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Sony, Intel To Push Content Protection

prostoalex writes "Intel and Sony are trying to please the copyright-alerted content publishers and privacy-aware consumers by supporting and pushing Digital Transmission Content Protection standard. New technology allows the consumer to use the downloaded content, but not distribute it outside of their home. A PDF presentation from an Intel engineer is available on dtcp.com."

276 comments

  1. *COUGH* bullshit by SMOC · · Score: 4, Funny

    New technology allows the consumer to use the downloaded content, but not distribute it outside of their home

    So, what happens if I turn up to volume a bit?

    --
    All errors in this comment are mine. Corrections are considered a derivative work, and punishable under copyright law.
    1. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by vidnet · · Score: 4, Funny

      The giant barbed fence they build around your house will also be sound proof.

    2. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Agha, that's what the preview button is for.

      to=the

    3. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by gunix · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I was just about to write something about a laptop, never mind.
      Where is this taking us?
      The optimistic future is that the "content" industry can stop being afraid of all that P2P-mess, and they can start cutting the prices, since P2P is the reason for the high prices...

      The more realistic future is that they get an even firmer grip on the consumers and raise prices!

      Should I buy some DRM-free hardware today and save for future use? Well, AMD releases new hardware tomorrow....

      --
      Evolution of Language Through The Ages: 6000 BC : ungh, grrf, booga 2000 AD : grep, awk, sed
    4. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by zaphodbblx · · Score: 1

      Every time this kind of shit comes out, I want to go out and buy the ballseiest computer I can before it ACTUALY happens....mabey this is why they do it. makes sense in a sick kinda way, announce a gizmo that limits functionality via the DCMA then people who want full function out of a product they paid thousands of dollars for run out and buy a new one. Any one have recent quarter sales figures for sony and intell?

      --
      "A towel is the most astounding Mind-boggleing useful thing in the universe, allways know where your towel is"
    5. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by Kevin_ap · · Score: 1

      So, what happens if I turn up to volume a bit?

      You'll be in breach of contract and they'll come and get you, because turning up the volume means other people can hear their Audio content aswell, and after all you've only paid for one license.

    6. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by kdsolutions · · Score: 0

      I need a lawyer to email me immediately. I have a document which I need reviewed.

      This is not a joke, I really do need a lawyer to contact me IMMEDIATELY!

      --
      Error 666 - Satanic SCO code found in your Linux kernel.
    7. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by HiggsBison · · Score: 1
      So, what happens if I turn up to volume a bit?

      Turn it up too far, and I use that EMP gun I've been working on. hehehe

      --
      My other car is a 1984 Nark Avenger.
    8. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by kdsolutions · · Score: 0

      Rather than email me, please review the following document and post your thoughts as a response to this comment.

      RTF FORMAT DOCUMENT

      Thank you all in advance!

      --
      Error 666 - Satanic SCO code found in your Linux kernel.
    9. Re:*COUGH* bullshit by JavaIsCool · · Score: 1

      Ahhh, My 4 favorite companies intel/Intel and sony/Sony...doing my favorite thing - trying to limit my computer for their benefit. Both (all 4?) of these companies have thousands of people working hard to make customers happy and thousands more trying to stifle the customers wishes. Sounds schitzy to me ... and the best part is that in our upside down economic view - these are extremely successful companies!

      Oh Well ...go figure

  2. Handcuffs by dew-genen-ny · · Score: 5, Insightful

    God this sort of stuff pisses me off -

    The analogy that springs to mind is that if you go to the public library, they let you borrow a book, only if you let them chain it to your wrist first.

    Information was, is and should be free.

    --
    tom-george.comBecause geeks rate higher t
    1. Re:Handcuffs by zephc · · Score: 4, Funny

      less like chaining it to your wrist, and more like duct-taping it to your face. The future of DRM means for payer's eyes only, LIke movies, but all over the place. When taping Friends is outlawed, only outlaws will tape Friends.

      --
      "I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
    2. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What kind of idiots mod a post like the parent-post up?

      Q: Why have locks on cars, keys to your home. A: Because if you are even modestly intelligent you protect your property.

    3. Re:Handcuffs by Begemot · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but it insaults my intelligence when "Legally Blonde 2000" is called Information.

      Real info was, is and remains free.

    4. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Information was, is and should be free.

      Jeez, I thought we grew out of this notion five years ago. I guess as a new generation discovers the Internet, we have to go through the drill over and over. Fair enough.

      Information *IS* free. But Entertainment is not, never has been. Because I can render entertainment as data, clone it, and/or easily disseminate it doesn't mean I should. It most certainly does not mean I have a God-given and constitutionally-protected "right" to entertainment.

      The Big Problem has always been: What type of technology will allow us to simultaneously protect a consumer's right to Fair Use while preventing him from illegally distributing the entertainment he has purchased? *Everybody* is working on this; if Sony is finally announcing some progress, my only question is "What took you so long?"

    5. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They have to pay to get this technology going, and people on the internet will counteract it for free. They will lose money and get nowhere... Just like they have been......

    6. Re:Handcuffs by dew-genen-ny · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I disagree with the statement that entertainment has never been free.

      The concept of someone "owning" a song is relatively new - the idea that someone wrote it is not.

      It wasn't all that long ago that artists where happy for people to hear their work, because if it was good enough more people would pay to see them, and that would keep the food on the table.

      The mega-stars of the end of the 20th, beginning of this century are a new invention (and a terrible one at that). If you want to see a good reason not to pay people these huge sums, look at what the fortune part of the fame & fortune did to their creativity....but that's another story.

      --
      tom-george.comBecause geeks rate higher t
    7. Re:Handcuffs by Microlith · · Score: 1, Funny

      When taping Friends is outlawed, only outlaws will tape Friends.

      As they should be!

    8. Re:Handcuffs by mangu · · Score: 1
      Besides, why should artists and their descendants profit from work done decades ago? If we, humble mortals, want to retire some day, we must build up some kind of retirement fund. We are not allowed to keep receiving salaries from the work we did long ago. Why should artists?


      Also, why should artists be millionaires? If an engineer does some good work, that's used by millions of people, he may be reasonably well-off. For instance, if I design a vacuum cleaner or a shock absorber, I might get a bonus, but I will never be treated like a super-star. Why should artists? What's the difference between designing a shock absorber that's used in ten million cars and singing a song that's listened by ten million people?

    9. Re:Handcuffs by SMOC · · Score: 0

      Q: Why have locks on cars, keys to your home. A: Because if you are even modestly intelligent you protect your property.

      Yeah, but if I rent a car, I expect to get the keys to it, including the ones that open the trunk and the gas opening.

      --
      All errors in this comment are mine. Corrections are considered a derivative work, and punishable under copyright law.
    10. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Information was, is and should be free.

      I wonder if you would continue to take that line if someone published private information about you and your family.

    11. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      It wasn't all that long ago that artists where happy for people to hear their work, because if it was good enough more people would pay to see them, and that would keep the food on the table

      And many artists still fall into that category. But some artists either don't tour or have limited promotional tours because their music doesn't translate over well "live." (Or do the trance/techno/post-modern-post-production guys not count?)

      Then, of course, there are the other artists -- authors, movie-makers, for example -- for whom making a living by charging an audience to experience them "creating" has never been a viable option.

      An artist should be able to say, "Look, I made something, here's a free sample; want more? Pay me this amount. Too high? Buy something else from someone else." The extent of the free sample, and the means whereby that free sampling is distributed, should be up to the artist or the artist's distributor/publisher/marketing guru. Some artists have concluded that extensive free samples is good for their business, others have a decidely different perspective. The point being, it is the artists' decision re how hs stuff is disseminated, not yours or mine.

      Now, the artists under Jim Baen's imprimatur are in a league apart from the venerable Mr. Ellison, and as such I suspect (actually, I know) that both of their very different strokes are right for both camps. Phish is not Kraftwerk is not Al Stewart; one style of distribution, either completely open or traditionally restrictive, won't work perfectly for all.

    12. Re:Handcuffs by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 1
      The problem is that we live in a society where reward is not (often) based on skill. In a free market society (and I use that term loosely), reward is essentially based on what you can sell, which often means the best marketing.

      The idea of equal pay for equal work is a more socialist and even communist ideology. On the other hand, socialism also often strays from reward based on performance. For example, unionized employees typically make the same pay regardless of whether they're a keener or a slacker. In a free market you can make your case for getting a raise based on your performance.

      So, while I agree that reward should generally be based on skill (education, abilities) and performance (good work ethic, do a fantastic job), there doesn't seem to be a socio-economical model that does this well. Given the current models, I'd still stick with free market but with a touch of socialism.

    13. Re:Handcuffs by mangu · · Score: 1

      There's a thin line between marketing and politics. The media companies today are drifting from marketing into politics. Why did Mariah Carey get paid $30 million or so for not selling enough CDs? Why didn't her contract have a penalty clause allowing the recording company to rescind based on insufficient sales?

      The end result of that politization is seen on plummetting CD sales. That's not what capitalism is about. In a capitalist economy, only the bottom line should matter in a corporation. It should not matter if the income is from selling CDs or shock absorbers, the reward for those responsible should hold the same proportion to the overall profit.

    14. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      Besides, why should artists and their descendants profit from work done decades ago? If we, humble mortals, want to retire some day, we must build up some kind of retirement fund. We are not allowed to keep receiving salaries from the work we did long ago. Why should artists?

      Sorry, but this simply doesn't hold water. If you design a shock absorber, someone holds the rights to that design. If I want to use that shock absorber, I have to purchase it from someone. You, as the designer, may not continue to earn money but neither do artists who perform works for hire and no longer own the copyright on their works. But someone is earning money on that design every time it's sold.

      Now, with a shock absorber, a large part of the cost is the charge for the physical implementation - the cost of material and manufacturing. But some part of the cost is the design. With shock absorbers, it's a small cost because designing a shock absorber is relatively simple. For other objects, such as CPUs and prescription drugs, design costs are a much larger fraction of the price. (And even shock absorbers depends on what type of shock absorber you're referring to. Take a look at the cost of a set of RockShocks or Marzocchi mountain bike forks.)

      Also, why should artists be millionaires? If an engineer does some good work, that's used by millions of people, he may be reasonably well-off. For instance, if I design a vacuum cleaner or a shock absorber, I might get a bonus, but I will never be treated like a super-star. Why should artists? What's the difference between designing a shock absorber that's used in ten million cars and singing a song that's listened by ten million people?

      Should isn't part of the equation. Nothing says that artists should be millionaires, and the vast majority of them aren't. Artists who do become millionaires do so because they provide works that are popular enough to earn millions of dollars, just as inventors who invent something on their own which is a high seller become wealthy as well. People who perform works for hire almost never become wealthy from their efforts because someone else owns the rights to their works. This is true whether you're an engineer designing a shock absorber or someone writing jingles for television commercials.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    15. Re:Handcuffs by AstroDrabb · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The problem is that the big media studios are NOT working on protecting Fair Use. They are only working on protecting their "content". They want the abitily to prevent you from copying ANYTHING which is WRONG IMO. We have a right to Fair Use and the legal right to backup. If I make a purchase of a DVD, I have the right to back it up and protect my investment so I don't need to repurchase it a year or two from now when the "content" on it is not usable any more. The media studios have every right to stop me from giving away their content, they DO NOT howver have a right to strip away my right to Fair Use. If they would build a system that allowed people to listen to music or watch movies while still allowing the people to make at least ONE backup, not many people would be outraged by their actions. As it stands now, the media company wants you to "pay-per-view/listen" for every piece of content. This is not fair. If they sell a product to me, then that product is mine and I have a right to back it up, sell it, give it away, throw it out, etc.

      --
      If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
      it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
    16. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      Also, why should artists be millionaires?

      Ahhhh, Class Envy. Now I begin to understand...

      Why does Jim Carrey command $20 mil per picture? Because his presence in the flick can be the difference between the studio grossing $100 mil or $30 mil. People pay to see him; they don't pay to see the work of the gaffers and the guy who re-compiles the kernal in the CGI render-farm.

      People pay to watch the quarterback; they don't come to the stadium to watch the offensive coach map out a strategy.

      And (Playing Devil's Advocate for a moment), why should Larry Ellison be rich? Because he had a "vision" about relational databases? BORING!!

      On the other hand... artists -- the "superstars" of whom you are envious -- usually are only as good as their last creation. They don't have weeks when their boss goes on vacation and they can "coast," etc.

      But this isn't about Jim Carrey or Harlan Ellison or Britany Spears; it's about the vast, vast majority of actors and writers and musicians who aren't neccessarily getting a check (no matter how hard they have worked/not worked) on Friday. I'm for giving them the tools to figure out how best to market themselves. For these people, there should be some middle-ground, with various granularities of control, between latching onto aome RIAA/Hollywood/Major Publishing House behemoth and just "giving it away" on a website. I see this next gen of DRM as providing that.

    17. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      "Equal pay for equal work" means that people performing the same job should receive the same pay. It's often used when pay is reduced due to discrimination of some sort, such as when women in a particular field earn less than men.

      Pay is never based on the amount of work per se. Pay is generally based on the supply of the work. Digging ditches is much more work than writing a hit song, but there are many more ditch diggers available than there are hit song writers.

      The free market does do a reasonably good job of basing pay on skill and performance. Where it doesn't, its usually because of outside interferences (such as federal regulations or requirements.)

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    18. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      Mariah's contract had nothing to do with politics. Mariah had demonstrated an ability to sell CDs in the past. The record company gambled that the exclusive right to sell her music was worth a certain amount. It was a bad decision, and the record company cut their losses by buying out the remainder of her contract. Companies make bad decisions. It's part of the free market. If they make enough of them, they go out of business.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    19. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      Why did Mariah Carey get paid $30 million or so for not selling enough CDs? Why didn't her contract have a penalty clause allowing the recording company to rescind based on insufficient sales?

      Negotiation. I'm sure the record company's original contract was far more onerous than what they settled for. But they bet (incorrectly) on making a bundle on Mariah, and gave her a sweet deal at the risk of losing her. That's, as they say, Show Business.

      In a capitalist economy, only the bottom line should matter in a corporation. It should not matter if the income is from selling CDs or shock absorbers, the reward for those responsible should hold the same proportion to the overall profit.

      If the artist is really, really, good, he will be able to negotiate a better deal, all based upon the promise that the entity with whom he is contracting will profit -- how will a deal with that artist will benefit their bottom line. If an engineer is really really good, I would imagine he would not allow himself to get stuck in some work-for-hire situation where he could not profit proportionately from the re-sale of his ideas, designs, etc. The tech world is filled with smart guys who cut "Mariah-like" deals for themselves; you just don't read about them because Larry Ellison's picture on the cover won't sell many copies of People Magazine.

    20. Re:Handcuffs by mangu · · Score: 2, Insightful
      The tech world is filled with smart guys who cut "Mariah-like" deals for themselves; you just don't read about them because Larry Ellison's picture on the cover won't sell many copies of People Magazine.


      Huh? Larry Ellison owns the Oracle corporation! Tech people, when they are really good, they get stock options. Top artists, IMHO, should be treated like that.


      I think the situation is more balanced in the classic music market. There are CDs sold at less than $3, by some obscure east Europe orchestras. CDs by the Berliner Philarmoniker, sold by Deutsche Grammophon cost more, because they are more popular.


      However, the pop music market is highly distorted. This started in the late 1950s, when cheap music recording media, such as the 33 rpm LPs and 45 rpm singles became available. The media companies invented a marketing format based on "superstars" which is becoming more and more dependent on positive feedback. A popular artist becomes popular because she's popular, not because she has any merit. Pick anyone at random, make him sign a contract in the seven-digit range, and you have an instant superstar. Remember Milli Vanilli? This highly distorted marketing scheme is showing cracks, and they are trying to patch those cracks with legislation and DRM, instead on fixing the real cause of low sales, which is the mediocre quality of their artists.

    21. Re:Handcuffs by gunix · · Score: 1

      Well, capitalism would work if people had a brain (i.e. then people wouldn't buy that J.Carry or B. Spears crap) and there would not be any envy...

      --
      Evolution of Language Through The Ages: 6000 BC : ungh, grrf, booga 2000 AD : grep, awk, sed
    22. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      Tech People, when they are really good, they get stock options.

      Tech people, when they are really good, incorporate themselves. So long as you work-for-hire, whether as a tech or an artist, you aren't a "superstar." Most techs aren't superstars; neither are most artists.

