Was I really that paranoid?
----- Original Message -----
From: Barry Levine
To: epmug-at-yahoogroups.com
Bear recently posted about some Intel technology that would shut off your Mac if you attempted to run certain software or DRM-protected media. Turns out he was pretty close to the point.
Intel's recent preso to the vendors who make media players (DVD players, etc.) talked about how their chip (Intel's) in HDTV's would permit a content provider (a movie studio, for example) to send a signal to a user's TV to actually shut it off -permanently- and, if the vendor who made the media player (Samsung was given as an example in the article although it could have been Panasonic or Sony) did not lock down the ability to "hack through" the DRM chip that would have to be included in the media player, the user(s) whose TVs were shut off would be "at Samsung's door with pitchforks"; the implication being that it would be Samsung's fault and not Intel's fault. Of course, once Samsung begins to blame Intel (because it's THEIR technology), the courts and the public might realize who is really the villain.
What if Samsung didn't provide such a DRM chip in their new players? Intel would then "fine" Samsung 8 million dollars for this transgression. Of course, wouldn't you then buy such a player from Samsung and wouldn't the $8M fine be just the "cost of doing business" and would be more than made up with increased sales? Would not all other manufacturers then follow suit? They're in the business of making money for their investors and to adopt a technology that would obviously result in lost sales would be just the ticket for an investor revolt at the next stockholders meeting.
So who is the real villian here? Frankly, it's the collusion of the RIAA, MPAA and our government. Blame your congressional representatives in Washington who are accepting the advice (and money) of the Hollywood lobbyists. What this technology will do is drive otherwise law-abiding media consumers (you and me) towards piracy.
The best thing you can do, as a consumer of media, is to NOT purchase ANY device that has such a DRM-enabling technology in it. In other words: Pass on BluRay, HD-DVD, large screen digital TVs that receive HDTV. The only way we can win this fight is to simply NOT purchase products based upon the concept of crippling the rights of the consumer.
Barry
I could not make the final connection, proving that the TPM in the Intel-Inside Macs DEFINITELY has a shutdown feature, nor could I find their secret key can be invalidated by software. I simply knew SIMILAR technology, like Barry mentions, does permit full remote shutdown. Apple would do well by me to provide assurance they (or any other party) cannot remotely shutdown TPM equipped machines. I find the fact they don't even mention the TPM in what developer materials I've read thus far to be suspicious. If this is a DRM technology, why aren't ALL developers given the means to protect their products? Why must the protected product be Apple's software and nobody else's?
(Secure transactions over the net would use this device - at least if Safari were involved. And iTunes music validation almost definitely would use this too. Notice how these too are Apple technologies being protected?)
BTW, with an invalid TPM, the kernel of OS X won't load. Therefore, none of the recovery DVDs supplied with the unit will work if the TPM is not functioning as per (secretive) factory spec.
I highly recommend finding an encryption-circumvented OS X disc. Apple will cry unfair use, but DMCA does provide for people circumventing copyright protection measures under certain circumstances - like accessing personal data, which it seems a TPM-shutdown Mac would prohibit otherwise.
From: Barry Levine
To: epmug-at-yahoogroups.com
Bear recently posted about some Intel technology that would shut off your Mac if you attempted to run certain software or DRM-protected media. Turns out he was pretty close to the point.
Intel's recent preso to the vendors who make media players (DVD players, etc.) talked about how their chip (Intel's) in HDTV's would permit a content provider (a movie studio, for example) to send a signal to a user's TV to actually shut it off -permanently- and, if the vendor who made the media player (Samsung was given as an example in the article although it could have been Panasonic or Sony) did not lock down the ability to "hack through" the DRM chip that would have to be included in the media player, the user(s) whose TVs were shut off would be "at Samsung's door with pitchforks"; the implication being that it would be Samsung's fault and not Intel's fault. Of course, once Samsung begins to blame Intel (because it's THEIR technology), the courts and the public might realize who is really the villain.
What if Samsung didn't provide such a DRM chip in their new players? Intel would then "fine" Samsung 8 million dollars for this transgression. Of course, wouldn't you then buy such a player from Samsung and wouldn't the $8M fine be just the "cost of doing business" and would be more than made up with increased sales? Would not all other manufacturers then follow suit? They're in the business of making money for their investors and to adopt a technology that would obviously result in lost sales would be just the ticket for an investor revolt at the next stockholders meeting.
So who is the real villian here? Frankly, it's the collusion of the RIAA, MPAA and our government. Blame your congressional representatives in Washington who are accepting the advice (and money) of the Hollywood lobbyists. What this technology will do is drive otherwise law-abiding media consumers (you and me) towards piracy.
The best thing you can do, as a consumer of media, is to NOT purchase ANY device that has such a DRM-enabling technology in it. In other words: Pass on BluRay, HD-DVD, large screen digital TVs that receive HDTV. The only way we can win this fight is to simply NOT purchase products based upon the concept of crippling the rights of the consumer.
Barry
I could not make the final connection, proving that the TPM in the Intel-Inside Macs DEFINITELY has a shutdown feature, nor could I find their secret key can be invalidated by software. I simply knew SIMILAR technology, like Barry mentions, does permit full remote shutdown. Apple would do well by me to provide assurance they (or any other party) cannot remotely shutdown TPM equipped machines. I find the fact they don't even mention the TPM in what developer materials I've read thus far to be suspicious. If this is a DRM technology, why aren't ALL developers given the means to protect their products? Why must the protected product be Apple's software and nobody else's?
(Secure transactions over the net would use this device - at least if Safari were involved. And iTunes music validation almost definitely would use this too. Notice how these too are Apple technologies being protected?)
BTW, with an invalid TPM, the kernel of OS X won't load. Therefore, none of the recovery DVDs supplied with the unit will work if the TPM is not functioning as per (secretive) factory spec.
I highly recommend finding an encryption-circumvented OS X disc. Apple will cry unfair use, but DMCA does provide for people circumventing copyright protection measures under certain circumstances - like accessing personal data, which it seems a TPM-shutdown Mac would prohibit otherwise.