Phoenix toughens up BIOS

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This isn't your father's DRM, Axe.

While correct that as the originator of content you set the DRM rights, you neglect that since you do not own the DRM signing keys? Your rights to your data can be arbitrarily revoked by the signing authority or key issuer. This is the single point of failure of a DRM system that depends on established and trusted identity. Anonymous production of data is sometimes a necessity of freedom and the seeking of freedom.

Since the signing ties potentially every e-mail, every video, every media output or input to a particular user worldwide; governments can use DRM to trace media to producer. Gone is the ability to write anonymous complaints. Gone is the ability to be a whistleblower. Gone is the ability to be a social commentator under a totalitarian regime.

Oh, you protest, you can turn DRM off to produce and then view those media! Unless the reader can read non-DRM'd data on the same platform as trusted data, and on the fly, and per message, and per media, the data will never be seen. Will you reboot simply to view the non-DRM'd data? Microsoft's trusted platform specification makes switching to non-DRM'd data impossible to do on the fly, without majour risk-inducing hacks that would cripple the system. Will Microsft make those hacks and thus introduce risk, which ultimately defeats the purpose and majour selling point of DRM?

Without the ability to switch to non-DRM data on the fly, people who require anonymity to function without threat of death, would be hobbled. Though they can produce non-DRM data; no-one will see their creations. The question is: is that loss of freedom worth the advantages of DRM. You say "yes", Bit, but have never mentioned a single one of those advantages that would override the right to freedom. These noble pursuits are worth more than all the copyrights in the world, because the exercise of the freedom allows the copyrights to exist!

Consider the social issue carefully and not through your IP uber alles rose coloured glasses.

Posted by: John Le'Brecage   Posted on: 11/28/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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