      A Popular artist becomes popular because she's popular, not because she has any merit. Same in the tech world. You need look no further than personal computer operating systems. But I would ask you not to confuse what goes into Milli Vanilli or Brittany or The Monkees or the current wave of pop-punk bands with the Berliner Philarmoniker simply because they all make "music," just as I would ask you not to confuse Harlan Ellison with Jim Baen's stable because the all write science fiction.

      Pop music is an industry that creates Entertainment Phenomena, not necessarily musicians. And there is nothing wrong with that. If you like it, there is a price to pay for enjoying it, which (it should come as no surprise) is considerably higher than the Greatest Hits Collection you purchase directly from your local band after their show at the coffeehouse downtown. The local bands are better musicians than Brittany, but they are not as big pop stars. Being a Pop Star pays better than being a good musician. Does that surprise you?

    23. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      Well, capitalism would work if people had a brain (i.e. then people wouldn't buy that J.Carry or B. Spears crap) and there would not be any envy...

      Lookit here, another guy who's never been 10 years old!

      It's not the pandering to juvenile tastes that skews the curve, it's the odd fact that teens and pre-teens have such deep access to such "disposable" cash. These Pop Stars are created in the factory because the young audience to whom they appeal are such big consumers. Then they get older, get off the parental dole, start paying off their student loans, struggle to put gas in their first car, have less money to spend in the mall, and wonder why their (newly-matured) tastes in music and film aren't being catered to.

      Well, Duh! If I'm a "Star Maker," do I invest millions of dollars and hours to create the next Brittany Spears (whose fans will buy her backpacks, calendars, and magazines) or do I invent the next King Crimson?

      As I've said elsewhere, don't confuse ot equate manufactured Pop Phenomena with "regular" artists.

    24. Re:Handcuffs by mOdQuArK! · · Score: 1
      The Big Problem has always been: What type of technology will allow us to simultaneously protect a consumer's right to Fair Use while preventing him from illegally distributing the entertainment he has purchased? *Everybody* is working on this; if Sony is finally announcing some progress, my only question is "What took you so long?"

      No, the big problem is: how much control do you want to let content owners have over their work after it has been distributed, in order to maximize its utility to the general society?

      Please note that any benefit to the content owner is a side effect of the desire to generate content for the benefit of society. Allowing someone to control their work after they have distributed it is a _privilege_ allowed to creators by the society with the hopes that it will encourage them to continue to create interesting works that will benefit the society. If that control has been extended to the point where it is _hurting_ the society rather than benefiting it, then it is only common sense that the privilege should be restricted or even revoked. (Obviously, the determination of whether this point has been reached should probably not be left to major content owners alone.)

      "Fair Use" is an attempt to put some limits on that control, to prevent abuse of that privilege. Attempts by content owners to destroy the concept of fair use represent an abuse of the privilege that has been granted to them, and are pretty much driven by greed.

      Content owners don't have any "natural" right to control their creations once it has left their hands. It's a privilege that's granted to them by law, and they'd damn well be grateful they have it at all, instead of thinking that it's their right. The world would get on just fine without "intellectual property rights".

    25. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      ...how much control do you want to let content owners have over their work after it has been distributed, in order to maximize its utility to the general society?

      More than they have without any kind of DRM, that's for sure. Look, people can argue over whether it should be three years, seven years, eleven years, or a hundred years, but clearly an artist who does not perform -- say, an author, for example -- needs some form of protection against some yahoo scanning his new book and posting it on a website. To argue otherwise isn't just anti-IP, it's anti-Artist.

      Sure, the suit-clad distributors would like to make a consumer pay each time he hears a song or re-reads a book, and that's a crazy extreme. On the other crazy extreme side are the guys who want to be able to manufacture and market Buffy the Vampire Slayer lingerie without any prior business arrangements with Joss Whedon. There's an in-between somewhere, and if one acknowledges this, then it follows one must also acknowledge the value of a DRM mechanism with fine and wide granualrity that would ideally be artist-controlled.

    26. Re:Handcuffs by ncc74656 · · Score: 1
      Yeah, but it insaults my intelligence

      "Insaults?" Is that some sort of cross between "insult" and "assault?" (In the current context, such a cross might actually not be a Bad Thing...)

      --
      20 January 2017: the End of an Error.
    27. Re:Handcuffs by wronskyMan · · Score: 0

      When taping is outlawed in Soviet Russia, only friends will tape outlaws.

      --
      --- You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you mad- Neal (not Cowboy) Boortz
    28. Re:Handcuffs by Jerry · · Score: 1
      Yeah, but if I rent a car, I expect to get the keys to it, including the ones that open the trunk and the gas opening.


      Sure, that's what you expect. But, after the laws are passed, that's not what you'll get. No keys for the gas tank or trunk means that you can only go as far as 1/2 a tank will take you, with no baggage.

      --

      Running with Linux for over 20 years!

    29. Re:Handcuffs by Jerry · · Score: 1
      What's the difference between designing a shock absorber that's used in ten million cars and singing a song that's listened by ten million people?


      The shock absorber will be used every time the car is driven, which could occur daily for years. The song will be replayed until it looses its 'appeal', which usually fades after a couple of weeks. Obviously, something that blinds people to reality is worth much more than something which merely shields them from bumps on the highway, which also explains the huge sales figures for fat-loss pills and plans. It doesn't matter that the next plan works no better than the last plan -- they are paying for the illusion that they (the fat person) are 'working' on the problem. Meanwhile, blame the 'glands' and pig out!

      --

      Running with Linux for over 20 years!

    30. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's worse than that. It's for the buyer's eyes only so long as he has/uses the hardware it's bought on.

    31. Re:Handcuffs by Alsee · · Score: 1

      What type of technology will allow us to simultaneously protect a consumer's right to Fair Use

      Ah, good. Then you must be opposed to DTCP and ALL DRM because they deny Fair Use.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    32. Re:Handcuffs by mangu · · Score: 1
      ...there is nothing wrong with that.


      yes, there is. If the business model depends on special legislation and in imposing DRM on everyone, including people who do not care for "pop stars", then the whole "pop star" business is a fraud. People who couldn't care less for "pop stars" must live with the cost and harmful effects of DRM.


      Being a Pop Star pays better than being a good musician. Does that surprise you?


      No, it doesn't. But, I repeat, the whole business model depends on special legislation, imposed on the public by corrupt politicians using shady political campaign financing. I'm being convinced that it's the duty of any ethical person to copy and distribute whatever content will hurt the media companies. Even if it's against the law, just like it was the duty of any ethical person in nazi German to help the jews, even if it was against the law. The ancient Romans had a proverb "Non omne licitum honestum", which means not everything that's legal is honest.

    33. Re:Handcuffs by Alsee · · Score: 1

      There's an in-between somewhere, and if one acknowledges this, then it follows one must also acknowledge the value of a DRM

      The valid "in-between" is TRADITIONAL COPYRIGHT PROTECTION.

      Any law that attempts to protect DRM is not only bad (because it denies Fair Use), it is unconstitutional because it is ultimately Thought Crime. Any form of "content protection" is nothing more than a calculation. Any calculation a computer can do can be done purely mentally. According to the DMCA I can go to prison for 10 years for committing the "crime" of sitting motionless, staring at a DRM's E-book, and reading that E-book by preforming the purely mental calculations that "illegally circumvents the access controls". You CANNOT make it a crime to sit motionless and think certain thoughts.

      Any time you have a program that "knows" how to circumvent DRM then a person who has that same knowledge can circumvent the DRM with his thoughts. A computer can't do anything a brain can't do. The computer is just faster.

      You are proposing that we should "compromise", but when someone grabs your wallet and says he wants to shoot you in the head, it is not an appropriate compromise to say he can shoot you in the leg instead. The appropriate compromise is to take your wallet back.

      The appropriate solution here is traditional copyright law. We need to strike down or repeal a few recent bad increases in copyright law.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    34. Re:Handcuffs by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

      But, I repeat, the whole business model depends on special legislation, imposed on the public by corrupt politicians using shady political campaign financing. I'm being convinced that it's the duty of any ethical person to copy and distribute whatever content will hurt the media companies. Even if it's against the law, just like it was the duty of any ethical person in nazi German to help the jews, even if it was against the law.

      Ohhhh, maaaan! I wish you would have told me you were a nut at the beginning of this thread so many hours ago, I would have gotten so much more work done today...

      sheesh.

    35. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "What type of technology will allow us to simultaneously protect a consumer's right to Fair Use while preventing him from illegally distributing the entertainment..."

      Umm... None? You attack the guy for adhering to a belief that has been debunked, and then go on to praise a belief that has been... debunked. Very interesting. If you can listen to it, you can copy it. Period, end of discussion.

      Additionally, DRM only inconviences paying customers, while providing a challenge to pirates. Hard core pirates will never ever be paying customers anyways, so the whole point of DRM is flawed. It only inconviences the legitimate customers, and as already stated it will never prevent copying.

    36. Re:Handcuffs by DunbarTheInept · · Score: 2, Insightful


      The Big Problem has always been: What type of technology will allow us to simultaneously protect a consumer's right to Fair Use while preventing him from illegally distributing the entertainment he has purchased?

      Nah, the bigger problem is this: How can that technology, if it gets invented, work in such a fashion that it doesn't criminalize open source software? Right now, every solution the industry comes up with depends on the software writers being 'trusted' by the recording industry. In other words, the techniques fail if you can write your own software from scratch. (For example, the technology that prevents you from fast-forwarding DVD's during certain sections, and the technology that prevents you from watching a DVD in the "wrong" country, both depend on the software author choosing to go out of his way to enforce it even though customers don't want it. This doesn't work in an open-source solution, which is why the MPAA hates DeCSS so much. It's not the copying, since that can happen anyway - it's the breaking of their ability to tell you exactly how you can and can't view the DVD.)

      I fear DRM because it *does* result in information (not just entertainment) being stifled. Tell someone the information needed to write their own content playing software and go to jail, even though there are reasons for doing so that have nothing to do with piracy.

      --

      Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.

    37. Re:Handcuffs by westlake · · Score: 1
      The mega-stars of the end of the 20th, beginning of this century are a new invention

      Tell that to the ghost of P.T. Barnum, who sponsored Jenny Lind's 1850 American tour which grossed $711,000 inflated tax free gold dollars, on ticket sales, sheet music, product licensing and other promotions.

    38. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The analogy that springs to mind is that if you go to the public library, they let you borrow a book, only if you let them chain it to your wrist first.

      Your analogy would be a little more in place if you could take that book home from the library and make unlimited copies of it, which you cannot. Find a better example.

    39. Re:Handcuffs by mangu · · Score: 1
      Ohhhh, maaaan! I wish you would have told me you were a nut at the beginning of this thread so many hours ago, I would have gotten so much more work done today...


      BWhahahaha... Why are you so surprised that *everyone* hates so much the "pop star" business model? Haven't you guessed yet that you are a dying breed? Get a job!!!

    40. Re:Handcuffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess he has never heard of the term Infotainment

    41. Re:Handcuffs by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 1
      I don't know where you've been the last 20 years, but "equal pay for equal work" has been used extensively by unions for getting equal pay for jobs that are of "equal value", not necessarily the same job. For example, the Canadian government has had to create a ranking system of jobs for pay scale so that two completely different jobs may be ranked the same in value.

      The free market does do a reasonably good job of basing pay on skill and performance.

      I disagree. Sports and entertainment are a clear example. (Sure some are talented, some are not, but are they really 100 times more skilled at their jobs than I am at mine?) There are tons of other examples where tradespeople (with a 2 year diploma) make more than a PhD, or similar. There are mostly due to supply and demand cases. Even bus drivers (with no post-secondary degrees) make more than highly skilled labour. Part of it is supply and demand (free market), part of it is unionization (not free market).

      In the end, I'd say supply and demand, rather than skill and performance, is the primary indicator of reward. This works for sports and entertainment as well.

    42. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      I've never heard "equal pay" used in that sense. Perhaps its a Canadian thing, or perhaps my US-centric bias is showing.

      Unions, so long as they aren't coddled by laws and regulations which give them much more power than they should have, are certainly a part of the free market. In a sane world, where unions have no power to compel membership or membership dues and employers have the ability to fire striking workers, the free market will not allow unions to jack up salaries. Nor, in a free market, will the government be involved in ranking jobs. It works if you let it. The problem is that people insist on mucking with the system in order to fix what they percieve as flaws, and nearly ruin the whole thing in the process.

      Also, "supply and demand" and "skill and performance" are two sides of the same coin. Part of the problem is an issue of definition. How do you quantify "skill?" Is a brain surgeon more skilled than a wide receiver? How does a basket weaver compare to a computer programmer? A large part of that, I'd say, is how rare the skill is. There are literally millions of people who, if they choose to put the time and effort into it, could learn to be a brain surgeon. There are far fewer who can succeed at the position of wide receiver in either the US or Canadian professional football organizations, regardless of how much time and effort they put into it. So certainly the supply of wide receivers is less than that of brain surgeons. But I'd also say that makes a compelling argument that the wide receiver is more skillful. In other words, skill and supply are negatively correlated. And that's exactly why the free market does a reasonable (though not perfect) job of rewarding skill in terms of pay.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    43. Re:Handcuffs by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 1
      Well, you've got some good points about comparing skills. But I think it's quite apparent that a PhD is more skilled than a bus driver (assume equal experience here), yet some bus drivers make more.

      I agree with your take on unions, particularly how they should be and how they can muck things up when used improperly (as they often are). However, I'm not sure how they could really fit in a purely free market system, at least in respect to rewards (salaries). Free market, to me, means every person must be treated as a separate individual and hence is inconsistent with the union concept. (For other purposes like safety concerns, joint medical plans, etc., I can see how unions can fit in a free market.)

    44. Re:Handcuffs by DivideByZero · · Score: 1

      In a sane world, where unions have no power to compel membership or membership dues and employers have the ability to fire striking workers, the free market will not allow unions to jack up salaries.

      So, in your 'sane world', the tigers have no teeth or claws, but the hunters still have their guns.

      I bet, in your 'sane world', the CEO/CFO/Whatever still make 40* more than the working body, though - Odd that 'obscene' profits are only a sign of insanity when the people actually doing the work get them.

    45. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      Hardly the case that the "tigers" have no teeth or claws or that the "hunters" still have guns. It costs money to replace workers, even relatively unskilled ones. People can still form voluntary unions, and unions still have some power. However, they only have the power that is inherent in their collective group as employees, not power granted them at the bang of a judge's gavel or the tip of a politicians pen.

      Given a group of employees who are earning x as salary and who are striking for a salary of y, the business must decide whether y - x is sufficient savings to pay for the training of replacement employees and the loss of productivity while the new employees learn their job. Unions were originally formed because of the horrible conditions employees were facing. They were pure unions - voluntary groups of employees who got together and pooled their collective power. And despite the fact that they did not have Washington in their back pocket, they were effective in bringing about change. This was a Good Thing. Removing the politically motivated spiderweb of regulations that empowere unions today does not mean that they will be powerless.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    46. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      A PhD is no guarantee of skill. It's certainly arguable that some competent bus drivers are more skilled than, say, some Political Science PhDs.

      In a free market, both prices and wages are set by the law of supply and demand. Pure unions do nothing more than consolidate the power that each of their members already have. It's the same principle as a buyers club, where customers pool their purchasing power to get lower prices. So long as all parties involved are operating freely, it's still a free market.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    47. Re:Handcuffs by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 1
      A PhD is no guarantee of skill

      Then you and I have a very different definition of skill. Education is, by definition, a skill. From Merriam-Webster dictionary:

      skill: a learned power of doing something competently

      While one may argue/joke about the competency of PhDs, they must be competent enough to pass the requirements (courses, exams, thesis defense, etc.). The higher your education, the more skilled you are.

      A bus driver can learn to be one in a very short time, certainly a lot shorter than it takes to learn the skills required for a PhD.

      What you are arguing about is demand, not skill. There may be more demand for bus drivers than Political Science PhDs, but they certainly aren't more skilled in any sense of the word I can think of.

    48. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      The higher your education, the more skilled you are.

      So skill is simply a synonym for education? We do indeed have different definitions of skill. While you can certainly argue that taking tests and writing research papers is a skill, it's debatable on how useful a skill it is outside of academic circles.

      skill: a learned power of doing something competently

      Doing, not knowing. A PhD implies knowledge, certainly, though it contains no guarantee that the knowledge is particularly useful. There is an absolute glut of skillful people with little or no education. There's an only slightly smaller mass of people with extensive educations who are incapable of buttering their own bread.

      What I am talking about is more a matter of supply than demand. As I said in a previous post, supply and skill are genrally negatively correlated. The more skill a job requires, the fewer people there are who possess the desired ability, and thus the job brings higher wages. There is, however, no guarantee that a particular skill is valuable, no matter how rare it is.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    49. Re:Handcuffs by DivideByZero · · Score: 1

      Unions were originally formed because of the horrible conditions employees were facing.

