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I found the footnote where they invoke the name of the W3C to justify patents interesting:

Software interoperability standards such as those promulgated by the World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) are necessary to enable the important uses of software, supra at 18-23, which require acquisition and assimilation of data from numerous heterogeneous sources. With the advent of patent protection for software, firms are able to selectively license innovations on favorable terms to the community of standards users, thus encouraging other firms to participate in and adopt standards.

Emphasis in original (page 29, 42 in pdf). I don't think that is the purpose of the W3C's patent policy, which states that any patented methods described in w3c standards must be freely licensed. The W3C makes recommendations based on common industry practice. IBM's interpretation implies that Patents must be used to rigorously impose standards as is done by: 3D-3C, LLC, DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation, 4C Entity, Digital Content Protection LLC, and Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator.

The main point of the Brief seems to be that the test for patentability should not rely on an arbitrary method of implementation. The Brief explicitly states that it relies on the US constitution that says that advances in the "useful arts" (technology) are patentable. As such, many of the claims may not apply in other jurisdictions such as my own. From the brief:

Patenting technological inventions promotes innovation. No sound patent policy supports protection for non-technological processes, including non-technological business methods.

- Page 7.8 of Brief (pages 20,21 of pdf)

I supposed if the scope of software patents is limited enough such that entire fields of innovation are not cut-off (a patent on Morse code was used as an example), I suppose they can't do to much harm.

You will never see a cable card 2.0 device for computers available on the open market. Much like the AACS system for HD-DVD and Blu Ray, digital cable has an encryption system called 5c: http://www.dtcp.com/
You will not see a free software version ever, the best we could hope for would be a MS Vista compatible version only available from big name computer sellers (Dell, HP, etc) that would be certified by Cable Labs and be completely locked down...

This is DRM that's been in your cable box for a long time now. It's called "5C" or "DTCP". It essentially prevents a cable box (or any other DTCP-compliant device) from transmitting "protected" data to noncompliant devices.

The problem here is that the CableCard licensing group (driven by the cable/satellite companies) got in bed with the content companies (RIAA/MPAA/etc., driving the DTLA, who manages DTCP licensing) and locked things up under patent protection so that you can't create a CableCard device that outputs a digital signal unless it also complies with DTCP. This doesn't really affect the cable companies at all. CableCard is already secure for managing the ability of a device to receive subscribed channels over cable. But it's a gold mine for the content companies, who now have complete control over your ability to record/rewatch/rewind/fast-forward content received over cable TV.

In other words, it's exactly like the broadcast flag, but for cable. No legislation required.

The reason that Microsoft is able to get a license for Vista to support CableCard+DTCP compliant hardware for the PC is because they are willing to put in the DRM required by the DTLA, a la "Trusted" Computing. No open-source solution will ever be able to get this license, because the content companies decree it to be so - after all, an enterprising young hacker could alter said open-source solution and then be able to skip those oh-so-precious commercials that we don't want to watch.

So don't blame Microsoft for doing what's required. Blame the content companies, and blame the cable companies for caving in. This has been locked up tight for years now, and barring public revolt or legislative prohibition, moving down this road was inevitable.

Why not just plug a firewire cable from your cable box to your PC?

http://www.dtcp.com/

Note the announcement: "DTCP grants provisional approval to Windows Media DRM"

5C DTCP is a DRM scheme that can be used over Firewire to require that only compliant devices will receive "protected" data over the Firewire connection. Most cable boxes already have 5C support, even if they don't have it enabled yet.

TiVo has no need to be worried about software-based PVRs. It's got the entertainment industry behind it on that one. We talk on Slashdot from time to time about the broadcast flag and how it would essentially prevent software-based (and especially open-source) PVRs, but what gets a lot less notice is that the same restrictions already encumber digital cable TV. Digital cable TV boxes output an analog signal at a lower resolution than HD, but for the purposes of software-based PVRs, that's where it ends. The HD digital signal is also an output option from a digital cable TV box, either through DVI or Firewire, but that signal is restricted by the 5C DTCP content "protection" system, which prevents a signal from being transmitted unless the listening devices are compliant.

