http://thebighack.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=78&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 hat geschrieben:Numbers
A computer file is simply a number. Normally it is a really big number, but it is otherwise just like any other number. It is one more then the previous number and one less than the next.
We often think about it as a sequence of small numbers (bytes) or sometimes a sequence bits (ones and zeros). However, when you line these up in a sequence they form one big number.
Imagine lining up decimal digits. When you line up the sequence of decimal digits; Five followed by three followed by two, is interpreted to be 532 (Five hundred, thirty-two). The same thing happens with binary numbers, but the numbers are usually much longer.
Small Numbers
Why is this important? Well for every number there are an infinite number of possible representations for this number.
Think of the number twelve (12). It can be represented as five plus seven (5+7), or twenty-five minus thirteen (25-13). Taken individually the numbers 5, 7, 13 and 25 are never 12.
If for some reason we were to allow 12 to be copyrighted by Brittney, she would still have no claim on the numbers 5, 7, 13 and 25. I could still copy these numbers and pass them around as I saw fit. As long as I didn't copy the number 12, I should have no problems with the law.
So what happens if I transmit the "formula" (5+7)? Am I allowed to do that? What about the formula (25-13)? What if I only transmit (5,7) or (25,13)? What is the "meaning" of these transmissions?
There is actually no way to know the meaning of any of these transmissions. The interpretation is purely up to the receiver. The + sign may not mean plus at all. It may only be a separator. (5,7) many mean 57 or 5.7 or any number of possible other interpretations.
There are many legitimate reasons to store or transmit the numbers 5 an 7. As such, the only possible one who can cause a law to be broken is the receiver. If the receiver reconstructs 12 from any transmitted numbers then perhaps the receiver has broken the law. But then again, perhaps not. If no "copy" of 12 is made then no copyright law can have been broken. To play a song is not to copy a song. No more then to play a VHS tape is to copy a VHS tape.
Big Numbers
So now lets translate these principles to big numbers. When we translate something into a computer file we create a sequences of digits that represent the original.
Lets take a song for example. Let's say, "Lawyers, Guns and Money" is 3MB long. That means the song is three million bytes long or twenty-three million bits long. This make a very big number, but it is still a number. As every binary number can be translated into a decimal number, I'll use them to simplify these examples.
Picture the song as this, but much longer.
24332984303829732498...398724
Now there are two other number that may be of interest, depending upon how you interpret them. Consider the following big numbers:
11230243302314110327...264211
and
12102741001515622171...134513
Then consider adding them together.
Are these numbers copyrighted? Can I store them on two separate computers? Would that break the law? What if they were never added together. Would their existence still break the law?
What if I give you two other numbers? Again, and again.
There are two consistent ways to answer the above questions. One leads to the conclusion that "All numbers are copyrighted." The other leads to the conclusion that, "There exists encodings of copyrighted number that are NOT copyrighted."
If the first conclusion is true, copyright is pointless. If the second is true copyright is meaningless.
Multi-Use Numbers
This is the idea (or meme) at the core of the OFF System. The OFF System then takes it farther to show that each of these numbers can be used for many different things simultaneously. Let's name these numbers now, and add a couple more.
11230243302314110327...264211 = A
12102741001515622171...134513 = B
47379872610938161983...471179 = C
02810398720484003497...102380 = D
We showed above that (A+B) could represent, "Lawyers, Guns and Money". Interestingly, at the same time (A+C) could represent, "Oops, I did it again!" Who then owns A, Warren or Brittney? Also (B+D) could represent, "Piano Man". So who ones B, Warren or Billy? Each of these numbers can represent an infinite number of things simultaneously.
No one person can lay claim to any one number. That is why I claim that these numbers are not copyrightable.
OFF System
This is exactly what the OFF System does, but instead of adding it uses another logical process called XOR that simplifies the programming. Otherwise the logic is exactly the same.
It then spreads each number to different servers around the internet. This is done to speed retrieval. No fancy encryption is needed as each number has no meaning. No anonymity is needed as no one can tell how the numbers are being interpreted. That is why we termed this a "Brightnet". No secrecy is needed.
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