It has to be YOUR data stored on the Amazon cloud

One of the battles in CAD is over this question: Who owns the data? Users like to think that they do, but CAD vendors instead act as if they do by employing tricks that make it hard for users to do simple things, like separate their data from the CAD system.

(It is ironic that CAD vendors call their software "tools," a term that appears to emphasize the distance between the tool and the result, when in CAD it is the tools that define the result. Object enablers, anyone?)

CAD vendors are looking to the cloud as a way to further lock up your data by injecting it into their data storage systems. Besides being afraid to speak the price they will charge end-users, they are vague on where the data will be stored. Dassault has said "somewhere else, first; on our servers, eventually." Autodesk has named Amazon and a couple of other brand names, "but not on our own servers." You're not supposed to worry.

As WikiLeaks tries to dodge the noose that's tightening around its head (figurative and literal), interesting information has come out about storing data in the cloud. Here's the reason Amazon kicked WikiLeak's data off its cloud system (source):

Amazon Web Services (AWS) rents computer infrastructure on a self-service basis. AWS does not pre-screen its customers, but it does have terms of service that must be followed. WikiLeaks was not following them. There were several parts they were violating. For example, our terms of service state that “you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content… that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity.” It’s clear that WikiLeaks doesn’t own or otherwise control all the rights to this classified content

So if Autodesk is going to act as an intermediary in depositing  your CAD data with AWS, then it better be clear to all parties who owns the data -- clear to  you, Autodesk, and Amazon. Fog -- in the form of object enablers, proprietary formats, and encrypted data -- make it difficult for users to warrant that they control all the rights to the data.

CAD vendors will have to do a McNeel: make all of their file formats fully documented, or risk having their cloudy plans turn stormy.

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(As a side note, I find it fascinating that private industry is the one making life difficult for WikiLeaks. Perhaps because private industry is worried what this wiki might leak all over them. Government appears to be failing in its primary role of providing protection for the people it governs.

(Here, for example, is the view from Germany's public broadcaster, Deutsche Welle: "As the organization faces swift pressure from American government authorities, Europe welcomes it. Three American companies have denied service to WikiLeaks after pressure from a US senator." Not true, but then Europeans have rarely understood how the American-style of government works.)

Updates

Headlines from various news sources:

France seeks to bar hosting WikiLeaks website

French minister declares war on WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks Strikes Back and Moves to Switzerland

With New Swiss Host, WikiLeaks Continues to Publish

WikiLeaks.ch (Swizerland) goes down as EveryDNS pulls the plug again ("WikiLeaks site was shut down after electronic attacks threatened the stability of access to other websites.")

Library of Congress Blocks Access To Wikileaks ("The Library decided to block Wikileaks because applicable law obligates federal agencies to protect classified information.")

PayPal Announces It Will No Longer Handle Wikileaks Donations ("PayPal has permanently restricted the account used by WikiLeaks due to a violation of the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy, which states that our payment service cannot be used for any activities that encourage, promote, facilitate or instruct others to engage in illegal activity.")

Comments

[Patrick EMIN]

Wikileaks is hosted now by OVH, a french host. The french government (Eric Besson) has today clearly said this is not acceptable and will pressure OVH.

[R. Paul Waddington]

Ralph, any person following - with their eyes open - what I have been saying MUST conclude, in Autodesk's case, Autodesk truly believe they own data created by their software.
It is ‘said’ we own our drawings (the idea/graphical representation) but Autodesk do not extend the statement to include their .dwg file nor data they have surreptitiously collected, on customers computers, using their Trojan CIP and other functionality.
However, it is customers of software (CAD) vendors who are responsible for allowing software vendor management to get away with creating the situation they have. It is vendor management who (have) are deciding customers’ future access to their ‘own’ data and it is software vendor management who have used the cover of a corporate entity to gain enormous control over their customers’ IP; control which otherwise would have been totally in the customers’ hands, in previous forms.
The current loss – and the greater future loss - of control CAD users will have over their IP is the CUSTOMERS’ fault and it is customers who can/should rectify the situation. Vendor management are so committed to the path they have trod they cannot, and will not, change their course without considerable pressure. To all those ‘sitting on their hands’; guys, start looking after your future. DO NOT of leaving it in the hands of unregulated corporation software (CAD) management.

[Dave Ault]

Ralph it is nothing other than how the MBA CPA types look at things strictly from a forced recurrent subscription model. The idea that they should have a constantly improving problem free product to entice buyers to continue to pay yearly fees is to much trouble. It is cheaper for them to con or force subscriptions and get you locked in then they can just stop spending all that money to keep you with better products. All this has to do with their bottom line and that is the ONLY thing and users be d----d.

I have a criteria for software purchases. I do not buy anything that has to go on line for any reason. I do not buy anything that does not have a permanant license. You see it is my money and my autonomy that is more important to me than their bottom line is and as Paul says, I vote with my wallet and feet to never get in this cloud extortion racket. I feel sorry for the SW guys for instance as they are all more than likely to have to make some hard choices soon. Do you stay there and become a hostage to bad software versions, ISP problems, pay as you go and never stop or lose your ability to work and on and on. Or do you bite the bullet and just go for a new program with the learning and legacy files issue. My choice has always been to tolerate only a certain amount of abuse before I am gone. The cloud and forced subscriptions [ and yes it will be for all you Kumbaya cloud fans ] cross two areas that I will not allow anything I own to cross.

This cloud thing will be a big fat fail for cad and a true nightmare for those who sit still for it. I find it interesting that for the most part the people advocating for how nice the cloud will be are corporate and reseller types. I don't know one actual user personally that wants any part of this. There is one bright spot in all this though. If you like vaudville you could go buy an Ipad and dance on stage while doing the cloud thing with Bernard.

[Evan Yares]

I don't think anyone cares who owns the data. I wish that weren't true, but many years of experience says it is.

The issue with Wikileaks and Amazon was not about data ownership or rights. It was about Amazon not wanting to get dragged into another no-win situation that was going to get them boycotted.

I do agree, in principle, that a well-thought-out cloud strategy would include McNeel-level open data formats. But explaining that to end-users is going to be a thankless task.