      You mean like getting their skulls busted by hired security whenever they attempted a picket?

      If things worked like you think they do, I'd be all for the goverment taking their hands off as well - but business has proven time and again that they're more than willing to play as dirty as necessary in order to get their way - I'm not going to take what little advantage the unions have managed to gather out of their hands.

      RE: the idea of unions being all-empowered from the tip of some politician's pen - In case you missed the Project Censored article a while back, maybe you'd like to take a look at this before saying much more along those lines. Maybe what you're saying was true in the '70's, but times seem to have changed.

    50. Re:Handcuffs by B'Trey · · Score: 1

      Busting skulls is illegal. Nowhere in any of my posts have I supported any such behavior. Those who engage in such behavior, and those who hire others to engage in such behavior, deserve to go to jail. There is no need to address the issue of unions at all to deal with such behavior. Statements that the system is corrupt are arguments to root out the corruption; they aren't arguments to corrupt the system even further in order to even things out.

      Quoting from the article you linked to:

      In March 2001, Bush told 10,000 workers of Northwest Airlines that they could not strike for 80 days. The President also told United Airlines strikers that unless they agreed to further concessions the administration would refuse the $1.8 billion that the airline needed to avoid bankruptcy. After 9-11, Bush invoked the Taft-Hartley Act forcing workers of the Pacific Maritime Association to return to work.

      This is hardly the free market in action. You're correct in pointing out that the government is guilty of playing both sides when they should simply stay out of the game.

      On the other hand, here's another quote:

      As was reported in the mainstream press, the Bush administration has announced plans to accelerate the process of contracting out federal work to private companies, putting the jobs of nearly 850,000 federal employees at risk. This invites anti-union, low-wage contractors to compete for what are now, in most cases, decent-paying, union jobs with good benefits.

      You get no sympathy from me here. If the contracters can do the job cheaper than the union employees, then the union employees have just priced themselves out of a job. A job is worth whatever the market is willing to pay for it. Just because someone has had a nice, cushy government job does not create an entitlement to that job forever, especially not to an inflated salary that my taxes are paying for.

      One more quote:

      It is hard to overstate the importance of this story. The near loss of the right to organize has the potential to affect every single worker in the country, though it most drastically affects poor and working-class people. As the right to organize disappears, so, too, do other rights: the right to health care, livable wages, and leisure time.

      Nothing in the article supports a claim that the right to organize is being lost. The right to organize doesn't imply that the government must come in and force anyone to pay attention to your organization. You can organize as you please, but the organization has only the aggregate power of the individuals involved. It doesn't magically create the ability to compel the employer to listen to your demands.

      And you do not have a right to health care, livable wages or leisure time. You have never had one, and you never will. If you have a right to health care, then someone has an obligation to provide it to you. However, your rights can not impose an obligation on anyone else. The right to free speech does not obligate me to listen. Freedom of religion does not obligate me to bow my head when you pray. In other words, rights are things that you can not be restricted from doing. They are not things that others must do to or for you.

      --

      "The legitimate powers of government extend only to such acts as are injurious to others." Thomas Jefferson.

    51. Re:Handcuffs by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 1
      You misunderstand. I'm not saying that "taking tests and writing research papers" is the skill, it's the underlying knowledge and abilities associated with them.

      You seem to be implying that doing only refers to physical actions. Being able to multiply large numbers in your head is certainly a skill. Being able to logically argue a point is a skill. Being able to design a control system for an elevator is a skill. These are all examples of things that come from education.

      Sure, knowledge is not doing, but applying it is. And as the definition states, it is a learned power that makes it a skill. Being able to apply the knowledge makes it a skill, and that's what tests and thesis defenses and writing papers demonstrate.

    52. Re:Handcuffs by Dashing+Leech · · Score: 1

      Sorry, a correction to my first line. It should have read "...it's applying the underlying knowledge and abilities associated with them."

  3. That's it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    No more intel for me. I'm buying AMD from now. In the worst case, I'm moving to China to buy a Chiniese PC. Runs linux.

    1. Re:That's it. by Unoriginal+Nick · · Score: 4, Informative
      No more intel for me. I'm buying AMD from now.

      That won't make much difference.

      In the worst case, I'm moving to China to buy a Chiniese PC. Runs linux.

      Yeah, because China is such a hotbed for freedom...until you do something the government doesn't like. Oh, and there's nothing stopping them from putting DRM into Linux.

    2. Re:That's it. by Sphere1952 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Let them put DRM into Linux. That would be great!

      Of course, there's a little clause in the GPL about modifying and redistributing the software...

      --
      Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
    3. Re:That's it. by jareds · · Score: 1

      Let them put DRM into Linux. That would be great!

      Of course, there's a little clause in the GPL about modifying and redistributing the software...

      You fail to understand how technologies such as TCPA and Palladium (or whatever they're calling it now) are going to work. The availability of the source code would change nothing. The key to implementing DRM is that the security chip on the motherboard would possess a private key not obtainable by the end user, and the corresponding public key would be signed by the motherboard manufacturer. The hardware would be such that the security chip would only attest, using its private key, that the computer was running a Trusted Operating Root with a particular hash if it were actually doing so. The availability of source code to the TOR would make it easier to create a modified version, but DRM-protected content providers would presumably only supply content to systems running a TOR from a list of those known to correctly implement DRM.

      The plans I am aware of for implementing DRM that go by such names as "Trusted Computing" represent a sound use of cryptography, in the sense that they simply cannot be bypassed by software without breaking the underlying cryptographic primitives, unless there are errors in the implementation.

    4. Re:That's it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the original poster was correct.

      In China, they are openly repressive. In the U.S. repression is called patriotism.

    5. Re:That's it. by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

      "...unless there are errors in the implementation."

      Which there will be. Aren't the Windoze people fond of reminding us that Linux isn't completely secure too?

      The difference with DRM is that they won't be able to patch.

      --
      Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
    6. Re:That's it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are in an electronic war PEOPLE!

      On the one side there is america who wants to control everything and profit from everything. On the other side there is China+EU.

      I don't care what you say about china. As long as they keep making alternative electronics that work and do not implement American DRM shit, I'm all for China.

    7. Re:That's it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Chinese government is BAD because you can't buy them out or blackmail them.

      Soon china will be the most liberal country of the world!

    8. Re:That's it. by jareds · · Score: 1

      Both of your replies are potentially ways to get around DRM. However, I still don't see how DRM on Linux, to which they would have to publish the source code, gets us that much.

  4. and the analog hole? by gl4ss · · Score: 3, Funny

    is it closed?

    heck, play the music loud enough and it does leave your home! buy a bitching video projector and the images leave your home as well ;)

    .

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    1. Re:and the analog hole? by CaptainBaz · · Score: 4, Interesting

      My current setup means that I can't play DVDs on my PC, because I *might* be outputting the signal via TV-out (PowerDVD 4 on Win2000 Pro, generic DVD-ROM and GeForce2MX400 gfx).

      What makes you think you'll be allowed to use a projector? :-)

    2. Re:and the analog hole? by gl4ss · · Score: 2, Interesting

      use the vga in of the projector?

      and what you mean that you can't play dvd's? programs like powerdvd refuse to play?? hasn't happened to me(and you know why there's macromedia chips to supposedly screw up the signal in cards with tv-out to be used with dvd's).

      what makes me think that they'll allow use of projector? the fact that if they don't nobody will buy the thing because they wouldn't be able to use their tv's, monitors or ANYTHING to look at the said content(they have to make it possible to see/hear the stuff somehow, no?)

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    3. Re:and the analog hole? by bschmitt · · Score: 1

      I'm tired of hearing this excuse, yes it may be possible to record it back using analog... There are at least a couple of problems with this, 1-It is not an exact copy, not a big deal but a valid point, remember what happened when you taped from a tape that was taped from a tape????? or are you to young to know what a tape is? 2-This is meant to resrict distribution to the masses, so what you can show it to your neighbors, BIG FREAKN DEAL!, we all know you can buy a sound system, if you have the money you'll also be able to afford that projector too, whooopie!!!! Brian

    4. Re:and the analog hole? by ddimas · · Score: 1
      Sometime in the future:

      In an effort to close the anolog hole, media providers are introducing legislation to mandate the replacement of eyes and ears with digital input devices...

    5. Re:and the analog hole? by mangu · · Score: 1
      remember what happened when you taped from a tape that was taped from a tape?????


      I do remember, but that was when only analog copy was available. Today, it's possible to make an MP3 after just one analog step, and it becomes a digital copy that's DRM-free forever.


      Remember the "dongle"? That was something you plugged between your computer and printer to copy-protect software. It was DRM used to protect software about ten years ago. Where are dongles today? Can you find any dongle-protected software now? And do you remember those floppy disks that had a small hole drilled in a random track? And those floppies that had information outside of the normal tracks? No, copy-protection does *NOT* work. It has been tried and tried before, will those people never learn?

    6. Re:and the analog hole? by CaptainBaz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      To clarify:

      PowerDVD 4, which is out NOW, on the market, will not allow MacroVision'd DVDs to be played at all on systems with a gfx card like the Nvidia GeForce2 MX400.

      Reason: The GeForce2 doesn't allow the TVout hardware to be disabled by software, so PowerDVD prefers to stop me playing the DVD at all unless it can be sure I'm not outputting it via analogue.

      People still buy PowerDVD, so I'l not sure your argument stands. Yes ok, VGA works at the moment, but it's being phased out by digital output, and you bet they'll be controlling exactly what kind of device you can plug in at any given time...

    7. Re:and the analog hole? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      and what you mean that you can't play dvd's? programs like powerdvd refuse to play??
      Yes, exactly. It requires additional (commercial) software to circumvent.
      hasn't happened to me
      Such helpful details you provide. Perhaps you don't have a TV-out jack. Perhaps your video card is old enough that there exists a driver for it without this limitation, in which case I hope you never need a bug fix from a later driver. Perhaps you use software such as VideoLAN Client which does not impose this silly restriction, in which case you should be relieved that CSS encryption was poorly designed and implemented and that circumventing it is legal or at least not prosecuted in Finland.
      (and you know why there's macromedia chips to supposedly screw up the signal in cards with tv-out to be used with dvd's).
      The distortion scheme is produced by Macrovision; Macromedia makes web authoring tools. There is nothing 'supposed' about the corruption of the signal--indeed, that is the sole purpose of Macrovision--and it rarely has a chip to itself. Finally, the presence of Macrovision is immaterial to the grandparent post.
      what makes me think that they'll allow use of projector? the fact that if they don't nobody will buy the thing because they wouldn't be able to use their tv's, monitors or ANYTHING to look at the said content(they have to make it possible to see/hear the stuff somehow, no?)
      "Somehow" does not imply VGA output; the grandparent challenged your assumption that it does by noting a similar and equally arbitrary restriction. In the same vein, tne of the goals common to the various hardware restriction schemes is to require encryption implemented in all output devices, which would prevent trivial conversion of a given signal to VGA.
    8. Re:and the analog hole? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      PowerDVD 4, which is out NOW, on the market, will not allow MacroVision'd DVDs to be played at all on systems with a gfx card like the Nvidia GeForce2 MX400.

      Yup - I've run into this problem too. Actually, I thought at first that my GF2 card was faulty; ISTR that the PDVD4 error message is something unhelpful like "There is a problem with the TV-out on your video card". The way I got around it in the end was by ripping the DVD to the HDD before watching it, and removing the pesky macrovision crap. Another example of copy protection achieving not its intended aim (preventing copying of the content) but instead a completely different result: pi**ing off a legitimate customer.
      Anyone know if there's a patch or modification to PDVD that will remove this asinine restriction?

    9. Re:and the analog hole? by JWW · · Score: 1

      You've got to be kidding me.

      I get the GeForce cards specifically for the TV out specifically to play DVD's. I also use the output to record the DVDs to VHS (Fair USE!) to play them on my portable TV in the car.

      Of course I'm using Xine/Mplayer which don't care a whit about macrovision, and I'm using some OTHER software just to be able to play the DVD's.

    10. Re:and the analog hole? by CaptainBaz · · Score: 1

      Yeah, gmplayer is my favourite media player too, haven't checked out the windows port yet though.

      The problem can be solved by installing a very old (and buggy) version of the nvidia drivers, or, obviously, by using alternative DVD software.

      However, my point was that this is the state of affairs NOW. And I think things are only likely to get worse...

      Now if only someone would produce a decent pool/snooker game for Linux, I could migrate properly... still hooked on Virtual Pool Hall :)

    11. Re:and the analog hole? by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      Grins, I have a scan converter that act's just like a Monitor.. unless they will require DRM enabled monitors I can get around their tactics easily.

      No matter what they will try, the rest of the world will be at least 2 steps ahead of them... Unles they simply resort to imprisoning or suing everyone ALA MPAA/RIAA/TNAAA/WHATEVERAA

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    12. Re:and the analog hole? by VEGETA_GT · · Score: 1

      Well what happens when I buy mp3's online and then say hey I want to upload them to my work to lissen to them, or maby to my hand held. So basiclay they are saying that we can't realy use even what we leagealy buy. so in that case they can bite me, I am downloading for free then because I well use it out of my home so I am not legal to begin with acording to this.

    13. Re:and the analog hole? by CavemanKiwi · · Score: 2, Informative

      I had a similar problem with playing DVDs on girlfriends Laptop that runs WinXP pro. I was using windows media player tho, it would only seemed to allow the dvd picture on the Laptop screen. My 1st reaction was they don't want people to tape the DVD. However I played around some more and worked out that it only deplayed the DVD picture on the primary display. So I switched the primary display to the TV and yay problem fixed :)

      I am not sure why this limitation exists but there you go.

    14. Re:and the analog hole? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FooBillard
      http://foobillard.sunsite.dk/

    15. Re:and the analog hole? by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      the problem lies with overlays and is purely technical, NOT drm/whatever.

      btw.. some radeons at least allow an option that when overlay is used it automatically zooms it to be fullsize on the second screen, handy for playing dvd's/divx/whatever on tv for example(don't know if current geforces allow this but iirc at least gf2mx did, in some flavours).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    16. Re:and the analog hole? by mohhomad · · Score: 1

      Actually Xerox still uses dongles on their document builder software for the DocuTech 3535. In fact xerox is pretty fanatical about copyright protection on a lot of their high end software and hardware.

  5. How are they going to enforce that? by miodekk · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I can't see any way to enforce that.
    Of course assuming you are using linux or other open source OS.

    1. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      or Apple, maybe? ;)

    2. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by rknop · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I can't see any way to enforce that. Of course assuming you are using linux or other open source OS.

      And what makes you think that Linux or any other open source OS is going to be able to view any media in the future? (At least legally?) Heck, it's already illegal, technically, in the USA to watch DVDs with open source software, even DVDs that you have legally purchased.

      -Rob

    3. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

      The phrase "digital revolution" is taking on a whole new meaning.

      --
      Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
    4. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by miodekk · · Score: 1

      > Heck, it's already illegal, technically, in the USA to watch DVDs with open source software, even DVDs that you have legally purchased.
      Fortunately I live outside USA, where it IS legal.
      In my country even reverse engeneering is legal, as long as your intentions are legal (ie. for education or compatibility purposes). So the DRM encryption code may be legally reverse enginered and then a compatible open source application build.
      At least as long as EU don't force us to change that :-(

    5. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by yerricde · · Score: 1

      It would cost at least half a million dollars to move a family out of the United States. I'd bet 99%+ of families could not afford this.

      --
      Will I retire or break 10K?
    6. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by InadequateCamel · · Score: 1

      At least FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND American dollars? Are you high? If you want to live within spitting distance of l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris, perhaps, but there are many other places to go!

      You could buy a house for $200,000CDN, furniture/appliances, 2 cars, all new clothing and still have a nice little nest egg left over for later if you moved where I live.
      Of course, your polo lessons and country club membership will cost a little bit more, but not everyone considers that a cost of moving!

    7. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would cost at least half a million dollars to move a family out of the United States. I'd bet 99%+ of families could not afford this.

      The post you were replying to did not suggest that anyone moved. The vast majority of families already live outside the USA so in most cases the costs you speak of are irrelevant.

    8. Re:How are they going to enforce that? by miodekk · · Score: 1
      > The post you were replying to did not suggest that anyone moved.

      :-)
      Exactly. I was born in Europe, grown here and have family here.
      I have been in USA for two months only, attending an IBM course.
      Regards

  6. New technology by mst76 · · Score: 5, Funny

    > New technology allows the consumer to use the downloaded content, but not distribute it outside of their home.