Someone could probably come up with a software solution to defeat 5C, but with the DMCA in place and without the DMCRA to defend our rights, doing so would be illegal. Essentially, it takes open-source PVRs, which are legal and worthwhile in the analog domain, and puts them in the category of tools for piracy when used in the digital domain. And what's more, the DTLA (which administers licensing of DTCP) will, just like the DVD-CCA, never ever ever grant a license for someone wanting to build an open-source PVR.

TiVo has nothing to worry about from software PVRs - they'll die off slowly as the shift to digital HD continues. Then the entertainment industry can finish TiVo off at its leisure.

It's fairly likely that this system will be similar to 5C content control, which is already in place on digital cable boxes' firewire ports. That is, the stream itself won't necessarily be encrypted, but the upstream devices will simply refuse to transmit if the downstream devices don't follow the protocol to verify that they are "secure".

DTCP/5C has been around since 1998. One of the things they have us content protection over 1394. DTCP/5C protection supports renewability, copy control information, and content encryption. All the HDTV equipment with 1394 (DVHS vcr, monitors with 1394 input) are required to implement DTCP for copy control/encryption.

This system has not been broken as of today (2005), and the possibilities that a "box in the middle" attack can even be applied to this protection scheme are unlikely, because of how key exchange is implemented and because compromised hardware can be blacklisted easily.

There's one little snag for those of us who would like to get more than the broadcast channels on our PVR boxen. "5C" copy prevention (so called because five companies worked on it) prevents your untrusted device from communicating over firewire (IEEE-1394) to receive your cable company's digital signal. Each 5C-compliant firewire device must negotiate with the devices they communicate with to ensure that they are operating in a trusted fashion (meaning that the signal that one device sends another must comply with the 5C flag that is specified by the TV network, indicating whether the signal can be copied or not). Compliance is mandated by causing an upstream device not to transmit to noncompliant downstream devices.

The end result is that what the broadcast flag failed to achieve over-the-air is currently a fact of life in the cable arena, due to the puny content distributors pressuring the gigantic electronics manufacturers for some form of DRM, without legislation and without public comment. If you want to record digital media from your cable company at the resolution you receive it at, without going through the "analog hole" to get to it, you'll have to use the cable company's PVR. There's no way that you can trust your cable company not to cave in to the content providers - they can easily make it impossible to do things like watch a show more than once or to skip commercials, essentially rendering the PVR concept pointless.

Did you actually RTFA that you linked?

Part of the point of the DMCRA is to revoke the provisions of the DMCA that made it illegal to produce devices that bypassed copy protection features, as long as the uses of the content are fair (e.g., not sharing it wholesale over the Internet). Boucher wants to ensure that we can do things like time-shift television shows, skip commercials, watch it backwards or extra-fast, or keep an archival copy, not to mention all the things that libraries, journalists, and academicians in the humanities might need to do with digital media.

He doesn't want the version of the broadcast flag that the MPAA tried to ramrod through the FCC - he wants a sane version that protects digital content from being unfairly abused while still protecting our rights as consumers. Hopefully, he can extend this concept to the 5C system that is essentially Broadcast-Flag-For-Cable, for which there is currently no moderating influence, and for which the MPAA is getting their every wish.

You don't have to speak theoretically. There is already a standard to prevent "secure" media from being transmitted to "insecure" devices.

Firewire from the cable box is a digital hole likely to be closed by the demand of the MPAA in coming months. There's a spec called "5C" which involves secure key exchange between two Firewire devices to determine whether both are compliant with a copy control flag, and a 5C-compliant device won't send to a noncompliant device. (Content encryption is involved as well.)

http://www.dtcp.com/data/wp_spec.pdf

I hope they do, but I don't have much faith. Intel, Hitachi, and other companies are already in bed with the entertainment industry (such as Sony) in terms of devising content control schemes to forbid transmission of flagged content over firewire to noncompliant devices (read: your PC-based PVR).

