. They maintain DRM solely to extract an maximum profits and lock in their customers and sellers. It is extortion and should be illegal.
Dox them and send an envelope with cash.
I buy most of my music from Qobuz or Bandcamp. Perfectly DRM-free with lossless compression, and it's mine forever.
PSA: Download all your kindle books. Even if you don't plan on cracking their DRM, you'll have the option to in the future should you want to.
Though do it before the end of the month! (Edit: the 26th) Amazon is taking that option away
Wednesday the 26th, not the end of the month. If anyone is thinking they'll get to it later, you have three days from this post
Thanks for catching that
Based xkcd
I have all of his books in physical format. Would recommend.
Always knew xkcd is a bro
I have to download pirated video games otherwise I can't play them offline on my handheld. They also launch 10x faster. I learnt that you can't use everything you own a copy of offline!
I use a mix of Goldberg emulator and GOG i prefer Steam though. Mostly for valves Proton compatibility layer and all that valve does for linux gaming. So if a game is drm free on steam i get it there.
Fuck denuvo tho that shit needs to die in a fire.
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Which handheld, and what are 3 examples of games that launch 10x faster?
I'm not the person you replied to, but if you've ever tried to launch an EA game with the DRM intact it's awful. You have to go through like multiple loading screens for the "EA App" before the game will start and then sometimes it just breaks and won't launch your game even though the game itself is perfectly fine.
I buy CDs and rip them into lossless myself unless it's not available and then I'll sail
I saw someone on YouTube pissed that they bought 700 ebooks from Amazon and now that they enforce a harder DRM he can't read them anymore.
Bruh, you voted with your wallet to get DRM in your ebooks. You can't complain if one day they change the encryption
I fully believe that if you paid for something, it gives you the right to go pirate another copy.
The vast majority of the public hsve no idea what you just said.
Their brain goes "I like book. I buy book! No more book? But I buy book!"
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