    Dang, I used to hand out mp3 cdr's on the street corner. Now I have to resort to sharing on kazaa inside my home.

  7. Any attempts always end up getting cracked. by LinuxMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is interesting, because when it all comes down to it, the "good guys" are hurt due to restrictions, and the "bad guys" always end up pirating, etc. I am not sure there really is an answer as to how to protect information 100% without it both hurting the consumer and being crackable by a cracker. Of course, the governments can keep passing laws that make reverse engineering illegal, etc, but again, that's just going to scare the average Joe much more than it would scare someone who really wants to crack a DRM transmission. Only time will tell where the DRM issue ends up.

    the new 40gig ipod

  8. Really by cubicledrone · · Score: 1

    Food and housing should be free too, but they aren't.

    --
    Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.
    1. Re:Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Food and housing are not information are they? Aside from that one small point your post was most informative.

    2. Re:Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Whey you figure out a way that I can give you my food and housing while simulateously keeping it for my own use, they will be.

    3. Re:Really by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless you're in prison.

  9. I love the wording on these. by Borealis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Allow" the customer to use digital content at home. You mean the content you payed for? As opposed to not allowing you to listen/watch/use content you've payed for?

    They always word these things like they're *granting* new rights instead of taking them away. I don't know whether to be amused at the balls of the PR makers or dismayed at the fact that there are twits who will read a press release like that and think "Oh goody, I've been wanting to do that."

    --
    Unbreakable toys can be used to break other toys.
    1. Re:I love the wording on these. by kaltkalt · · Score: 1

      You hint at the issue here. We didn't pay for it, we paid for a "license" to use it in whatever way the license allows (and not in the ways it doesn't). This is the problem... until sales are treated like sales, no matter what some "license" purports to say or limit, we'll never be free of the bullshit. If I buy a CD, I own it and can do whatever I want with it. I should be able to share it with whomever I desire, sell it, rent it, perform it publicly (i.e. play it in my store), or crush it up, boil it in a spoon, and inject it (but that's a completely different issue for another day....) As long as people act like the CD/DVD/Software really ISN'T yours (lose it and ask for another one... you didn't lose the nontransferable license after all... they'll do a 180 and start treating it like what it is--a product that you buy and own, fuck the license shit).

      --

      Stupid people make stupid things profitable.
    2. Re:I love the wording on these. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yep. Worse, that movie you bought for your PC will not transfer to your new PC or to your PVR.

    3. Re:I love the wording on these. by Reziac · · Score: 1

      The obvious question is -- what if your completely legal copy is on your laptop, which you wish to drag around the world with you?? What if you want to move said content from a home PC to a laptop for use on the road? Etc.

      It sounds like the object is to tie each instance of "content" to a given machine, which regardless of the tech specs (which I haven't read yet), sounds a lot like some species of "activation" to me.

      "Allow", yeah.. every time I hear that, I think of the old saying (which in my mind is tied to Stalin, tho I don't really know where it came from):

      All things not compulsory are forbidden.

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
  10. old computers by kipple · · Score: 3, Informative

    people will keep their old PCs because of that. how are the sales supposed to increase then? will they sneak drm-enabled processors to customers without telling it? maybe with a new eXPerience of an Operating System?

    I really hope that some new company (from China, maybe?) will come up with new brands of processors without the DRM stuff. but then probably the US government will make them illegal in the country :)

    --
    -- There are two kind of sysadmins: Paranoids and Losers. (adapted from D. Bach)
    1. Re:old computers by leifm · · Score: 1

      I believe it was on Ars that I saw an article saying Intel is backing off the LaGrande(?) deal and only including it in some of their chips, those intended for business use. I'm not worried about this.

      --

      "Windows Me offers tremendous reliability and stability improvements..." -- Paul Thurott
  11. Digital Content Protection by Starmaven · · Score: 2, Insightful
    There's always a way to copy music. You can use a double-ended dubbing cable (with stereo plugs on both ends), plug one end inot an MP3 player and the other end into a computer's microphone port. Start up Sound Recorder, or the equivalent, and there's your new, non-content protected MP3. The only way they could completely protect it is to make it impossible for you to listen to it.

    -StarMaven

    --

    -StarMaven

    1. Re:Digital Content Protection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Obviously the phrase "generation loss" is lossed on you :-)

    2. Re:Digital Content Protection by RMH101 · · Score: 4, Informative
      well, if you want to record in mono and overload your mic preamp, go ahead. otherwise, do it properly and plug it into the the LINE IN on your sound card.


      sheesh, someone tells you to plug something into your soundcard and it gets a plus 4 insightful? whilst i'm here, anyone want to mod me up if i tell you how to unplug your keybo....

    3. Re:Digital Content Protection by zakezuke · · Score: 1

      While yes, digital to analog recording should work just fine, there is alot of money being invested in digital watermarking, one form which should in theory actually resist the Digital to Analog to Digital conversion process. The only way that this will work is if you copy your digital media onto legacy analog standards like cassette tape. The trick isn't so much the fact that this form of watermarking isn't easy enough to do, the trick is incorperating it into the music without an adverse affect on sound quality.

      --
      There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
    4. Re:Digital Content Protection by adrianbaugh · · Score: 1

      That's fine for music, there's no way the studios can get round it. But I can't think of an easy equivalent for video - if the DRM software and OS itself is flawless you can still copy the audio using the line-in patch cable but the equivalent for video would be to put a camcorder up to your screen (sucky quality) or build a system to plug into the monitor socket, grab frames from it and encode them as video (sounds fiercely difficult and expensive).

      --
      "'I pass the test,' she said. 'I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.'"
      - JRR Tolkien.
    5. Re:Digital Content Protection by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 1

      Obviously the phrase "generation loss" is lossed on you :-)

      Yes, well i've only 'lossed' one generation. Then it's digital all the way, baby!

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
  12. Is it bad? by joostje · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I guess loads of people will moan about not being able to illegaly copy. But why would it be bad if technology allows the wishes of the copyright owner to be enforcerd.

    What to me is *much* worse, is when these DRM techniques disable me (honest linux user, strictly using Free software), to do things MS users can. I might *want* to pay for a film/song, but if the technology disables me from vieuwing it, I'll have to become a criminal.

    Fortunaltely, the requirements, as stated in the .pdf, are:


    Content Company Requirements for Digital Tansmission

    * Stated Requirement:
    "Keep honest people honest"
    * Specific Requirements:
    [...]

    (page 11 of the document).

    So I guess we're OK then??? (Hope so).

    1. Re:Is it bad? by Sphere1952 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Because the wishes of the copyright holder are not the same as the rights of the copyright holder.

      --
      Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
    2. Re:Is it bad? by PurplePhase · · Score: 1

      "Keep honest people honest"

      This has the same possible success as "Keeping people in love in love"

      8-PP

    3. Re:Is it bad? by Hatta · · Score: 1

      Because the rights of the consumer are a lot more important than the wishes of the copyright holder. Copyright was designed not with rewarding the holder as the end, but as a means to encourage cultural development by rewarding the creator. In a world where record labels churn out manufactured content while hijacking the works of real artists through "work for hire" provisions, it is already clear that copyright law as it stands is counterproductive. Increasing the recording industry's strangle hold on one of our most valuable cultural resources.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    4. Re:Is it bad? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is that if you buy a movie on the PC you have now, you will no be able to play it on your next PC. Each time you get a new piece of hardware, you will need to buy the CD/movie/game over again.

    5. Re:Is it bad? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The recording and movie industries have used this phrase in the past. It's rubbish. If they can charge you every time you view or listen to something then they will.

  13. Of course they can enforce it by AnEmbodiedMind · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The encryption in the DRM will ensure that no untrusted application (or OS) will be able to decode the media file. That way they can easily enforce the constraints on the media (until a bug is found in the DRM code)

    1. Re:Of course they can enforce it by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

      And no one with an untrusted OS will buy the product.

      The race between OSS and DRM is on. May the most consumer friendly solution win!

      --
      Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
  14. Can We Say Fritz Chip? by Praedon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This has got to be fritz chip revisited... I mean come on... Plus, not to mention all the people who will refuse to buy the new cpu, and refuse to update an "eXPerience OS", and just do what a real man does. Go to Linux! Besides.. I fail to see how possible it is to make a CPU Block digital media... not to mention on how possible it really is to accomplish this without touching a very touchy subject of freedom of speech.

    --
    Just me
  15. When are they going to learn? by Apreche · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Stuff like this will be hacked a cracked inside of a few weeks. Stop spending so much money developing DRM technology, it's a total waste. Maybe if you did that, then it would offset some of the money you say you are losing due to infringement.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
    1. Re:When are they going to learn? by Urkki · · Score: 1

      Yeah well, if it's on the chip, the task of the chip can be emulated in software.

      However, is it possible to open an IC and read what is stored in it's flash (or whatever) memory? Or to put it other way, is it possible to take a smart card (eg a phone SIM card) and read what's written there without having the PIN?

      I mean is it physically possible with our current technology?
      Can NSA or IBM labs or a university labs or a garage geek do it?
      How much does it cost to do it?

      If it's not possible, then it's essentially impossible to crack in any other way except breaking into chip manufacturers facilities (physically or electronically) and stealing the keys. In other words, then it falls into the domain of crowbar or lead pipe cryptography...

  16. A simple rule about copying music: by Biogenesis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you can put it through speakers, you can copy it. Simple. It's only a matter of time before someone with high quality gear decides to make a copy for everyone. Sure it might slow down the spread of stolen music, but it can't be stopped.

    1. Re:A simple rule about copying music: by Filik · · Score: 1

      Not necessarily! In the future, all non-self-made recording equipment will probably spot the watermark of the sounds coming from your loudspeakers, and refuse to record it.

    2. Re:A simple rule about copying music: by jafuser · · Score: 1

      Candidate Kang: Free music for all!

      Audience: BOO!

      Kang: Okay... Free music for none!

      Audience: BOO!

      Kang: Hmmnn... Free music for some, cochlear implants for others!

      Audience: YAAY!!!

      --
      Please consider making an automatic monthly recurring donation to the EFF
    3. Re:A simple rule about copying music: by Biogenesis · · Score: 1

      hmm, makes me glad i'm doing electrical engineering at uni then :)

      in the scary future maybe they will brain scan all the students and refuse entry to anyone with a possible tendancy to rebel...then anyone in the previous generation becomes a greatly desired individual in order to create devices that fool the scanners.

      but yeah, even if the equipment itself recognises that it's being used to copy music and people start making there own then the purchasing of components such as our humble capacitor/transistor/resistor will probably be made illegal. but then someone will start illegaly leaking them from the powers above or making there own etc....it's all just a big circle, a digital arms race where finally the geeks get the upper hand.

  17. Sony IS a copyright-alert content publisher... by Speequinox · · Score: 1
  18. Again: Nice try. by Qbertino · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When will the vendors finally learn it? CDs would still be a stable market if it weren't for CDRWs costing less than a set of coasters nowadays. You won't turn the weel back with copmetition just around the corner.
    If Intel should start getting truly pesky to customers with TCPA, this new gadget and anything else, AMD, VIA, Motorola and any other Vendor will rejoyce and push out CPUs and Architecture variants that don't have this crap.

    Why don't Corporations just go back to good ol' quality products for a fair price to make money? That used to be a reliable way to do it after all.
    Sanely priced CDs with mp3s and oggs and mpeg videos included, along with interessting booklets should do magic to a declining market. But I guess they just want to sell crap for to much money and will use law enforcement to emphasis that and in the end really piss their customers of.

    --
    We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
    1. Re:Again: Nice try. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Using your logic, PhotoShop should cost only a dollar because that's what the blank media is worth. Sheez. What an idiot.

    2. Re:Again: Nice try. by aggieben · · Score: 1

      Why don't Corporations just go back to good ol' quality products for a fair price to make money? That used to be a reliable way to do it after all.
      Sanely priced CDs with mp3s and oggs and mpeg videos included, along with interessting booklets should do magic to a declining market. But I guess they just want to sell crap for to much money and will use law enforcement to emphasis that and in the end really piss their customers of.


      Right on, man. The cd itself doesn't cost a dime to these labels, and I would be willing to pay $5 or so for a decent album, especially if it included all those things you mentioned.

      I have another theory too: part of the problem is crappy music written by wannabe artists that make their money through non-musical attention getting, like brittney dressing like a whore and kissing madonna like a lesbian. If there was quality music being sold, it would sell (and it does), but not for $15 a pop, especially when you can listen to the radio for free. Not to mention that if the music you like is in a movie, you can get the DVD for $15 and get the music + movie + lots of extra stuff like interviews with the actors, etc, etc, etc.

      They need to start paying attention to quality musicians --- not just the 20-year-olds with big tits willing to act like whores --- and selling their music for less than $10 for 15 or more songs.

      --
      Don't become a regular here, you will become retarded. -- Yoda the Retard
    3. Re:Again: Nice try. by mangu · · Score: 2, Insightful
      PhotoShop should cost only a dollar because that's what the blank media is worth


      That's why I don't buy PhotoShop either. It's grossly overpriced, just like pop music.

    4. Re:Again: Nice try. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't Corporations just go back to good ol' quality products for a fair price to make money?

      Answer: the have to listen to the Rich stock holders, if they had their way with content "Music, Movies, Software" everything would be in a Pay-Per-Use, Pay-Per-Listen or a Pay-Per-Use Format, having outrageous prices, but pay the employees, artists, etc. next to nothing.

      And it's crap like this that the libertarian/republican Dog-Eat-Dog/Survival of the Fittest Idiots want most of all.

  19. Sony? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who is so powerful that Sony needs to please him?

    1. Re:Sony? by lanswitch · · Score: 0

      The Almigty Yen / Dollar, what else?

    2. Re:Sony? by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

      Um, Sony.

      --
      Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
    3. Re:Sony? by yerricde · · Score: 1

      How about the Sony Music and Sony Pictures shareholders?

      --
      Will I retire or break 10K?
  20. Outside the "Home" by SammyTheSnake · · Score: 1

    New technology allows the consumer to use the downloaded content, but not distribute it outside of their home.

    But "Home is wherever I hang my hat" and I have a lot of hats for sale for very cheap...

    Seriously, though, how can they possibly do this on a technological level? Unless (of course) when they say "Home" they mean "Computer, excluding any upgrade ever"

    Cheers & God bless
    Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny

    1. Re:Outside the "Home" by Thanatiel · · Score: 1
      But "Home is wherever I hang my hat" and I have a lot of hats for sale for very cheap...


      If you sell a hat, it's not yours anymore.

      Unless (of course) when they say "Home" they mean "Computer, excluding any upgrade ever"


      Do not forget : Network is the computer.
      --
      Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
    2. Re:Outside the "Home" by SammyTheSnake · · Score: 1

      If you sell a hat, it's not yours anymore.

      Rent, then :)

      Cheers & God bless
      Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny

    3. Re:Outside the "Home" by Thanatiel · · Score: 1

      Deal ! ;)

      --
      Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
  21. six months by famazza · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'll wait six months until somebody outside US publishes something to crack this bullshit!

    Just like CSS!

    When will they learn that any kind of digital copy protection will ALWAYS be cracked in a few monthes? Don't they have TI advisors?

    --

    -=-=-=-=
    I know life isn't fair, but why can't it ever be un-fair in MY favor!?
    1. Re:six months by Alsee · · Score: 1

      You're right that various devices will be cracked, but I read some of their PDF's and they have a lovely "solution" to this problem. They will have a "revokation list", and all vulnerable devices will be locked out as they are discovered. That means ALL units of that particular model.

      So not only is a DTCP device intentionally crippled, you risk it going dead and worthless at any moment. Someone would have to be a moron to pay several hundred dollars for a product knowing that the model can be revoked and become a worthless lump of metal in an instant.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  22. Defeating the Dubbers by G4from128k · · Score: 1

    Although many think that analog is always in the clear, watermarking technologies can prevent the copying of redigitized signals. A watermark would be a auditorialy invisible signal in the content data that encodes a copy protection code or DRM code. If the DRM system looks for a watermark in the content data (as opposed to a special metadata code) and permits/prohibits playing, copying, saving, etc. then dubbers are defeated. Content creators could even use this technology to prohibit digital recording and retransmission on live performances. Movies and concerts could have a watermark injected into the audio or visual signal that renders redigitized copies incompatible with "DRM-enhanced" machines.

    --
    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
    1. Re:Defeating the Dubbers by Thanatiel · · Score: 1

      Find me one. Just one watermarking technology which was really attacked/tested and does actually works (not "removable" without utterly destroying the sample).