So that I can record some TV to watch later... So that I can watch a DVD... So that I can continue to use my TV to watch TV without having to worry that the next time I rent a movie it will completely disable my television. Contrary to what you may believe, people like me are not all P2P crazed file swapping junkies. I purchase DVD's. I buy my digital music, and I pay my cable bill. I don't have time to rip and share every movie under the sun.

Have you actually read anything about how the C5 copy control is implemented? The 'analog hole' argument does not hold a lot of ground when re-digitizing the content or othewise storing it is prohibitively expensive, and as far as encryption not interefering with storage -- well I guess it shouldn't but it does, unfortunately. Have you tried to play a Divx (Circuit-city's version, not the codec) recently? You can be content storing an encrypted version all you want, but unless there is a 100% effective way to recover the original data, you are lost. The problem is not the crypto itself, but the copy control and how licenses are granted. The industry will happily grant a cable box manufacturer a device key after they can demonstrate their unit capable of respecting the copy control rules; however, they will never grant MythTV such a key even if the software becomes capable of respecting their copy control provisions. The reasoning, I guess, is that it would be easier to circumvent copy control in some open source software than it would be on a cable box.

Mitsubishi have Firewire, most new displays have DVI w/HDCP, and the DVD players that upconvert to HD resolutions are only output over their HDCP enabled DVI ports! Granted, at present HDCP is rather kludgy, have read articles on problems connecting with the latest boxes and displays. Not to mention the test channel on DirecTV that doesn't always work.

Also, 5C works, since you can't record a D-Theater movie (warning flash), to a computer with a firewire port, or use the VGA connector from the Samsung SIR-T165 firewire STB when playing a tape. Oh, you say that's not fair use, but, it's just a glorified VHS tape, so how robust is that? Are you not allowed to make a backup of your flimsy tape?

And, in the last year or so one of the cable companies in New York "accidentily" enabled 5C copy-never on their cable boxes.

DRM for HD is just getting started. Can't wait for the Broadcast Flag.

But, back to the article, hopefully Intel can get better yeilds since Hitachi and Mitsubishi have pulled their sets (ahh, can't find any links.) erik g

First, you have to obtain a copy of GAY NIGGERS FROM OUTER SPACE THE MOVIE and watch it.

Second, you need to succeed in posting a GNAA "first post" on slashdot.org, a popular "news for trolls" website

Third, you need to join the official GNAA irc channel #GNAA on EFNet, and apply for membership.
Talk to one of the ops or any of the other members in the channel to sign up today!

If you are having trouble locating #GNAA, the official GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA irc channel, you might be on a wrong irc network. The correct network is EFNet, and you can connect to irc.secsup.org or irc.isprime.com as one of the EFNet servers.
If you do not have an IRC client handy, you are free to use the GNAA Java IRC client by clicking here.

If you have mod points and would like to support GNAA, please moderate this post up.

This post proudly brought to you by the GNAA president

________________________________________________
| ______________________________________._a,____ |
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| __ad#7!!*P____a.d#0a____#!-_#0i___.#!__W#0#___ |
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First, you have to obtain a copy of GAY NIGGERS FROM OUTER SPACE THE MOVIE and watch it.

Second, you need to succeed in posting a GNAA "first post" on slashdot.org, a popular "news for trolls" website

Third, you need to join the official GNAA irc channel #GNAA on EFNet, and apply for membership.
Talk to one of the ops or any of the other members in the channel to sign up today!

If you are having trouble locating #GNAA, the official GAY NIGGER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA irc channel, you might be on a wrong irc network. The correct network is EFNet, and you can connect to irc.secsup.org or irc.isprime.com as one of the EFNet servers.
If you do not have an IRC client handy, you are free to use the GNAA Java IRC client by clicking here.

If you have mod points and would like to support GNAA, please moderate this post up.

