Ross's TCPA paper

[Mike Rosing]

> Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 12:53:42 -0700
> From: Paul Harrison <pth-02 at pacbell.net>
> Subject: Re: Ross's TCPA paper
> I would think a TCP _with_ ownership of the TPM would be every paranoid
> cypherpunk's wet dream.  A box which would tell you if it had been tampered
> with either in hardware or software?  Great.  Someone else's TCP is more
> like a rental car:  you want the rental company to be completely responsible
> for the safety of the vehicle.  This is the economic achilles heal of using
> TCPA for DRM.  Who is going to take financial responsibility for the proper
> operation of the platform?  It can work for a set top box, but it won't fly
> for a general purpose computer.

Exactly my point - economicly it can't work for the "nightmare" scenario.

The whole DRM concept is seriously flawed, and the fact it's being
pushed by a guy who used to run a paint-ball arena is really no
supprise.

There's a large group of academics working on DRM concepts for access
to university facilities, including libraries and computers.  They
use secure platforms, but they still have to worry about who gets
physical access to the platform.

And I also don't think "conspiricy" is the right term.  The article
Lucky quoted from indicated that use of the trusted platform for
DRM was an afterthought, and that's much more believeable.  A bunch
of sharks looking for money all swim around the same target.  It has
to do with where the money is, not any collusion between the players.

S.2048 is not likely to see the light of day.  The automotive
industry is bigger than the entertainment industry, and they have
more sway in washington when it comes to how much some bill is
going to cost them.  S.2048 makes cars way too expensive, and when
union workers find out that a) they will have fewer jobs and b)
they won't be able to watch videos when they get home, the shit
will hit the fan big time.

Definitly write a letter to your congress critter to let them know
the whole thing is stupid.  But don't call it a conspiricy, that
gives the morons thinking this whole thing up a bit too much
intellect.

Patience, persistence, truth,
Dr. mike