      I've not followed watermak those past 3 years but it was more or less labelled "Mission Impossible" by studies.

      Back then, the methods were ranking from "not working" to "bloody not working and stupid". Sometimes with a slight distortion (not working), sometimes just writing another watermark on the same sample with the same algorithm/tool (bloody not working and stupid).

      I'm curious to know if there was any innovation/breakthrough in this domain.

      --
      Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
    2. Re:Defeating the Dubbers by Thomas+Shaddack · · Score: 1

      Even if the watermark would be Really Bloody Good, a workaround still exists. Watermarks are designed to survive modifications that don't distort the content significantly. So let's introduce a reversible distortion. Insert a scrambler before the watermark detector and a descrambler after it. If the detector is in the recording stage, use analog scrambler and a math model of the descrambler. Or if the hardware will be unmodifiable, you still can have a descrambler circuit between the headphones and the player. With low-noise op-amps the quality loss won't necessarily have to be meaningful.

    3. Re:Defeating the Dubbers by Thanatiel · · Score: 1

      It's late, I'm not 100% sure my text parser is working fine.

      If I understand well, you say that watermarking is still not working (properly).
      Well, there is a way then.
      And thus, the system would be obsolete.

      qed

      --
      Irrelevant news and morons using moderation to mod down what they disagree on. 2018 resolution: so long.
  23. Define "home." by ahfoo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The PDF was hosed and the CNet article was spartan, so I'm still left wondering about this great big definition issue in the term "home."
    This reminds me of the crisis over defining "copy" that underlies all the legal arguments over file sharing. The fact is, these terms have long been de-stabilized. The advent of electronic media that began at the turn of the century created a whole new level of complexity in language that text based laws simply cannot encompass.
    Just imagine the use of the term "home" in a filesystem. Where is home? Does that mean in relation to root? Which root? Or is it the user home? Does that include the virtual network or locally? Local meaning active or including backups?
    Glazing over these things as if they didn't exist simply because a lot of people don't want to face it is not looking at the reality we live in today.

    1. Re:Define "home." by PurplePhase · · Score: 1

      Obviously Sony has perfected the Invincible Forcefield Technology. IFT may require every piece of silicon to be centrally registered, tagged, and isolated from all other pieces of silicon, but it has been known for millenia that sandboxes are unsanitary locations.

      8-PP

  24. Excellent. by acceleriter · · Score: 3, Insightful

    More competing standards will cause confusion and anxiety in the marketplace, as skittish "rights" holders wait on the sidelines to see which one will emerge victorious. This could only be helpful in the battle against DRM. I encourage more digital restrictions standards :).

    --

    CEE5210S The signal SIGHUP was received.

  25. Revocation question by Phil+Wherry · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Well, I actually did RTFA (forgive me!) and note with some concern that the standard provides for "device revocation" under some clearly-defined terms, though those terms are unspecified. Can anyone shed some light on what those might be?

    The obvious concern here is that the devices will be sold under some sort of license agreement that will permit unspecified others to figuratively fry your hardware if they suspect it's compromised (or are otherwise displeased with you). I imagine that one's recourse as a consumer (remember: we're "consumers" and not "citizens" here!) will be quite limited. Sigh.

    1. Re:Revocation question by jafuser · · Score: 1

      As if we don't have enough problems with all of the things connected together in the home entertainment center now always working reliably.

      Not only will there now be physical connection problems, but errant software which (for whatever reason) denys access to content you fully and rightfully own.

      Just remember... the people who are "giving" us all these great new abilities are the same ones that "gave" us those wonderful warnings and advertisments that can't be skipped on the DVD player.

      --
      Please consider making an automatic monthly recurring donation to the EFF
    2. Re:Revocation question by ProtonMotiveForce · · Score: 1

      Egads, people. Pull it together.

      Remember how DVD was cracked? Someone basically go ahold of a particular "device's" (in this case, software) key. They're basically talking about revoking the device in this kind of case.

      Oooh, big deal.

    3. Re:Revocation question by Alsee · · Score: 1

      They're basically talking about revoking the device in this kind of case.
      Oooh, big deal.


      They would be revoking EVERY DEVICE of a particular model. If someone in Zimbabway finds a way to hack his hardware then the unit sitting in YOUR living room, the one YOU paid for, goes dead and worthless. I'd certainly never buy a DTCP compatible device that could go dead at any moment, even aside from the fact that they are intentionally crippled.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  26. Marketing $$$ by JaCKeL+1.0 · · Score: 1

    Intel and Sony : How can we make more profit ??? Answer : Instead of taking some money from your customer why not triing to steal it all ???

    1. Re:Marketing $$$ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Does three question marks somehow make your questions more important? And 'triing' is spelled 'trying'.

  27. Meanwhile Windowsupdate is offering me DRM too by Angostura · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Yes folks its the 'Windows Rights Management Client 1.0', a 'recommended' upgrade if you are running XP.

    What does it do?

    The Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Rights Management (RM) client is required for your computer to run applications that provide functionality based on Windows RM technologies. Installing this client places software on your computer that allows RM-aware applications to work with Windows Rights Management Services (RMS) to provide licenses for publishing and consuming RM-protected information.

    Now what interests me is, who is going to be the first software company to embrace this? Probably the next version of Media Player.

  28. Re:If the DRM system looks for a watermark by Technician · · Score: 2, Informative

    The watermarked content mentioned would not be played on a DRM system. It would be played on a typical current generation RIO, PC, DVD player, Etc. The DRM system simply won't be compatible with regular MP3's, expecialy those recorded from content with a watermark. However, everything else would play them no problem.

    Anyway I read the article. It's quite clear this the the Microsoft Media PC. It's no more a general use PC than an X Box is. It's a cable subscription box that plays rental and purchase pre-packaged media for general consumption. It is not a create and share or rip, mix, burn platform. It's a subscriber box and nothing more.
    Those who want a subscription to a service like Cable TV or XM radio will need the subscriber box. This is designed to go in the living room. Everything else will still use your general use computer as always.

    The real question is will Microsoft kill the Intel version by not supporting it in the OS and push their own Media Player 9 DRM .net services & certificates instead? Somehow I don't see MS letting control of the DRM run by anybody else. They will be the gatekeeper no exceptions! Having it run on Red Hat and not using Passport and .net server won't be permitted.

    --
    The truth shall set you free!
  29. Solution by LPetrazickis · · Score: 0, Funny

    I hereby move that we rename the "Global Village" to the "Global Home". Once Mars is colonised, we can rename it to the "Solar System Home" and, with Alpha Centauri in our control, to the "Universal Home". Vive la metaphorution!;)

    --
    Is this a sigs-optional kind of place? 'Cause I am totally down with that if you know what I mean.
  30. It's been a while since I read the GPL. by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

    If I get a consumer product with GPL software in it, do they have to supply the source?

    --
    Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
    1. Re:It's been a while since I read the GPL. by ddimas · · Score: 0

      Yes

    2. Re:It's been a while since I read the GPL. by cyt0plas · · Score: 1

      The software has been distributed to you, so yes.

      However, they _can_ require you to ask for it...

      --
      Contact Me (got tired of viruses emailing me).
  31. Administered by a guy called Mr Burns? by Channard · · Score: 1

    Obvious Simpsons joke aside, this seems like a pipe dream. The ability to have this kind of control over media no doubt sends the RIAA et al into spasms of joy, but there's a catch. Surely all you need to play downloaded music, either legitimately owned or copied anywhere is an MP3 player and a decent set of speakers? Given the choice of being able to play carefully controlled MP3s through my fridge - or whatever they're going to install this system onto - or just plug in an mp3 player and go, the latter gets my vote any day.

  32. No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by orthogonal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    New technology allows the consumer to use the downloaded content, but not distribute it outside of their home.

    Because you should have to pay twice if you want to play the music on a portable mp3 player.

    And of course, no open source mp3 software, because I could compile it with -DNO_DRM.

    Well, Sony, guess what? Having my music conveniently on my PC and on my mp3 portableplayer is what motivates me to buy the music in the first place.

    And guess what? I do respect copyright; I won't even burn a CD for close friends, or rip their CDs -- despite the 32 GB of free space on my portable.

    And I'll continue to respect your copyright: I just won't buy your cripple-ware.

    I can find plenty of great music on old LPs, on real (Phillips-Sony Red Book Standard), from emusic.com, and from independent labels.

    Let me repeat: I don't want your cripple-ware. It does me no good since it won't play on the hardware I control (it only plays on hardware I buy and you control). So it will do you no good -- I won't exchange my money for it.

    The more new releases you distribute exclusively as cripple-ware, the more alternatives will be produced. And that's what I'll be buying.

    1. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by ftobin · · Score: 1

      And I'll continue to respect your copyright: I just won't buy your cripple-ware.

      Just out of curiosity, which copyright do you 'respect'? The length of copyright that was in the US 100 years ago, the one 60 years ago, the one 40 years ago, the one 6 years ago, or the one today?

    2. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by Barto · · Score: 1

      And do you have any friends? I know, I'll lose karma for this, but I don't see how being a corporate-whore "I won't even burn a CD for close friends, or rip their CDs -- despite the 32 GB of free space on my portable" deserves "Insightful".

      Seriously, it is not going to work trying to convince big business that you respect them. That will only result in you being trodden on, like now, because they know you won't do anything to undermine their tactics of fear and intimidation.

      Barto

    3. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by orthogonal · · Score: 1

      Just out of curiosity, which copyright do you 'respect'? The length of copyright that was in the US 100 years ago, the one 60 years ago, the one 40 years ago, the one 6 years ago, or the one today?

      It's a good point you implicitly make: why should we respect copyright if, as the trend suggests, it will be extended every time Disney needs it to keep Mickey Mouse in chains.

      One the one hand, you could certainbly make a case that copyright should be perpetual: why should mere passges of years make my unique creation any less mine?

      On the other hand, we see that (to rip off something that the author of Ecclesiastes and King James's translators failed to copyright) "there is no new thing under the sun", or at least vanishingly little in the creative arts. And even in the sciences, method builds on method, yesterday's astounding discovery becomes today's paradigm and tomorrow's common-place. Even many of Disney's most profitable copyrights were re-tellings of stories which had passed into the common domain.

      Given that both these opposing viewpoints seem defensible, and add in the idea that copyright law should ultimately benefit the society that laws shape, and it's not at all clear that there is a "bright line" demarcation of the "right" or even the "optimal" length of copyright.

      Perhaps the answer is that a fixed term of years isn't the answer, and that we need some other way of determining how best to both promote creativelty and prvide the fruits of the creativity to as much of mankind as possible.

      I'm sorry if this is a weasal-worded and too verbose non-answer to a straight forward question; if I had more time, I'd have written with more brevity (and that's a paraphrase -- or a rip off -- also, from some scientist, I've forgetten whom).

    4. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by orthogonal · · Score: 1

      And do you have any friends? .... I don't see how being a corporate-whore "I won't even burn a CD for close friends, or rip their CDs -- despite the 32 GB of free space on my portable" deserves "Insightful

      Fewer and fewer friends everyday. I prefer to think I'm distilling my friendships to the pure essence, but it's more likely I'm just obnoxious and disliked.

      But it's not a matter of being a "corporate whore", it's a matter of self-respect: I entered into an agreement (explicitly so, with emusic.com, implicitly with US copyright law if you buy into a Social Contract theory) not to redistribute the musical works I've bought.

      And I haven't yet reached the point that I feel the "train of abuses and usurpations" has continued long enough to impel me to "alter... former Systems" and unilaterally adopt new Systems (of course, I'm liberally paraphrasing another product of of Social Contract theorists).

      At some point (soon) I may come to agree with you, and start "fighting the Man", but I think it's still necessary to make the point that I don't expect my music for free, but I do expect to be resected as a consumer, and I do expect the freedom to listen to what I purchase.

      I will agree to storm the barricades with you if and when Digital Restriction Management is made mandatory. But so far, these rights have not been trodden on, so I can't agree with you.

    5. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by psgalbraith · · Score: 1

      And guess what? I do respect copyright; I won't even burn a CD for close friends, or rip their CDs

      Ripping your friend's CDs is legal in Canada.
      Burning a CD for them is not, but letting them borrow it for them to burn it is.

      So it not illegal nor immoral everywhere to do what you mention.

    6. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by HiThere · · Score: 1

      I will respect a copyright of 17 years. I will probably obey a longer one, but I sure won't respect either it or those who use it.

      That said, with the corruption of congress instigated by the RIAA and the MPAA, any act that tends to drive them into bankruptcy must be considered an act of patriotism. Do not, however, be surprised if it turns out to be dangerous.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    7. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by Saeger · · Score: 1
      I'm sorry if this is a weasal-worded and too verbose non-answer to a straight forward question; if I had more time, I'd have written with more brevity (and that's a paraphrase -- or a rip off -- also, from some scientist, I've forgetten whom).

      I know the quote you're talking about, and spent a couple mins searching Google to no avail. Oh well.

      But the reason I replied was to point out that plagiarism is far worse than copyright infringement. Even "pirates" recognize this "moral right" of attribution. And at some point in the future when severe artificial scarcity is no longer necessary to put food on the table (because material-need/want is also no longer scarce), it'll be your good reputation that "buys you" the actual remaining scarcity (like beachfront realestate).

      --

      --
      Power to the Peaceful
    8. Re:No thanks, I don't need cripple-ware by Technician · · Score: 1

      Sounds like you learned to vote. The dollar is a great vote in a free market. I have voted against the Serial Copy Protection in all forms. I have not bought a DAT, Sony Mini-Disk, Data-Play or anything like it. I intend to continue supporting MP3's, CDR's, Compact Flash, etc.

      My last digital camera purchase was based on not only pixel count and reviews (Quality is still important), but also on a standard battery size(AA Ni-Metal Hydride) and DRM free Compact Flash. Don't fall for the hype DRM memory formats are faster than CF. They flaunt speed comparisons to the first generation of CF. It's as fair a comparison as showing a palm is far faster than an Intel desktop by comparing to the PC XT at 8 MHZ or 4.77 MHZ. Don't ignore the improvements in CF cards for high speed photography. I shoot at 1.8 frames / Second with CF.
      Don't fall for the hype you can encrypt and store faster with less power than you can just store data.

      --
      The truth shall set you free!
  33. Typical /. Hipocrisy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As I read the article and then read the comments, it dawned on me after a few lines; there was advocation for breaking the law everywhere I looked. Comments such as 'this will be cracked' and 'we will find other ways to steal music.' What kind of immature attitude is being thrust into the open here? Honestly, if the community doesn't want to be portrayed as a bunch of thieves and black hats, then this kind of idiocy has to stop.

    You don't want to be called a thief for running Linux? You don't want to be known as some script-kiddie hacker for using OSS? Well here is a good hint...stop advocating cracking and stealing music and software. You paid for it and it is yours to use, but, don't share it with the rest of the world.

    Hypocrisy is found here in the more pure form I have ever seen outside of Hollywood.

    1. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by ddimas · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Wrong. This is a rehash of the copy protection issues of the 1980's and early 1990's. Why is it no longer an issue? The industry settled on a convienient and copyproof (or so they thought) format that did not mandate all this DRM crap. After a few years they found out that copying was a non-issue.

      Ironicly the software distribution format they settled on was the cd.

    2. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      It's all about perspective. I smoke marijuana regularly in the privacy of my own home. By keeping it to myself I can't see that it's a problem, however the nation state that I live in views me as a criminal. I could go to jail.

      While some people consider access to art and information a fundamental right, others see it as a privilege, which must be earned.

      Remember, not every part of the world is capitalist either. Will the capitalist world start invading again when they find music being shared abroad? I hope not.

      Democracy is not the answer to humanity's problems but most are agreed that it is certainly the way forward. So sooner or later we're going to have to come to terms with the fact that a capitalist democracy is a paradox. The profit-motive is fundamentally incompatible with true community representation.

      Anyway, I can support linux and the open source movement whilst simultaneously having alternative beliefs to you and the bulk of Slashdot. That does not mean that my alternative beliefs should tarnish the reputation of the entire /. community and cause everyone to be labelled "hypocrites".

      Roll yourself a big fat spliff and think loving and peaceful thoughts. You'll soon find that tolerance becomes easier and easier. >D

    3. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by TiggsPanther · · Score: 1

      "Comments such as 'this will be cracked'"
      "You don't want to be called a thief for running Linux? You don't want to be known as some script-kiddie hacker for using OSS? Well here is a good hint...stop advocating cracking and stealing music and software."

      But you're missing the point. Or, at least, you're missing a point.