This post proudly brought to you by the GNAA president

________________________________________________
| ______________________________________._a,____ |
| _______a_._______a_______aj#0s_____aWY!400.___ |
| __ad#7!!*P____a.d#0a____#!-_#0i___.#!__W#0#___ |
| _j#'_.00#,___4#dP_"#,__j#,__0#Wi___*00P!_"#L,_ |
| _"#ga#9!01___"#01__40,_"4Lj#!_4#g_________"01_ |
| ________"#,___*@`__-N#____`___-!^_____________ |
| _________#1__________?________________________ |
| _________j1___________________________________ |
| ____a,___jk_GAY_NIGGER_ASSOCIATION_OF_AMERICA_ |
| ____!4yaa#l___________________________________ |
| ______-"!^____________________________________ |
` _______________________________________________'

DTLA

Basically a digital content licensing/protection sceme created by 5 companies (listed on that site).
All HDTV tuners and HDTV-connecting equipment has to support this for copy-protected content.

Yeah, as in I wouldn't buy this machine to capture ANALOG video out from my DIGITAL HDTV tuner just to re-encode it to MPEG2 inside Telly. I would rather just get a box that takes the original MPEG2 data out of the tuner via its firewire port and COPY that. Aka products like Tivo-DVB (or something, like that), any of HDTV HDD/DVD recording combos, etc. If I wanted to capture ANALOG video outputs, I would just buy a capture card for the PC. There are no HDTV capturing cards that take straight mpeg2ts stream from teh tuner as far as I know because the signal is filled with DRM technologies such as DTCP. And for the record, I don't have any analog TV in my house. I receive 10 channels of HDTV via satellite and about 100 channels of SDTV/MPEG2 through another satellite/provider. So naturally, if I wanted to record something from these DIGITAL sources, I wouldn't waste my money on a $899 ANALOG recorder.

I love apple as much as anyone else, but don't forget Firewire has copy protection built in. Maybe not thanks to apple, but who knows...

5C and Firewire

Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP)

I think Apple will be trying hard over the next couple of years to push into Hollywood, with servers and renderfarms. Who know what negotiations will result in? Remember, margins on those big servers are much higher than iMac of the week to cheap-ass consumers.

So the question is this: how hard is it to build a black box that takes an mpeg2 video stream over 1394 and strips it of its copy protection?

Pretty hard, since your black box won't have a certificate issued by the DTCP certificate authority. You can read more about DTCP at the official site.

However, it looks like the manufacturers are turning from 1394/DTCP to DVI/HDCP (and later, HDMI/DTCP). Theoretically, HDCP has been cracked, but it looks like it would take a lot of resources to actually execute the crack.

Sorry - the copy protection mechanism is DTCP - Check out the latest 1394 chipsets at http://www.dtcp.com/press/

Now, what I really like is the naming of the groups who come up with copy protection schemes: 4C, 5C, ...

It's been said before and I will say it again: if it can be viewed/played then it can be recorded.

It's been said before and I will say it again: if it can be viewed/played then it can be recorded.

The proposal to enhance the ATA-spec with copy protection extensions is an enhancement of CPRM.
CPRM itself is just one of several technologies which are part of the so-called "Content Protection System Architecture" (CPSA).

[http://www.4centity.com/4centity/data/tech/cpsa /c psa081.pdf]

Enter CPSA, servants, attendants.

CPSA is an attempt to define a technological framework in order to fulfill the entertainment industry's (RIAA, MPAA etc.) demand for complete control of distribution and copies of audio/video content. The idea is to create a secure end-to-end chain from cable-station/satellite-receiver/settopbox/DVD etc. to the enduser's speaker/digital-display etc.

CPSA is supposed to include the following content protection technologies among others:

Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM)
- protected exchange of audio/video on DVD, FlashMedia, (ATA-hdds planned)
- encrypted storage of content
- protected storage of content management information (CMI)
- system renewability
- methods to prevent playback of bit-by-bit copies

developed by: 4C (IBM, Intel, Matsushita (MEI), Toshiba) http://www.4centity.com

Content Protection for Pre-recorded Media (CPPM)
- robust protection of DVD-Audio content on DVD-ROM media
- encrypted storage of content
- protected storage of content management information (CMI)
- system renewability
- methods to prevent playback of bit-by-bit copies

developed by: 4C (IBM, Intel, Matsushita (MEI), Toshiba) http://www.4centity.com

Content Scrambling System (CSS)
- protecting DVD-Video cotent via authentication and content scrambling

developed by: DVD Copy Control Association (CCA) http://www.dvdcca.org

Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP)
- robust encryption of content passing between digital devices in the home e.g. IEEE 1394, USB
- copy control information
- authentication and key exchange
- digital encryption [sic!]
- system renewability

developed by: 5C (Hitachi, Intel, Matsuhita (MEI), Sony, Toshiba) http://www.dtcp.com

