Trusted Or Treacherous Computing? 208
theodp writes "Just because Richard Stallman is paranoid doesn't mean Microsoft's not out to get you. For a hint about the possible end-game of Microsoft's Trusted Computing Initiative, check out the patent application published Thanksgiving Day for Trusted License Removal, in which Microsoft describes how to revoke rights to render based on 'who the user is, where the user is located, what type of computing device or other playback device the user is using, what rendering application is calling the copy protection system, the date, the time, etc.' So much for Microsoft's you-should-have-control assurances."
Patenting stuff like this is a good thing (Score:4, Informative)
Re:"Treacherous" is, of course, the answer (Score:2, Informative)
No... it doesn't work that way. When you disable the TPM, it really is disabled. It's just that your machine and its software can no longer remotely attest to its configuration -- meaning that it can no longer report that the hardware is intact and that you are running SPECIFIC code. In that case, the remote server will refuse to send any content. This is the essence of DRM.
In future, once the plans for these TPMs have reached fruition, you will not be able to connect to the internet (because the ISP will insist on a trusted connection) if you disable the TPM.
However... disabling it really does disable it. They have no need to cheat... the hardware and politics behind it is already murky and sinister enough as it is.
Do read EFF article please (Score:2, Informative)
Re:"Treacherous" is, of course, the answer (Score:3, Informative)
Perhaps this law (Score:3, Informative)
Perhaps a little-known law called the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 [wikipedia.org] (18 USC 1030 [cornell.edu]), reasonable or not, defines malware as illegal.
Granted, the enforcability of this law, just like any U.S. law, tends to stop at the border, so no a Romanian script-kiddie isn't going to be dragged into a California courtroom, and he won't be dragged into any Romanian courtroom either unless writing malware's a crime in Romania as well.
Re:Hands up, everyone who DIDN'T see this coming.. (Score:5, Informative)
"November 15, 1996: Encryption products that presently are or would be designated in Category XIII of the United States Munitions List and regulated by the Department of State pursuant to the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778 et seq.) shall be transferred to the Commerce Control List,"
http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo_crypt_9611_memo
Re:Say what? (Score:3, Informative)
Taking away rights and giving away extra rights are two different issues completely. Please don't be confused by the common word "license".