      OK. So I'll be legal and ethical, and never work out how to crack "copy-proof" CDs, or bypass DRM technology. That makes you (and the Industry) happy.
      I also won't be buying any music. Or DVDs. or anything like that. 'Cos their "protected" technology means that it won't be able to play on my choice of equipment. So if it won't play on what I use, and I don't use a crack, then I'll just save my money and spend it elsewhere.

      And this has already happened. The Wildhearts have a new album out. I won't buy it. 'Cos I won't be able to rip it to my PC, or burn it onto a CDR. Nothing to do with copying, this is how I listen to music I've bought.
      I'm also not going to pirate it. So I won't be "stealing" any of the Record Company's profits. I just won't be adding to them, either.

      --
      Tiggs
      "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
    4. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by mangu · · Score: 1
      What kind of immature attitude is being thrust into the open here?


      It's a natural response to the immature attitude of putting copy-protection everywhere. Or would you say treating your customers as outlaws is a "mature" attitude?


      You paid for it and it is yours to use


      You bet! And I will keep it mine! I paid for it, it's mine, they will not take it back!

    5. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by __past__ · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Not necessarily. I do respect copyright, don't run unlicesensed software, don't download mp3s or videos from p2p networks etc, yet I do think this will be cracked. And honestly, I will have a good laugh at their expense when it will be.

      The problem is that copy protection has failed every time. From the first attempts from 8bit game producers over hardware dongles and broken audio-"CD"s, nothing has ever really prevented illegal distribution of media and software. But each new attempt has made life worse for the honest paying customer. Currently, I can't play a lot of my "CD"s in my computer or car stereo, because the music industry is deliberatly breaking standards - I could still grab it from Kazaa, of course, and use it without any hassle. What will those DRM-style things bring - will I be able to make a backup of my legally purchased files if I get a new computer or hard drive? Will I be able to use them if I chose to use an operating system the DRM software providers might never have heard of, or simply don't consider big enough a market?

      I still think that on the long run it's a better idea to offer your customers good products at a fair price rather than treating them as a bunch of worthless criminals.

    6. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by Hatta · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Damn straight we'll crack it. Why should we respect the law, when the law has no respect for us? What matters is the will of the people, and this kind of grass roots direct action is far closer to what the people want than anything dreamed up in a congressional committee. The system is wholly corrupt, any attempt to work within the system will be rapidly hijacked or ignored while enough lip service is given to appease constituents. In such circumstances justice can only be had by working outside the system. Don't forget the only reason you're able to legally enjoy a beer with dinner tonight is because of massive disrespect for the law.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    7. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by symbolic · · Score: 1

      I'm also not going to pirate it. So I won't be "stealing" any of the Record Company's profits. I just won't be adding to them, either.

      You "get" it. So many are still relatively clueless.

    8. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LMAO!

      1. Nobody who copies music is a theif. Factually. It is a copyright violation.

      2. Of course it will be cracked and it should be cracked. Otherwise consumers will have to re-buy music and movies every time they buy a new device and want to play their movies on it.

      3. Because the law says something is illegal does not make it wrong. Especially when corporations are bribing politicians to get laws passed.

    9. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Seems a lot are really missing the point here. Think of it this way. If no one went out and stole software/music/movies/etc..etc.. then there would be no NEED for copy protection. In the end, those that bark the loudest are those that can be attributed to the very reason why DRM is being made. Complain about and make sure you blame yourself. It is due to the thieves and "pirates"(HARRR) that these companies feel the need to destroy a good thing.

      I did see one comment that made a perfect example for this in which they said not only would they stop buying CD's but they would download more music than ever before. The point is, that is the reason that DRM is being put in so go give yourself a kick in the rear and thanks for ruining it for the rest of us.

    10. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by kdsolutions · · Score: 0

      I'll buy a copy protected CD and I'll CRACK the protection to play it on my PC because that IS my CD player. Don't like it? Who cares. I purchased it,I opened it, I can't return it, I'm damned well gonna listen to it by any means necessary. Did I say I was going to distribute illegal copies? NO! I'm just gonna crack the protection in order to LISTEN TO IT and maybe make an MP3 of it to take with me on the road (ahh, yes, 30GB of MP3s sitting on the seat next to me in the truck).

      Copyright violation? Hell no!

      Within my rights as a consumer who has spent his hard-earned money to purchase a CD and make a copy in another format so I can play it elsewhere(yes, it is legal to make copies for personal use, and for you to lend the original to a friend who can then make a copy for personal use). I don't lend my CDs out because they usually come back scratched, and it is illegal to lend or distribute a copy, so that's not me. If a friend wants to bring thier PC to my house and make a copy of one or more of my CDs, that's different. That's legal as I am lending it and I can supervise them to make sure they don't scratch it (in fact, I can legally place the disc in thier CD-ROM drive, let them copy it, and remove the disc myself. They never have to handle it at all, but I'm still lending it to them, which is within my rights)!

      Bone-up, bonehead. Know the law before you assume someone is talking about breaking it.

      And yes, I'm surew perfectly LEGAL methods of copying legally purchased music to other formats will be abused by those who wish to pirate it. It has been happening since the first music recording that could be played at home! I believe that is what is being stated repeatedly by the /. and OSS communities.

      --
      Error 666 - Satanic SCO code found in your Linux kernel.
    11. Re:Typical /. Hipocrisy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bull if I purchase a CD.
      I want to be able to rip and store it away in pristine condition.
      I want to be able to play that CD in Mp3 format from any networked computer in my home.
      I want to be able to burn that CD to disk and play it in the SONY Mp3 CD Stereo system in my vehicle. In fact I like to burn at least 12 cd's in Mp3 format per disk so I don't have to change them.
      If I can't do any or all of those things I'll take it back and demand my money back.
      I've to much money tied up in a networked system of computers that also double as a home entertainment system to put up with this crap.
      If it won't play I ain't gonna pay.
      Fortunately I've not ran into anything I haven't been able to rip one way or another and this will be no exception. As long as their is one weak link in the chain it can be ripped digitally.
      If it will output to my digital speakers I can rip it. If it passes through my soundcard I can rip it.
      They need to mess with the people that download copyrighted content and leave the people who purchase it alone.
      I've enough purchased Copyrighted content in my home to open my own entertainment rental business and live happily ever after off of the proceeds.
      On a side note I dual boot linux but I don't use it much as it does not support my Phillips Acoustic Edge sound card on this machine. It does support the Soundblaster Platinum I have in another machine but it's just basic support. So quit trying to portray these fine folks as as a bunch of thieves and black hats. Every damned Kazza user is a Windows user and you know it.

  34. Re:record in mono by Technician · · Score: 1

    I'm suprised you didn't also mention it's not a good idea to Start up Sound Recorder. It and Hi-Fi have nothing in common. I used to use it to send grandkid noises to distant relatives. I thought the very Lo-Fi sound was due to a cheap sound card. Then I discovered CDeX has a record button under tools. For a no feature capture device, WOW! It is possible to get stereo Hi-Fi recordings on my hardware! It's good enough to use to transfer my LP's. Sound Recorder wasn't even as good as a cheap tape recorder. As for an equivelant recorder to MS sound recorder, I don't know of any that lo-fi.

    --
    The truth shall set you free!
  35. Another reason to buy AMD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why would I want to buy crippled hardware when there are alternatives?

  36. Hmmm.... by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

    I'm going to end up with one Hell of a big home network...

    --
    Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
  37. They can make all the DRM they want by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'll never use it and continue to create my free alternatives that are DRM free.

    if this makes me a criminal then so be it, I'll be an underground criminal but at least I'll be DRM free.

    My Freevo does things that no TiVO can (watch your shows on the subway with your laptop... oh wait you cant without ahack that makes making a freevo box look easy) and I'll always be able to create DRM free mp3's no matter what they try.

    and I know that I'm not the only one that does not want DRM here nor some damned companie's fingers in what I do in my home.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  38. Bwahahahaha by skyryder12 · · Score: 0

    "Keeping the honest customer honest." That is their motto, if you look at the slide presentation. True political spin.

  39. Consider what the NSA does... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative
    If you want to find out where DRM is going, consider what the NSA and other government agencies around the world do in order to keep encrypted data secret:

    1. Never, ever associate the unencrypted data with the encrypted.

    2. Keep the encryption and decryption keys secret and change them.

    3. Keep the encryption and decryption devices secret.

    Even given all that, I'd be codes still get cracked.

    So, RIAA and MPAA want to encrypt hundreds of millions if not billions of copies of known data thereby associated encrypted and unencrypted data then distribute them around the whole world, and millions and millions of decryption devices with static decryption keys, then distribute those around the whole world.

    Thus completely violating the practices and procedures of those who entire job it is to keep secrets.

    Prediction: it won't work.

  40. Sad by Hard_Code · · Score: 1

    It's sad, because there is a legitimate use for DRM that Intel is completely missing, and instead just acting like the **AA's bitch. Imagine DRM that was in the hands of the consumer that, for instance, ensured that malicious worms could not be trusted and executed on the machine. Or that the consumer could use to ensure that, say, a malicious government could not crack their documents.

    He who would sacrifice a little bit of liberty to suck on the rancid teat of hollywood blockbusters deserves neither.

    --

    It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
    1. Re:Sad by moncyb · · Score: 1

      ensured that malicious worms could not be trusted and executed on the machine.

      Just sign code with digital signatures and write the OS so it only executes code signed by the proper key(s). The plans to extend this to the processor itself doesn't require DRM either, just a proper signature. Be careful who is allowed to sign your binaries. If it's only one specific vendor and not you, prepare for some massive lock in.

      I'm not sure how much extra security this will add to those who execute random binaries in the first place. If they get a box saying "this is M1cr0$0ft C0rp0rat1on's certificate, do you wish to add this into the trusted list?" they will probably click yes, and all those security features will be useless. I suppose if it's configured to only accept code from the "one true software vendor", then they won't have that problem, but they'll be screwing themselves in other ways.

      As for buffer overflows, instead of checking signatures embedded into each instruction (or whatever the plan was), I'd put faith into more realistic reasearch anyway.

      Or that the consumer could use to ensure that, say, a malicious government could not crack their documents.

      Sounds like standard encryption to me.

      You don't need DRM to do what you are saying. DRM is a system to control accessing and copying data no mater what the owner of the computer wants to do. With DRM your computer tells you what you should do with your files, instead of the other way around. DRM doesn't really help the end user, that is just FUD put out by the cartel.

  41. I have the solution by tomstdenis · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When Intel comes out with "ultra-optimized .... [fine print] DRM enabled" systems...

    DON'T BUY THEM.

    That'll shut them up fairly quick.

    Tom

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
    1. Re:I have the solution by Overzeetop · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But don't forget to send a short (paper) letter to Michael Dell telling him _why_ you chose another vendor to service your corporate account. Preferrably, you can tell him why you have chosen bnot to putchase your next computer from his company, but rather from his competitor. Most businesses & end users don't buy processors, they buy computers. Computer makers must know that we expect computers wihtout DRM shackles, otherwise Intel will continue to underwrite their advertising campaigns and get their hobbled chips into more systems.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    2. Re:I have the solution by OlivierB · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry but your solution might not be as easy as that.
      When Microsoft and other companies massively fighting against piracy start charging MORE for versions of their products that run on DRM-free CPU's consumers will go for it.

      Consumers always go for the short/medium term solution.
      Sure you will (as a geek) decide to pay that extra 50$ for windows on DRM-Free processors.
      Can't see Dell, HP or others going this way, this translates into millions for them.

      FYI, I am strictly against such type of DRM. This means that files you would create could potentially hold your unique identifier, which I trully dislike.

      My mere contribution anyway

      --
      Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity
    3. Re:I have the solution by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 1
      "DON'T BUY THEM. That'll shut them up fairly quick."

      Right, because they are basing all their product decisions on the opinions of the Slashdot crowd. This is a great idea to not buy them.....now go out and convince people who don't have a freakin clue about this not to buy them as well. And please explain that even though the new computers are so much better than their old ones....they have this one feature which is just cause for not buying them.

      Good thoughts, but realize when you're preaching to the choir.

      --
      Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
    4. Re:I have the solution by nyquility · · Score: 1

      Consumers always go for the short/medium term solution.

      Only if it doesn't add unnecessary layers of complication. The first time Joe Normal inserts the CD he has been leant by a friend into his CD player and gets no response, he will start asking about different solutions.

      And as Word-of-Mouth is still the most powerful form on the planet you can bet somewhere at the end of the line he will get a tech-savvy geek explaining why DRM is bad for him in the simplest possible terms.

      At least in my circle of friends you can whittle the actual buyers of PC Equipment down to a handful, simply because they spend much to much of their spare time lurking around here.

      The only model which *might* work is if the said Intels and Sonys adopted the "Gillette Razor/Cellphone" Model of giving away the actual Hardware and making a profit off the content we view. Fat chance you'll see the Members of RIAA sharing their spoils with an Intel. Thats a catfight worth looking forward to.

    5. Re:I have the solution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      STOP CANNING THE MANHAM!

      That'll stop the mangoo bottling fairly quick.

  42. WRONG, genius. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    May work now, but drm is going into longhorn, and as has already been covered on slashdot, inquirer, register, and elsewhere, the word on the street for the delay on longhorn is that the motherboard manufacturers, the sound card manufacturers, and the video card manufacturers are having trouble incorporating drm into the hardware.

    So not only will you have an operating system with drm in it, but all the associated hardware, from motherboards to sound and video boards, to hard drives, to keyboards, to yes, even headphones, will have drm in it. Everything else has already been discussed. The only thing I haven't heard is on the headphones. But as soon as the headphone jack becomes the leak point (or "hole"), expect the headphone manufacturers to be forced to incorporate drm as well.

    And as for methods, look at ibm's implentation of their spy chip on their laptops, being billed as a security chip.

    So you'll use linux you say? Dumbass Linus said, "I don't care" or something like that, and was additionaly quoted saying that the drm scheme can be coded into linux. The MPAA/RIAA seized on this, and quoted linus at the next committee hearing on drm.

    Last year, I stood up at a commerce committee hearing on digital restrictions management, and got into jack valenti's face as he lied his way through statements, and made outrageous claims, while seated at the head of the commerce committee panel.

    What have you, slashdot readers, done to change the course of digital restrictions management?

  43. Lossed Generation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, yes, but the Lost Generation did produce notables like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, so it wasn't all bad.

  44. Soooo...lemme get this straight by TyrranzzX · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Middle aged pundit: I can't play this on my dvd player, I think it's broken.

    Salesperson: *looks at DVD* oh, that's one of those new DRM protected dvd's.

    Middle aged pundit: Drmwhazit?

    Salesperson: It's a security measure to keep people from copying the DVD.

    Middle aged pundit: Ok, well why won't it play on the player then?

    Salesperson: Becuase you have to have a DRM enabled DVD player to run it.

    Middle aged pundit: *runs through mind, looks over at shelf, sees an expensive $300 player for the DVD, becomes slightly irritated* Can I get a refund then?

    Salesperson: Sorry, it's store policy not to give refunds on CD's or DVD's.

    Middle aged pundit: Why?

    Salesperson: Because a lot of people copy them and try to return them. If we allowed for refunds we'd go out of buisness.

    Middle aged pundit: *now very irritated* But I didn't copy this, hell, it has copy protection on it! I want my money back.

    Salesperson: Sorry, can't do it.

    Middle aged pundit: Ok then. *runs off to look at the non-drm'd dvd section or out of the store very angry to return and look at the non-drm's dvd section*.

    This is how DRM is going to effect most people. The youngin's and technically adept are going to know about it and not even get caught up in that. Plus, with their system it looks like it needs an internet connection which is even more expensive.

    Only when it's cheap will it catch on. Remember that folks.

    Intel's going to have to put some money investment into a fritz chip. Unless they are getting some profit out of this it ain't gonna happen. The whole idea for the corperations is to gouge people on the media they by and if that fails then the entire scheme will fail.

  45. Way too late by paiute · · Score: 1

    Once you have made the decision to turn your product into a string of 1s and 0s, it is out of your control.

    Why do they have such a hard time understanding that?

    --
    If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
  46. Why? by Cycline3 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Why are the big companies pushing for DRM? After all - consumers DON't want it - and we aren't likely to buy much DRM protected kit. I understand the IP debate - but if you don't have a product that people want - then you can't sell it. This seems like such a no brainer to me.

    1. Re:Why? by TiggsPanther · · Score: 1

      The problem is that a lot of consumers don't know that they don't want DRM. A lot of consumers will be sucked in my the marketing. Heck, even the people who WOULD think it's a good idea probably don't have enough information on it to make an informed decision,

      But maybe that's the point. They don't want us to make informed decisions. They push the technology, and as long as they can stay even just one step ahead of the latest cracks, then they can steer the industry their way bit by bit.

