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Comment by jcl | Hacker News Reader

I wonder how fast this will be disabled... Youtube need only check the referrer, right?

Determining the video url is done on pwnyoutube's server and they can set whatever referrer (or none) they like. The real question is whether Youtube will start checking the request ip address and block pwnyoutube's. But then just put the site in a cloud.

My experience is that Youtube combats this (either intentionally or just by way of code changes) by changing the method in which the flv urls are determined by the player. The download sites break until they reverse engineer, and the cycle continues.

considering youtube is starting to add their own download links (http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/01/19/youtube-begins-addin...) and there are already tons of sites and utilities to download them already that haven't been blocked, i'd say youtube doesn't really care.

Do they care about the "youtube" trademark used in other domains?

pwnyoutube.com claims fair use:

"PWN!" is a frequently used word on the Internet, the meaning of which clearly makes the words "PWN! YouTube" a parody.

Warning to folks who this is true: trademark and copyright law are different entities. There's no such thing as "fair use" for trademarks.

For this reason, they should have instead named it pwntube.com

To many people (not really versed in internet culture) that would be pronounced [pawn/porn]tube, with the connotations such a name brings.

"Mom can I go on pwntube to get a video for my homework?" "WHAT?!?! PORNTUBE!?!? NO!!!"

;)

Perhaps... but who cares? I doubt the people that made this site really care about the hypothetical kid in your example.

who cares

Those who want their sites/products to go mainstream without ridicule (ExpertSexChange.com/ExpertsExchange.com is a popular example) or false negative impression/bias. This is why people often spend a lot of time to choose a name carefully, especially when you consider the long-term branding and marketing.

If data is broadcast, someone will find a way to download it, regardless of any software DRM.

this is something I've never understood about DRM. If I can watch/listen to it I can capture it. Period. DRM is supposed to simply make the barrier to piracy higher so that less people overall pirate.

But this is a total misunderstanding about how piracy works. Someone will take up the challenge of breaking your DRM, and when they do everyone will download it from that person and then each other. DRM is completely ineffective in a situation where a single point of failure means total failure.

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