High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP)
- encryption on high-bandwith interfaces to digital displays e.g. DVI

developed by: Intel http://www.digital-CP.com

4C/Verance Watermark
- technology for creating/reading watermarks (Content Management Information - CMI) in audio content

developed by: Verance Corporation http://www.4centity.com

Finally, a video watermarking scheme (to be selected by the DVD CCA)

An interesting tidbit on HDCP can be found in an article at maximumpc.com:
http://www.maximumpc.com/reprint/intel_revamps/

a quote from that article:

(...) Intel has proposed the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection encryption spec. Using hardware on both the videocard and the monitor, HDCP will encrypt data on the PC before sending it to the display device, where it will be decrypted. The rub is that only new DVI-equipment will have the feature, which creates a slight risk of obsolescence for those who invest in DVI early on.

Intel officials have downplayed that issue. They claim that any DVI monitor will be able to display protected content, because the HDCP-equipped DVI card will simply sense that an older DVI monitor lacks HDCP features and will lower the image quality to keep the content protected. Of course, no one has accounted for consumer acceptance. Will people embrace a standard that reduces image quality on their older equipment? Intel officials say the loss won't be enough to irk people.

how about this one:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000218S0008

"HDCP uses a 56-bit key, with individual keys distributed to the various vendors. A violated key could be tracked down and revoked over a satellite broadcast network, for example."

Apart from the documents obtained from the specification websites referenced above a search on the manufacturer's websites (Panasonic, Sony, etc.) for keywords like DTCP, CPRM etc. yields further information such as press-releases and other documents.

A couple of devices that already make use of these technologies have already been announced and/or gone into production such as:
Matsushita (Panasonic) DVD-RAM recorder DMR-E10
Panasonic D-VHS VCR PV-HD1000
Silicon Image SiI 168 PanelLink transmitter chip for DVI hardware
Silicon Image SiI 861 PanelLink controller chip for DVI hardware chip

The proposal to enhance the ATA-spec with copy protection extensions is an enhancement of CPRM.
CPRM itself is just one of several technologies which are part of the so-called "Content Protection System Architecture" (CPSA).

[http://www.4centity.com/4centity/data/tech/cpsa /c psa081.pdf]

Enter CPSA, servants, attendants.

CPSA is an attempt to define a technological framework in order to fulfill the entertainment industry's (RIAA, MPAA etc.) demand for complete control of distribution and copies of audio/video content. The idea is to create a secure end-to-end chain from cable-station/satellite-receiver/settopbox/DVD etc. to the enduser's speaker/digital-display etc.

CPSA is supposed to include the following content protection technologies among others:

Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM)
- protected exchange of audio/video on DVD, FlashMedia, (ATA-hdds planned)
- encrypted storage of content
- protected storage of content management information (CMI)
- system renewability
- methods to prevent playback of bit-by-bit copies

developed by: 4C (IBM, Intel, Matsushita (MEI), Toshiba) http://www.4centity.com

Content Protection for Pre-recorded Media (CPPM)
- robust protection of DVD-Audio content on DVD-ROM media
- encrypted storage of content
- protected storage of content management information (CMI)
- system renewability
- methods to prevent playback of bit-by-bit copies

developed by: 4C (IBM, Intel, Matsushita (MEI), Toshiba) http://www.4centity.com

Content Scrambling System (CSS)
- protecting DVD-Video cotent via authentication and content scrambling

developed by: DVD Copy Control Association (CCA) http://www.dvdcca.org

Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP)
- robust encryption of content passing between digital devices in the home e.g. IEEE 1394, USB
- copy control information
- authentication and key exchange
- digital encryption [sic!]
- system renewability

developed by: 5C (Hitachi, Intel, Matsuhita (MEI), Sony, Toshiba) http://www.dtcp.com