      After all, CCS and Region Coding in DVDs weren't wanted by any consumers, but the fact that the "Big Companies" have put such a force behind it that the next step (DRM) isn't too far away.

      --
      Tiggs
      "120 chars should be enough for everyone..."
    2. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Consumers have accepted it, in large numbers. Look at the huge sales of DVD players, using a standard that is DRM'd (DVDs). You would think that rational people would have said, "no way we're buying these", but ... millions of people have bought them. DVDs were a proof of concept - hey, look, the sheep accept DRM. Of course they want to extend it to other spheres, when DRM has been so successful with DVDs.

      I rented a commercial, Hollywood videotape this weekend. I didn't have time to watch it, so I easily made a copy of it on a blank tape using my set-top video cassette RECORDER(s). When was the last time you did that with a set-top DVD PLAYER? Answer - you didn't, it's not possible.

      (I don't want to hear about the hacks you had to go through, the descrambling software, the copying of the movie onto your computer harddrive and then onto two disks, etc. The point is that the equipment I bought for the top of my TV was designed for copying. The equipment you bought requires a workaround, to get around DRM. But look how many sheep bought the DVD "players". By doing so, they're ruining it for the rest of us).

    3. Re:Why? by ciphertext · · Score: 1

      It is an additional "feature" that you will pay for but do not want. Much the same as the "feature" which prevents you from skipping previews and the FBI copyright warning at the begining of your DVD's. In all likelyhood, if the DRM stuff fails miserably as a selling point (I see no marketing edge gained when talking about non-commercial consumers) you will likely not see any information in the technical brochures or manuals that list the data. It will be innocuous to you until it inhibits your actions. We get a lot of things we don't want (or at least not know we don't want). Memory leaks in programs, poor ventilation in computer cases, commericals for HP products at the movies (at least I don't like that), etc...

      --
      To know is to have knowledge....to understand is to be enlightened.
  47. bollocks, again by RMH101 · · Score: 1
    Line out will have DRM on it? Perhaps they'll put a little padlock on the socket and you phone Sony to come and send an engineer round to lock it to your hifi?

    This is crap, mr genius. Motherboards, hard disks etc then yes, eventually and with some caveats. Line out, no. Until they bolt the headphones to your ears, if you can hear it then you can take an analogue copy.

    Even with a closed system, you can hold a mic up to a loudspeaker. A headphone is a cone that vibrates when you apply a voltage, it's not an electronic device.

    I notice you don't reference any of your claims.
    If you don't understand this, you may be doing more harm than good shouting the odds in public.

  48. Bad analogy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Its more like, the information on how to build a house and grow food should be free. And it used to be.

    We're headed for the information darkages due to greedy companies, stupid legislators, and an indifferent public.

    I swear China is behind this stupidity; they're tryign to make us a 3rd world country.

  49. I've noticed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "What kind of immature attitude is being thrust into the open here?"

    I've noticed that people who use the phrase "immature" are usually under 20; adults don't use immature because (a) its flamebait (b) adults recognize the real definition of "immature" really has to do with a lack of experience, not an inherent quality of a human.

    I would say that the position you advocate has to do with a purity that comes from a lack of experience in the real-world; that is, you equate the copying of a movie with some moral purity where none exist. Its like going to Hades and then lamenting that there's too much pain and suffering going on.

    Back to my point, by using the word "immature", you paint yourself into the same box occupied primarily by 14 year old girls complaining about the antics of 14 year old boys. I'm not sure that's what you intended to do, nonetheless, you did.

    And I am a father, so I'm used to helping train the next generation of people; I have a 9 and 13 year old, and so I'm well-versed in their lack of experience, I'm comfortable talking to you much as I would an adult and treating you like an adult while helping you at the same time.

    You're welcome!

  50. In unrelated news AMD and Philips stock sore. by pecosdave · · Score: 1

    Yeah, lets see who buys what. I would gladly take Mitsubishi Diamond Scan monitor instead of a Trinitron next time, I already use AMD.

    --
    The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
    1. Re:In unrelated news AMD and Philips stock sore. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not get a SONY Mp3 car stereo instead.
      I did it's a hoot.
      I play up to 12 CD's, which I burn to disk in DS, HQ, VBR1, Mp3 format, without changing disks for hours.
      In fact I can drive back and forth to work for a month without hearing the same song twice and never change the disk.

  51. Dear Big Business by SQL+Error · · Score: 3, Informative

    Fuck off and die.

    Regards,

    Your customers.

  52. Re:record in mono by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The windows sound recorder records at default 22,000 hz.. which sounds gay.

  53. Re: It's Not Hipocrisy, It's Pissed... by EzInKy · · Score: 1

    You see, a few years ago the people here said to the RIAA "Give us an easy, cheap, convienvient way to download the songs we like."

    The RIAA responded with "No way! You will only like the songs that we tell you to like and you will only buy them they way we tell you to buy them."

    Of course that pissed the users off at the already pissed off RIAA, and we all know what happens when two very pissed off entities meet each other in a dark alley.

    All I can say is may the most powerful pissed off entity prevail.

    --
    Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
  54. Thank God for the RIAA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I would have ended up like one of these dorks if the RIAA didn't put out such crap.

    I bought into this until I realized that this high end equipment would only result in crap music coming in clearer.

  55. Uncrackable isn't the point by swb · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Uncrackable DRM isn't the point or the goal. The goal is DRM layered with enough hard encryption that it's a major pain in the ass.

    It's not a question of how, but when. VHS has no encryption, but Macrovision was applied after development for content protection. CDs were a late 70s/early 80s invention, no encrytption at all, with various macrovision-style protection methods applied later. DVDs were a late 80s, early 90s invention, flawed encryption, with limited DRM via improved macrovision.

    It's clear they're learning, and they'll only get better.

    1. Re:Uncrackable isn't the point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The difference now is that with p2p it only takes ONE guy cracking the protection, and uploading the result. The number of sources of high-quality rips of mainstream content is already pretty low, since people prefer to download a file tagged with the name of a group that usually provides high quality.

    2. Re:Uncrackable isn't the point by HiThere · · Score: 1

      But *WHO* is it a major PITA for?
      I have for the last two years refused to purchase any CDs that I so much as *suspected* might cause a payment to reach the RIAA, or any of it's component studios.

      Now mind you,I'm no big fan of pop music, but I have two shelves of Music CDs of the folk and classical persusation that I purchased before they started getting obnoxious. And I have refused to purchase, or accept as a present, any since that time.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  56. I think strAtEdgE's laws applies here... by strAtEdgE · · Score: 1

    strAtEdgE's first law of music piracy:

    "For every anti-piracy measure that cripples legitimate use of music, there is a counter measure that enables full, unfettered use of the music that will be discovered."

    strAtEdgE's second law of music piracy:

    "If music companies don't smarten up and halt poor business practices like selling crippled products to willing customers, more and more people are going to learn to prefer using the counter measures mentioned in the first law."

    --
    ----- sXe
  57. Lab assignment. by Sphere1952 · · Score: 1

    The assignment for today, class, is to read the private key off any consumer DRM chip. If you don't have an electron microscope you can use one of the high school's microscopes.

    Extra credit will be given to anyone who can open the chip and read the key in under ten minutes.

    Please remember that it is illegal to publish this number online.

    --
    Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
  58. personal vr goggles by yerricde · · Score: 1

    if they don't nobody will buy the thing because they wouldn't be able to use their tv's, monitors or ANYTHING to look at the said content(they have to make it possible to see/hear the stuff somehow, no?)

    Movie studios could upgrade their processes to 3D and require home viewers to put on what are essentially night vision goggles. Yes, I know Nintendo tried this, and yes, I know the Virtual Boy flopped, but near-eye display technology has improved since then.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  59. Tin eared listeners don't care about audio quality by yerricde · · Score: 1

    If the majority of recording pirates are tin-eared listeners happy with what they get from Kazaa (usually 128 kbps MP3 encoded with the crappiest of encoders), the phrase "generation loss" is lossed on them too.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  60. The problem with inaudibility by yerricde · · Score: 1

    A watermark would be a auditorialy invisible signal in the content data that encodes a copy protection code or DRM code.

    If it can't be heard, a good lossy audio encoder will remove it. If it can be heard, audiophiles will female dog about it to no end.

    If the DRM system looks for a watermark in the content data (as opposed to a special metadata code) and permits/prohibits playing, copying, saving, etc. then dubbers are defeated.

    And watch how mad a father can get when his shiny new camcorder refuses to record baby's first steps just because a copyrighted telecast can be seen in of the corner of the picture.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  61. The joys of FREE SOFTWARE(tm) by yerricde · · Score: 1

    Poor Man's Photoshop Elements and Poor Man's Office do only cost a dollar once I've burned them onto a CD-R disc.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  62. Flamebait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People like you make me sick. If I buy music, its mine to share with whomever I choose. The only reason that its is "Illegal" is because the very people who are now forcing us to buy crippled systems are the ones who had their lackies down in Washington write the DMCA to make it illegal to begin with.

    And, in case you have been living in a cave for the past 2 years, these sons-of-bitches have been calling us thieves and hackers long before we infringed any newly appointed copyright laws.

    So let's recap for our friend who wants to buy a computer that won't allow you to compile your own apps, create your own video or audio files, use a scanner, etc. What Intel/Sony wants is to authenticate every file you play. Oh, how convienient. You have a party, you want to play some MP3's, but Sony's new copyprotection scheme requires you to insert the original CD and hop on the Internet before every track is played.

    What the media companies want, more than anything else, is to create two classes of electronics, which have nothing to do with the quality of those electronics, 1. systems that create media 2. systems that play (but don't edit, etc) media.

    So, here's my big middle finger to Intel. I bought a K6-2+ instead of the P-III because of the Processor ID. I bought an Athlon insted of a P-IV because of monopoly tactics to promote a bad chip design (SSE2). And, for the record, I never buy Sony, not because of some political reason, just because their products suck, and usually die a week after their warranty expires.

    So, thanks, flamebait for promoting the myth that file sharing=copyright infringement=theft. People like you are like the dumb saps who belived the insurance industry in the early 90's who went against free universal health care. And any SUV owner who bought their car for safety. You believe whatever the idiot box tells you. Go read Oprah's new book. Fuck off.

    1. Re:Flamebait by haapi · · Score: 1

      "People like you make me sick. If I buy music, its mine to share with whomever I choose."

      No, dammit. If you buy music, it is yours to view and store however you choose *OR* yours to *transfer ownership* to whomever you choose.

      Otherwise we are in today's situation, where we have lost (or are losing) what we had in the vinyl/tape age and still don't have the benefits of quality *and* choice *and* distribution we should have in the digital age.

      The long view includes history as well as the future.

      --
      Well, apparently, you only have to fool the majority of people for a little while.
  63. Nothing good will come from this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No one should be allowed that kind of power over another persons computer, nothing good can come from dictating to someone what they can and can't do with their property.

    I for one already use Linux, the next step for me to replace all intel hardware in my computer with other brand names, after all AMD is said to be better anyway.

  64. What about the bribe to the immigration dept? by yerricde · · Score: 1

    Buying a house in the foreign country is not the only expense involved in moving. Isn't there a high "service fee" that needs to be paid to governments to expedite processing the family's immigration papers? What about some money to put food in your kids' mouths until you can find an employer willing to hire a documented alien? What about paying the $OFFICIAL_LANGUAGE as a Second Language instructor?

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
    1. Re:What about the bribe to the immigration dept? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      still high i see

    2. Re:What about the bribe to the immigration dept? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uh... maybe you meant to post that one with a troll account?

  65. Here was my first thought by JoeShmoe · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I couldn't view the PDF but it almost sounded like Intel's big invention was basically to only allow transfer among private IPs. Specifically:

    The DTCP specification, embodied in home networks, would permit consumers to play downloaded music or movies on any PC or digital device in the home. However, the downloaded material can't be transmitted outside the home or copied

    Now what embodies a "home" network as opposed to an "outside" network? Private IPs. Almost all the people I know with broadband and multiple computers are using some kind of NAT. Think how easy it would be to put a chip in a consumer electronic device that sniffed out the IPs of files as they come in or out. Anything with 192.168.x.x is allowed and anything else is denied.

    Now, I'm sure the hard core networking guys could use PPTP or something to "extend" their home network around the world but for 99% of the people out there, they already can't figure out how to share files over NAT (try listening to all the complaints about DCC not working in any IRC filesharing channel) so it's doubtful that they would know how to bypass this either.

    And because it's the a chip in the electronic device that controls the input/output you couldn't just write a program that would be NAT aware like the modern P2P sharing programs. You'd essentially have to modchip all your devices, which could end up being a lot more trouble than its worth.

    So that's my theory on how it'll work.

    -JoeShmoe
    .

    --
    -- I wonder which will go down in history as the bigger failure: the War on Drugs or the War on Filesharing
    1. Re:Here was my first thought by Alsee · · Score: 1

      big invention was basically to only allow transfer among private IPs.

      No, I read several of the PDF's on the site. While they say they want you to be able to use it "on any PC...", it will ONLY work on compliant (crippled) PC's. The documents specify that all content must be encryped and that each device must have an encryption/identity certificate. DTCP is a highly restricted communication system that lets DRM reach across more than a single device. It is pretty much a locked down communication protocall for TCPA / Palladium / etc.

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  66. Was that an article or a commercial. by Irvu · · Score: 1

    So far as I can tell the author made no attempt to cross-check the claims made or to get a critical opinion of the standard from a third party. Rather he spent his time extolling the future of media pcs (more like a tv, if I wanted a TV I'd buy a stupid TV not a broken excuse for a computer) than discussing the topic at hand.

    It may just be me but that felt less like an article and more like a pure press-release unfiltered by journalism in any way. I'm not sure what pisses me off more, companies that make this kind of stuff or the journalists who blindly pass it on as if it was a non-issue.

  67. Trusted Computing for anti-virus NOT for DRM!!! by morgue-ann · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's obvious that Microsoft's month for secuirty wasn't enough (after 20 years of feature creep, we only get a month for?).

    I've read the TCPA specs and it's not a bad idea in a commercial & some home environments as long as you can turn it off so you can develop code or run someone elses' if you choose to (as opposed to sneak-ware like Gator). I have two computers at work & wouldn't mind if the one running email were "locked down" to keep corporate IS from losing their minds for every MSBlaster/Fizzer/MSwormoftheweek as long as they leave my "programming" box alone (where's the checkbox for USB compliance suite on their audit checklist???).

    At home, it would be an advantage to have two copies of Windows installed- one that lets me play & one that I run video editing on & only runs trusted code.

    By mixing DRM in, Intel, Microsoft, h-p & others are guaranteeing that

    1) there will be strong opposition to the tech in the form of boycotts (see the anti-RFID flak) & cracks

    2) the tech will be weakened to serve its new DRM masters by complexity not needed for simple rogue code protection

  68. Kiss FL/OSS O/S goodbye by lenski · · Score: 1
    Unless they really succeed in making this a proper hardware-based end-to-end solution (a notoriously difficult proposition), we can kiss open source operating systems and the computers on which we hope to run them *goodbye*.

    This is a big part of why it's impossible to get video hardware documentation. They call it "licensing issues", but as long as a video card has MPEG acceleration, it can be used to display content, a capability that "must be" regulated.

    I find it interesting that I am licensed to drive a powerful instrument of destruction (1.5 ton car) and need no license to own an instrument of destruction (gun) but very quickly am losing the privilege of running my own computer with my own O.S. whose only capacity for hurting *anyone* is to use unregulated mdeia content! Which I don't do anyway!

    1. Re:Kiss FL/OSS O/S goodbye by Goldenpi · · Score: 1

      Actually, this is an end-to-end solution in a way. DTCP is part of the CPSA system. One of the license conditions to use DTCP is that protected content must never leave the device in unencrypted digital form. So your DTCP-enabled DVD recorder will record only to protected (CPRM) discs. Your DTCP-enabled video capture program will record only to a propritary, encrypted, non-convertable format. You get the idea. It goes without saying that the anti-tamper requirements of the license make legal open-source implimentations impossible. Intrestingly, a wide selection of IP systems are used to prevent people makeing a non-licenced implimentation. Bits are patented, everythings copyrighted, the names are all trademarked and the secret keys are classed as trade secrets :-) Whats the time to break 48-bit encryption now? I cant keep track of processing speed. It is fast enough for a pirate with a few 1GHz systems to complete in a week or so? On the plus side, CPSA has a weakness. It includes many technologies, and if only a few are broken the whole system becomes useless. CSS has been broken, thus rendering more prerecorded protection useless. If either DTCP or CPRM (idealy both) are cracked the entire CPSA is rendered pointless. A video card doesn't need MPEG acceleration with todays processor and AGP speeds. Ive got a InHell 815, the unupgradeable embedded graphics chipset, and even through when gameing its actually slower than software rendering and has acceleration inferior to cards ive pulled from 386's I can still watch hi-res divx on it :-)

    2. Re:Kiss FL/OSS O/S goodbye by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Used to be you couldn't export processors to China.
      Soon you won't be able to import them.

