First I hoped I had misread the web page. Then I realized I had not.
Networked disks are very useful. At home, they allow you to access your data from any computer on your local network without needing to keep a machine acting as a file server turned on all the time. But wait! You could use a networked disk to store songs and movies that you have illegally downloaded, couldn’t you?
Don’t worry, your networked disk will make sure you comply with the law and much more . Did you intend to store music that you legally downloaded from Jamendo and let your spouse and children access it? Too bad, since it may infringe someone else copyrights, Western Digital seems to think that it is best that you do not share it at all, just in case:
Due to unverifiable media license authentication, the following file types cannot be shared by different users using WD Anywhere Access.
If these file types are on a share on the WD My Book World Edition system and another user accesses the share, these file will not be displayed for sharing. Any other file types can be shared using WD Anywhere Access.
As a friend send to me, “sure, sharing 1 tera bytes of text files looks very appealing”. This post could have been titled “how DRM (Digital Rights Management) can hurt the world even when they are not used” or “we assume that you are a criminal”.
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And this happens just after Amazon and Apple start offering DRM-free tracks. WD is just a little retarded.
Was this advertised on the packaging ? Where was bought the disk ?
Lovely, refusing to do things is just the killer feature your customers. I, for one, can’t wait to experience the added value and empowerment this hardware will give me!
Storage media knowing anything at all about file types and worse, DRM, is a WTF in itself.
So, what happens if you reformat it to an ext3 or Reiser filesystem? Would it still be able to block – or even recognise – ‘media’ files?
It says the files cannot be shared via WD Anywhere Access. I bet a Windows share would work fine and the storage media is just that, unintelligent media. And, if you plan on sharing MP3s over a network I doubt your favorite media player is going to know how to interface with WD Anywhere Access; it would love to play a file over the network via a Windows share though.
just rename your files.. should be funny to see a 700mb movie named .pdf
Yea That’ll make everyone do something like this.
The-Mist-1080p.avi.—————–trim-this.zip
Western Digital sucks anyways. They have always been the microsoft (read “non-standard”) of the hard drive world. Seagate/Maxtor FTW!
This doesn’t effect the ways in which consumers can use WD drives. It’s a restriction on an ancillary internet-based service that is packaged with the drives.
I haven’t used the WD Anywhere Access system, but it’s described (Google it) as offering access to your home PC’s files from anywhere in the world, even when your home PC is turned off.
If that’s right, then clearly, your data is not being served to you by the WD hard disk that you bought and parked next to your desktop at home. The WD Anywhere Access system must be maintaining a copy of your data on WD’s internet-connected servers.
That may expose WD to some legal liability if their customers use the system in copyright infringing ways. So I can understand the motivation to restrict the system, even if I don’t find it at all appealing.
Does anyone really use the software that comes bundled with hard disks anyway?
There is no reason why we shouldn’t be able to. Everything that enables you to share music is legal and very easy to get. I can’t blame anyone for sharing music. Media should be shared and enjoyed. Not owned by, the worst of the worst, record comanies.
Well, there went the sales of that device. I wish WD luck trying to get that thing to sell. I was actually looking to get one but now they can go screw themselves.
what the fuck i this on a hard drive or some sort of NAS or USB portable drive? You fucking suck. Learn how to write where you don’t omit significantly important details like this. Link to the product you bought at least.
Gizmodo just had an article that debunks this myth. Apparently WD Anywhere Access software won’t let you share files of specific types.
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/peripherals/western-digital-1tb-mybook-drives-infested-with-drm-331320.php
I doubt your favorite media player is going to know how to interface with WD Anywhere Access; it would love to play a file over the network via a Windows share though.
Wow. I had seriously thought about buying this product, because it seemed like a pretty good and affordable NAS device that wouldn’t be drawing large amounts of constant power unlike a desktop. After seeing this, I’ve changed my mind at the ludicrousness of this. Audio and visual media is usually exactly what takes up lots of space – why would they prevent the very files that people are going to want to store? Yeah, sure, you could rename the extensions of the files or put them in an archive – but why? I’d rather just wait for a competitor to put out something that isn’t unnecessarily crippled and buy that instead. Thumbs down on Western Digital and the stupidity of DRM in general.
Taking a contrarian point of view, if you were in a business setting and WANTED to prevent illegal file sharing (for liability reasons) their software would let you do that (in a crude, easily hacked way, of course). Otherwise, you just don’t install the software.
Thats Y u use ORB it will get past all that and you can get all you movies and pis or MP3’s from any computer even Cell Phones
First it’s not a NAS it’s an external drive (needs a running computer).
Second: It is the software that won’t allow you to send files over the internet. I guess if you use Filezilla FTP software and open the ports on your firewall it’ll work fine.
BTW if you’re looking for a NAS to connect to external drives, one that doesn’t need your computer turned on all the time, try the Linksys NSLU2. I’ve been looking for one that doesn’t use a lot of power. This one uses less than 10 watts by itself. Then add USB2 drives.
The limitation is just in the software, which can easily be disabled. This is just another case of DRM failure
I own a WD 2TB World Edition disk, and the removal of MioNet and the customization took just a couple of minutes. See http://mybookworld.wikidot.com/ or http://martin.hinner.info/mybook/ for more details.
WD Anywhere is just MioNet in disguise. You can remove it and just use the embedded Linux inside, then you will have full control of your own files
If I bought one of these products by mistake because the DRM was not in big, bold print, I’d be perusing a class action law suit against Western Digital.