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Here's how it works. "Copyright holders" (ie record companies, Microsoft, etc) will start encrypting their MP3s, software, etc with 2048-bit encryption. Windows will decrypt it only if you are the person the file was intended for. They can also make the file unreadable after a certain date, or after a certain number of views. And a special chip in the hardware will keep you from running pirated versions of Windows.

But you'll still be able to run whatever software you want. Older, unencrypted MP3s will still work as always.

You'll be able to turn these features off, but then you won't be able to listen to encrypted MP3s. You can still use Linux, but again you won't be able to listen to encypted MP3, of look at encrypted Word documents, etc.

This has the potential to wipe out piracy entirely. It also gives companies far to much control over what consumers can/can't do with their software/music. And corporations could encrypt their sensitive (incriminating) documents and not have to worry about whistleblowers or the FBI being able to read them at all.

One of the questions on Microsoft's FAQ about NGSCB (Microsoft's implementation of TCPA) is something like "Will Linux be able to implement a similar/compatible system?" and the answer was something like "Well we hold some patents/copyrights in this area..." You probably get the picture by now. This could kill Linux and MacOS's compatibilty with Windows files.

The record companies and Microsoft seem to have a few puppets in the Senate, one of which is pushing a law that would make stuff like this manditory for all consumer electronics - so a computer with MacOS or Linux (an OS that doesn't supports this and can't because of Microsoft's patents) would be illegal. Paradise for Microsoft - total and complete monopoly.

EDIT:

Quote:Microsoft's FAQ about NGSCB (Microsoft's implementation of TCPA)

technically, NGSCB (Next Generation Secure Computing Base) is actually Microsoft's implementation of something similar to TCPA, which is slightly different.

"Monopoly's just a f-ing game, I'm trying to take over the world!"
--Robin Williams impersonating Bill Gates.

Its all just ones and zeros. It is impossible to create a file that cannot be pirated. Microsoft and Intel believe they have the answer with the Pallidium project (the hardware security chip) which will enable them to have control over music, video and other software they distribute.

The problem is that nobody is going to try and pirate the versions that Microsoft distribute, all one needs to do to copy an 2048bit encrypted mp3 to give it to their friend is play it once and re-record it minus the encryption. At worst (if Microsoft attempt to thwart this either in hardware or software) you can plug your audio out into the audio in and run the mp3 player and recorder simulatenously. No problem. Traditional methods of pirating media, will also still work. If you can play the music, then you can record it.

The Palladium hardware shouldnt pose too big a problem for the myriad of hackers out there either. Most popular game consoles have had their hardware cracked (mod chips) to allow pirated versions of games to be run. Lindows.com gave a $100,000 prize to a hacker who managed to modify the hardware of the X-Box to allow it to run Linux. If you are interested their is currently another $100,000 up for grabs if you can get it running without modifying the hardware.

Microsoft and Intel are not the sole vendors of hardware and software either. AMD and other manufactures are likely to continue producing hardware without the Palladium devices and the open source community are still producing free software and data formats (such as ogg music files). Microsofts current stance may prove more harm than good to them as consumers slowly start switching to alternative solutions (especially with Linux desktop orientated distrubutions of the uprise) to avoid the heavy restrictions. Anyone remember the consumer outrage after the copy-protected Fast and Furious sound track came out?

The legality of some of these issues is interesting also, Microsoft will have to obey the consumer rights laws.

Quote:...and there will be intellectual property issues to be resolved. It is too early to speculate on how those issues might be addressed.

People have a right to copy media which they own for purposes of back up or making a duplicate of a CD to listen to in the car. IIRC in certain parts of America it is illegal to have encryption above a certain level (I have a feeling its currently 128-bit), because the American government decree that they must be able to decrypt any code in the event of suspected terrorism.

I think what Microsoft and Intel want the NGSCB to be and what it will actually be after all the intellectual property and consumer rights issues have been resolved will be quite different. Besides, free software (FSF, GNU, Linux etc) will always exist, I cant see how you could possibly outlaw it, so there will always be alternatives for people who don't want to live under Microsofts restrictions.

I feel more reassured now, I brought this up before here, but never got any response.

And that thing about Microsoft owning patents... they're trying to buy UNIX or something like that, aren't they? Cos then my dear Linux would be illegal, and I'd be stuck with Notepad instead of KWrite

If Microsoft pressed charges against Linux's existance, Anti monopoly lawsuits would put an end to it. Hell, even if they did buy the patents, you couldn't "outlaw" Linux. Linux was created legally before. It would be like me buying the patent for a camera and telling Kodak it had to stop selling cameras.

And besides - these are all just rumors. Getting back to music, someone's going to crack it. MS is wasting their time, but it keeps the chumps in congress happy so I dont care.

I doubt Microsoft is trying to buy UNIX, nor will they ever succeed in making Unix and its free variants illegal. Unix variants such as Solaris, IRIX, AIX, SCO-Unix and HP-UX are used to drive web-servers and specialised software for calculating and modeling chemical and engineering data.

Linux is relatively new on the scene against the other Unix giants and contrary to popular belief it will probably not put the other Unix flavours out of business anytime in the near future because of specialised proprietry software availablity . I really cannot see how Microsoft or Intel could make free operating systems or non-Microsoft operating systems in general illegal because it goes against the consumer rights act. Even if Microsoft/Intel succeed in creating Palladium based machines, Linux is quite capable of running on many other architectures (such as the Sparc, Alpha, Mips and PowerPC) and can provide an entire desktop operating system based solely on free software.

Entirely on free software? That's what I have, for my Linux partition. The only good things about my Windows partition, is that I can watch Quicktime movies, use Java (not sure how to get it working in mozilla - can anyone tell me how to "set the display" from the console?), and use MS Word, Excel etc, which are actually very good pieces of software.

Java should just be a plug-in for Mozilla, do a google search to find it. What exactly do you mean by "set the display"?

Instead of Excel, try Gnumeric and Gnuplot which are both competent pieces of software for doing spreadsheets and graphs respectively. A good alternative to MS Word is LaTeX (pronouced Lah - Tek) which is a half programming/half markup language for describing documents. Professional documents can be created very quickly because the languages handles things like chapters, sections, title pages, itemized lists, etc based on a document type (which can be altered with a single line). There are plenty of tutorials and manuals available on line and your copy of Linux should already have it installed (type 'latex' at the console).

Not sure about the quicktime movies, but I would say that it is likely that Apple have a Linux version seeing as MacOS X is based on Unix now, a port shouldnt be too difficult.

I have the java plugin for linux all lined up, but I only have it installed if I log in graphically as root. My cousin said I had to log in as me, su to root, open mozilla, install the plugin, stop and start mozilla, then su to me and it should work, but I get the following error any time I try to run something graphically as root:


I'll bet it's real easy to sort out, but I'll try you guys first :wink:

Did you do system wide installs of the JRE and the plugin as root, with Linux you can do local installs (visible only to the user that did the install) or system wide installs (visible to everyone, but requires root access to make the install). If you are still having trouble try this page: http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/javalinux.html

I don't see why the su to root method would work, because su is just like logging in. It should have the same effect as just logging in as root and doing the install.