High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP)
- encryption on high-bandwith interfaces to digital displays e.g. DVI

developed by: Intel http://www.digital-CP.com

4C/Verance Watermark
- technology for creating/reading watermarks (Content Management Information - CMI) in audio content

developed by: Verance Corporation http://www.4centity.com

Finally, a video watermarking scheme (to be selected by the DVD CCA)

An interesting tidbit on HDCP can be found in an article at maximumpc.com:
http://www.maximumpc.com/reprint/intel_revamps/

a quote from that article:

(...) Intel has proposed the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection encryption spec. Using hardware on both the videocard and the monitor, HDCP will encrypt data on the PC before sending it to the display device, where it will be decrypted. The rub is that only new DVI-equipment will have the feature, which creates a slight risk of obsolescence for those who invest in DVI early on.

Intel officials have downplayed that issue. They claim that any DVI monitor will be able to display protected content, because the HDCP-equipped DVI card will simply sense that an older DVI monitor lacks HDCP features and will lower the image quality to keep the content protected. Of course, no one has accounted for consumer acceptance. Will people embrace a standard that reduces image quality on their older equipment? Intel officials say the loss won't be enough to irk people.

how about this one:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000218S0008

"HDCP uses a 56-bit key, with individual keys distributed to the various vendors. A violated key could be tracked down and revoked over a satellite broadcast network, for example."

Apart from the documents obtained from the specification websites referenced above a search on the manufacturer's websites (Panasonic, Sony, etc.) for keywords like DTCP, CPRM etc. yields further information such as press-releases and other documents.

A couple of devices that already make use of these technologies have already been announced and/or gone into production such as:
Matsushita (Panasonic) DVD-RAM recorder DMR-E10
Panasonic D-VHS VCR PV-HD1000
Silicon Image SiI 168 PanelLink transmitter chip for DVI hardware
Silicon Image SiI 861 PanelLink controller chip for DVI hardware chip

The proposal to enhance the ATA-spec with copy protection extensions is an enhancement of CPRM.
CPRM itself is just one of several technologies which are part of the so-called "Content Protection System Architecture" (CPSA).

[http://www.4centity.com/4centity/data/tech/cpsa /c psa081.pdf]

Enter CPSA, servants, attendants.

CPSA is an attempt to define a technological framework in order to fulfill the entertainment industry's (RIAA, MPAA etc.) demand for complete control of distribution and copies of audio/video content. The idea is to create a secure end-to-end chain from cable-station/satellite-receiver/settopbox/DVD etc. to the enduser's speaker/digital-display etc.

CPSA is supposed to include the following content protection technologies among others:

Content Protection for Recordable Media (CPRM)
- protected exchange of audio/video on DVD, FlashMedia, (ATA-hdds planned)
- encrypted storage of content
- protected storage of content management information (CMI)
- system renewability
- methods to prevent playback of bit-by-bit copies

developed by: 4C (IBM, Intel, Matsushita (MEI), Toshiba) http://www.4centity.com

Content Protection for Pre-recorded Media (CPPM)
- robust protection of DVD-Audio content on DVD-ROM media
- encrypted storage of content
- protected storage of content management information (CMI)
- system renewability
- methods to prevent playback of bit-by-bit copies

developed by: 4C (IBM, Intel, Matsushita (MEI), Toshiba) http://www.4centity.com

Content Scrambling System (CSS)
- protecting DVD-Video cotent via authentication and content scrambling

developed by: DVD Copy Control Association (CCA) http://www.dvdcca.org

Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP)
- robust encryption of content passing between digital devices in the home e.g. IEEE 1394, USB
- copy control information
- authentication and key exchange
- digital encryption [sic!]
- system renewability

developed by: 5C (Hitachi, Intel, Matsuhita (MEI), Sony, Toshiba) http://www.dtcp.com

