Ross's TCPA paper

jamesd at echeque.com jamesd at echeque.com
Mon Jul 1 17:58:59 PDT 2002


    --
On 1 Jul 2002 at 15:06, Tim May wrote:
> I have strong views on all this DRM and TCPA stuff, and 
> especially on the claim that some form of DRM is needed to 
> prevent government from taking over control of the "arts."
>
> But we said everything that needed to be said _years_ ago. No 
> point in repeating the same points.

No, it does need to be said again.

You cannot merely do a copy and paste from the cyphernomicon.  You 
will find it necessary a copy and paste from the cyphernomicon 
followed by several global search and replaces and a small amount 
of new material referring to current events.

Palladium, as described by Microsoft, is actually a pretty cool 
idea that would be useful for quite a few cypherpunkly projects.

When Microsoft gave its description of Palladium, there were a few 
caveats and maybes that to me sounded as if they were saying "Well 
our hearts are in the right place, this is the way it will be if 
only it was not going to be the way that it actually is going to 
be".

Unfortunately it is being introduced at the same time as there is 
legislation proposed, the SSSCA, to outlaw general purpose 
computers, turning them into set top boxes, and license software 
engineers, so that only a small number of specially privileged 
people will be permitted access to general purpose computers. This 
timing creates a reasonable suspicion that Palladium is in fact a 
stalking horse for that project, a preparation for a slightly more 
acceptable variant of the SSSCA. 

    --digsig
         James A. Donald
     6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG
     jJb9+mkN3R59T+7qqwbaNl6DlnXtC7susSRKhpeg
     2XCDBLPYrZ4/b3EazgN2sjfbch9lCok9wmcWkHl6X





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