  69. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  70. A walkman, a DRM ... what's next? by Frit+Mock · · Score: 1

    Oh, they once selled us walkmans, we where able to hear out tapes anywhere at any time. We got used to it and we liked it, very much. But, who did you buy music-tapes? Of course, we bought music on vinyl, it had the better quality and taped it. There is nothing criminal with it! We like to hear music anywhere at any time, with any device we are comfortable with! That's all and I belive, we have the RIGHT to do so! That's why people like mp3, they can play it any time and anywhere on any device they like. At least, this is the most important reason for me. I don't mind paying for the things I consume if the price is right and I can live with the fact to not consume things that are to expensive. Anyway, Caviar tastes that bad, I would not even consume it for free! But times have changed, I think. Obviously in these days companies can no longer earn good money, if they sell things that fullfill their customers interessts. A company that can set standards, can earn big money with it. It's not even a matter of quality with this standard. Read carefully, Intel sets this standard together with Sony! Intel provides the technology, Sony the devices ... and of course Sony Music will provide you with their DRM-Music ... not to mention, that other recording companies will follow this standard imidiatly. For costomers the coices are limited. You'll want to buy CD's or DVD's in your store? Well, they are all for DRM now. So either you don't buy them, or you are _forced_ to use DRM. What, you don't buy CD's? You are discoverd, you must be a criminal! Somebody here pointed out, that DRM is also good to prevent the execution of unwanted programs like viruses and worms. Good point, but a short question, what are these unwanted programs? Who will be in the position to decide what programs are allowed? Whoever that will be, will have total control of what you can do with your computer! You fool, go and read a little about about the FSF and YOUR FREEDOM TO RUN THE PROGRAMS YOU LIKE! DRM will defnitly restrict our rights to use what I have paid for. I'll only have the right to use the copyrighted material, for what I'll have paid in certain places, i.e. at home? Sure, we won't even be able to lend our DVD, CD or even digital books to some else! And they will tell us 'Come on, that won't hurt you!'. Hm, right, it does not hurt us. Ok, we'll just have to buy more music, to have enough to have a party, cause noone can bring his CD's ... and this is good, because these companies then will have more money to develop a lot more of all these good technologies, that bring us so much advantages! What else it will restrict? It does not matter, the big companies will learn how to use it to control YOU! DRM is watching YOU! George Orwell will turn in his grave! I can't resist here ... spread his word, spread George Orwells word all over the world. His words are worth more than millions of dollars, but spread his word for free, regardless of any copyrights! I would assume, this technology is good for nothing more than sharewhere! You can use it for free with some restrictions (@home) and if you pay the full price, i can use it unrestricded (everywhere) !? Isn't it that what we want and need? Sure, but it is not what we'll get! The whole story about copyright arises one big question to me: When will the time come, where I'll be a criminal when shareing copyrighted material with my friends? Foo: What? It the time has already come? Hell I've had a party last month and more than five dozend friends of mine listened to my CD's the whole night long. This where more than 100 songs ... what a 150.000$ each song, wow! Bar: Ah no, calm down, it's just if you COPY the songs! Foo: Puh! Foo: FCUK I have made a video-recording of the whole party and already it to all them, including the people that haven't time to ocme! Bar: Harhar, a 15m$ Party .. what a decadent excess! You are so crazy! Ok, now serious again. Some people said, if the vol

  71. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  72. This was probably posted on a computer built by by melted · · Score: 1

    This was probably posted on a computer built by Intel while listening to music recorded by Sony through Sony stereo. :0)

    1. Re:This was probably posted on a computer built by by HiThere · · Score: 1

      Maybe not. But I bet the chips were by either Intel, AMD, or Motorola.

      --

      I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
    2. Re:This was probably posted on a computer built by by SQL+Error · · Score: 1

      AMD computer, actually.

      I'm not anti-business in general, but this "You will buy what we want you to buy, and you will like it" approach really TICKS ME OFF!

      Ahem. Sorry.

      Score: 4 Informative? Well, whatever. Hmm, 50% Informative, 30% Insightful, 20% Troll... I'll go along with the Insightful/Troll, but Informative?

  73. Proper Translation by Ogerman · · Score: 1

    New technology allows the consumer to use the downloaded content, but not distribute it outside of their home.

    Let me translate that statement for y'all:

    "New technology requires consumers to purchase new proprietary hardware to play back the same content they enjoyed before, but this time with all sorts of annoying restrictions that supposedly won't get in the way, but in reality will."

    And, by the way, there is no such thing as a DRM implementation that is Open Source friendly. It's very nature is "security" through obscurity, which thereby requires closed-source, proprietary components.

    Just say no to DRMs.

  74. Linux and OSS will be locked out by stwrtpj · · Score: 1
    And what makes you think that Linux or any other open source OS is going to be able to view any media in the future?

    You can forget about viewing this content on Linux. Go to the DTLA website at http://www.dtcp.com. Click on the link titled "DTCP Specification Volume 1 Version 1.29 Draft (Informational Version).". Under the heading "Intellectual Property" is this nice little statement:

    Implementation of this specification requires a licence from the Digital Transmission Licensing Administrator.

    Unless this license is royalty-free, which I doubt, then this is going to be a problem. There is no information on the site as to what this license entails.

    --
    Karma: Frotzed (mostly due to the Frobozz Magic Karma Company)
  75. My E-mail by Alsee · · Score: 1

    info-request@dtcp.com

    Thank you for your member list. My next computer will NOT contain an Intel processor, it will contain an AMD processor. When I buy other products I will not buy anything from Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony, or Hitachi. I am perfectly willing to pay more to buy from a competitor.

    Take a lesson from Digital Audio Tape history and Sony Minidisc. Consumers will simply refuse to buy an intentionally crippled product. I refuse to do business with any company that supports intentionally crippling products as DTCP intends to do.


    -

    --
    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  76. Re:Meanwhile Windowsupdate is offering me DRM too by p0et · · Score: 1

    Office 2003 is already offering this cutely integrated, with a new icon, at least in word and excel, just near the print icon.

    And, of course, by the looks of the stuff I've read on the dialog boxes and on the MS site which "explains" what is WRM, this just works with... MS apps.

    But they got a plugin for IE which lets you see the WRM docs if you don't got office...

    (How's that to break compability with import filters!)

  77. Re:If the DRM system looks for a watermark by Mryll · · Score: 1

    Yeah, and unless I own a Palladium sort of box, there's nothing to stop me from writing my own player that doesn't care about the "watermark" content of the files it is playing.

  78. Odd...? by phorm · · Score: 1

    With my DVD player, and PowerDVD 4, and a GeForce 4 MX440, it has no problemo with playing my DVD's through TV out, unless I try playing to my VCR in which case Macrovision kicks in.

    I seem to remember a similar issue to this with my old ATI AIW card... but new drivers fixed that too...

  79. "keep honest people honest" huh? by Splork · · Score: 1

    need to "keep honest people honest" (from the slides) huh?

    Do you think an honest person would choose to buy your content under the rediculious "licensing" provisions most providers will use if they had any choice in the matter?

    What we really *need* is to "keep honest monopolies honest"

    ^monopolies^governments

    etc..

    those slides are amateurish in content with no real value other than to promote CE makers buying extra intel cpus to put in their devices to no useful end.

  80. Chinese processors or whatever won't help. by Kjella · · Score: 1

    So far, it's quite clear that DRM will be optional - but without it, you can't access the content. Doesn't matter if it's a Dragon processor or an AMD or Intel with DRM set to "off".

    It's like wanting a region-free DVD, but they only come in region-crippled versions. And if you want entertainment, you just have to bite the bullet. I'm quite concerned what it'll do for competition though, when companies can DRM-lock their formats to only their application...

    Kjella

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    1. Re:Chinese processors or whatever won't help. by trezor · · Score: 1

      So buying (i.e. paying for) DRM-crippled hardware is not supporting (giving your money to) the people/companies who is responsible for the devilshit in the first place?

      Yeah right. It probably doesn't matter.

      Put differently: Who wouldn't deliver tons of media/applications/shows/whatever for use (only) on the-latest-thing(tm) if no the-latest-thing(tm)-devices had been delivered or sold?

      --
      Not Buzzword 2.0 compliant. Please speak english.
  81. Every system will be cracked by Skapare · · Score: 1

    Every system will be cracked. This one is no different. It does not matter how strong the encryption is. It won't be the encryption that matters anyway.

    Unlike things like classified documents that government agencies such as the CIA or NSA deal with, where they have very tight controls on who accesses the documents, the media industry has a fundamental problem: they have to let people actually hear and see the content or those people will quit paying for it. That's part of the "analog hole". If you can hear ir or see it, you can record it again. It doesn't matter of the quality of that re-recording is less than perfect, because most people (e.g. everyone but a few perfectionist geeks) already accept slight reduction of quality in the form of lossy compression, and most of them accept even more reduction of quality when dealing with pirated (e.g. free) stuff. This is not about making perfect digital rips. What the digital revolution did is make the Nth generation as good as the 2nd generation. Once the content leaks (1st generation to 2nd generation), it gets re-digitized, and all generations of pirate distribution are now just as good as that 2nd generation, but without the DRM.

    Watermarking can help, because the leaked content still has to be presented. But there is sufficient means to do that (e.g. play music through speakers and display video through CRTs, etc), that this is going to be a weak form of protection against the distribution of leaked content. And the distribution itself is going to be easy, because once you have it as a file, it can go anywhere, and during distribution, additional encryption can be added to hide any watermarking that may be visible to copying mechanisms and network sniffers.

    This is not a technical problem to be solved. It is really a social, legal, and market problem. It's a people problem.

    First of all, as long as some people are "left out", e.g. music and movies won't play on their computer because it isn't running software from Microsoft, then that immediately creates the incentives to make tools, both for cracking and distributing, for those who aren't even considered by the industry to be in their market. And many will justify this under the idea that if the media industry didn't consider them to be "in the market" in the first place (e.g. isn't allowing their DRM to work on BSD, Linux, etc), then there isn't any loss to the industry (e.g. why would they expect me to pay for something I cannot hear or see).

    Even the best solution, which would be to stop worrying about copying, and concentrate on the playing process (e.g. make all the content presentation work from sealed hardware which knows what content it is allowed to decrypt via time-controlled certificates), can't prevent the leak. But if the industry stops trying to squeeze everyone so hard, and makes it practical to have and play content, then incentives to steal content will ... never go away, but will ... be much less attractive.

    The model I see as best workable is one which not only works without requiring proprietary software on computers and networks, but also takes advantage of P2P networks as well (thus reducing the actual distribution costs to the industry).

    A hardware chip would have the means to decrypt the media. It could be part of an internal computer device, such as a sound card, or an external device, such as built in to a video display. It would have an identification key, which would be used to purchase playback certificates. Playback certificates, which would work only on that single device, would have restrictions as to the time frame to allow playback, as well as what content categories and/or producers to allow. You could buy a certificate to allow playing only one song on only one day. Or you could buy a certificate to play that one song forever. Or you could buy a certificate to play any song for one day.

    The best way to market this would be to sell certificates for finite periods

    --
    now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
  82. Buy a Mac! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yet another reason to buy a Mac. As if we needed any more.

  83. Yawn by UninvitedCompany · · Score: 1
    This isn't news.

    They are trying very hard to solve a fundamentally unsolvable problem. Indeed, even the hype (that is, the Intel sales presentation in the PDF linked above) acknowleges that copy protection is directed at the casual user attempting to misuse material.

    Trouble is, the stakes are too high for the casual user to ignore the technology, and the DMCA is too heavy a hammer to use to beat down people who have a fair use in mind. Others have already pointed out that every copy protection scheme yet devised has failed, and has alienated legitimate users in the process. Recall that it was major corporate buyers whose frustration led to the discontinuance of the use of laser-burned "key disks" for Lotus 123 back in about 1993. This was the end of an era for copy protection, with only a few high-dollar packages utilizing hardware keys and the like.

    I attribute the recent resurgence in "activation" and other coercive techniques to control distribution to the DMCA with its criminalization of cracks. This won't last, because the DMCA is too heavy a hammer; as benign cracks multiply, judges just won't permit serious penalties to be applied.

    Others have pointed out the possibility of copying the analog media as it is played or projected. This is the "tragic flow" of DRM as applied to entertainment media. There is simply no way to prevent copying any noninteractive media -- if you can see it, read it, or hear it, then you can record it (duh). The details and quality tradeoffs are all things that can be overcome.

    This leaves aside the matter of attacking the key exchange mechanism itself, which is not infalliable. It's just not possible to secure a playback device that is in the custody of a third party. And if a nicely packaged hack comes out for a reasonably popular device, what will Hollywood do? Delist all the affected devices, the vast majority of which are owned by noninfringing users? I think not. And that leaves the door open.

    And ultimately, a backlash will come as home users realize that they are putting up with inconvenience and expense because of a system that is doing little to prevent piracy.

  84. Sony and Intel, I see by HiThere · · Score: 1

    Thank you for reminding me not to recommend either Sony or Intel.

    Sony must now be 10% better than unrated competition.
    Intel must now be 20% better than unrated competition.

    (The difference is due to my cumulative assessment of previous actions.)

    --

    I think we've pushed this "anyone can grow up to be president" thing too far.
  85. Because I'm sick and tired of geo-elitism by yerricde · · Score: 1

    No, I'm just tired of Slashdot users laughing at others' geographical misfortune by making "I was born in a town that got broadband before your town did, nyeh nyeh nyeh" comments, or worse, "I was born outside the States and you weren't, nyeh nyeh nyeh" comments.

    So if leaving United States soil isn't an option, how can citizens of the United States escape the copyright industry's influence over the U.S. Congress?

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  86. a better choice by samantha · · Score: 1

    A better choice would be to make ALL content freely shareable and implement some other way to reimburse the creator of the content. Some form of micropayment might be workable despite well known problems. Voluntary "honor" systems might work. Some counter scheme for determining how much of some public (or otherwise) fund goes to which creators might work.

    The one thing that will not work is attempting to constrain the flow of information/data. Such constrains do more than make sure the creator is paid. They seriously constrain creativity, distribution, access and usefulness of the information/content.

    1. Re:a better choice by moncyb · · Score: 1

      That suggestion usually leads to a RIAA/MPAA tax on something, like they do with CD burners and blank CDs. I don't want to pay "royalties" to the media companies every time I pay for a computer, connection to the internet, or a doughnut. I don't violate their copyrights, so why should I be forced to pay?

      Voluntary "honor" systems might work.

      Well the current system is a "voluntary honor system" except without honor. It is hardly just the "consumers" causing the problems.

      "The copy protection screws up your TV? Sorry, can't return that DVD. Guess you'll just have to go out and buy another TV so you can watch it. Oh, and have fun watching all the splash screens and advertisements you can't skip."

      "That game doesn't work? Sucks to be you. No refunds."

      "Don't like the oppressive EULA with your digital camera? Come on, you don't want to let anyone outside your family use it anyway. Well, okay, we'll pay you back minus our 25% restocking fee...wait...it has some software. Sorry! No refund for you!"

      Some counter scheme for determining how much of some public (or otherwise) fund goes to which creators might work.

      It's called compulsary licensing. Look it up. You'll see big media has tight control of it.

  87. Re:Meanwhile Windowsupdate is offering me DRM too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh good grief...
    This download simply lets you access protected documents created in Office 2003.

  88. Re:Currently, I can't play a lot of my "CD"s by Technician · · Score: 1

    Currently, I can't play a lot of my "CD"s in my computer or car stereo, because the music industry is deliberatly breaking standards.

    I've avoided the problem by simply looking for the red book logo. I won't buy a CD without the Compact Disk logo. I won't vote for the broken CD's with my dollars. Get the word out. Ya gotta have the logo!

    My last trip to Wal-Mart's music section was not great. About 3/4's of the stuff did not have a logo. I found some stuff I would like, but it was way overpriced. ($35.00 Phantom of the Opera set) Some other stuff was cheaper, but was missing the logo. I bought some DVD's for under $6 instead.

    --
    The truth shall set you free!