High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP)
- encryption on high-bandwith interfaces to digital displays e.g. DVI

developed by: Intel http://www.digital-CP.com

4C/Verance Watermark
- technology for creating/reading watermarks (Content Management Information - CMI) in audio content

developed by: Verance Corporation http://www.4centity.com

Finally, a video watermarking scheme (to be selected by the DVD CCA)

An interesting tidbit on HDCP can be found in an article at maximumpc.com:
http://www.maximumpc.com/reprint/intel_revamps/

a quote from that article:

(...) Intel has proposed the High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection encryption spec. Using hardware on both the videocard and the monitor, HDCP will encrypt data on the PC before sending it to the display device, where it will be decrypted. The rub is that only new DVI-equipment will have the feature, which creates a slight risk of obsolescence for those who invest in DVI early on.

Intel officials have downplayed that issue. They claim that any DVI monitor will be able to display protected content, because the HDCP-equipped DVI card will simply sense that an older DVI monitor lacks HDCP features and will lower the image quality to keep the content protected. Of course, no one has accounted for consumer acceptance. Will people embrace a standard that reduces image quality on their older equipment? Intel officials say the loss won't be enough to irk people.

how about this one:
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20000218S0008

"HDCP uses a 56-bit key, with individual keys distributed to the various vendors. A violated key could be tracked down and revoked over a satellite broadcast network, for example."

Apart from the documents obtained from the specification websites referenced above a search on the manufacturer's websites (Panasonic, Sony, etc.) for keywords like DTCP, CPRM etc. yields further information such as press-releases and other documents.

A couple of devices that already make use of these technologies have already been announced and/or gone into production such as:
Matsushita (Panasonic) DVD-RAM recorder DMR-E10
Panasonic D-VHS VCR PV-HD1000
Silicon Image SiI 168 PanelLink transmitter chip for DVI hardware
Silicon Image SiI 861 PanelLink controller chip for DVI hardware chip

The CPTWG (Copy Protection Technical Working Group) is pushing very hard to have copy protection measures incorporated into IEEE 1394 (FireWire) devices. The idea is to prevent "unauthorized" use of digital content, no matter where you tap into the chain.

Intel has put forward a proposal for incorporating copy protection measures into IEEE 1394. There's also an organization pushing Digital Transmission Content Protection which, if Hollywood gets its way, will be incorporated into your new digital televisions by the time NTSC signals go dark in 2006.

Anyone wanna help me try to stop this garbage?

Schwab

Damming the Ocean (which should have been a full fledged article in itself!) warns of just such a future. Other related URL's include

*C Initiative, or, a Control Freak's Wet Dream

Digital Transmission Content Protection

Copy Protection Working Group

Also, back in We Won For Now, Chris Johnson pointed out how individual and small-scale content creators are just as adversely affected by all these technical and legal hurdles as end consumers (but consumers are far more numerous, not to mention a lot whinier after generations of Consumer Reports and Ralph Nader constantly kvetching there-oughtta-be-a-law). (Can't figure out if there's a way to directly hyperlink to older, now-static comments. Search for Score: 5 "Explanation (of sorts)".) It's good to see an editorial assistant somewhere forwarded that post to an assistant editor, but these fundamental issues deserve a lot more coverage than they're getting...especially on Slashdot.

One not-so-nice thing about all this high speed local connectivity is that it worries the Copyright Mafia to no end. The MPAA and others already see people copying entire DVDs in the privacy of their own homes, and are proposing draconic control schemes (like 5C does for IEEE 1394 -- see http://www.dtcp.com/ -- in short: how would you like your TV to send a message to your cloned DVD player in order to disable it remotely??).

But fortunately, the same technology can also be used by sane people to implement flexible certificate-based link-level security. Using IPv6, for example, would automagically enable IP-sec, and there should be enough address space left there (~85%) to give manufacturers a way to do autoconfiguration...

DTCP is a copy-protection/encryption pseudo-standard that makes it possible to have a fully digital TiVo. And it's backed by (you guessed it)... Sony.