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August 4, 2004
DRM is really an attack on Linux
Reading Linux, digital rights on collision course | CNET News.com I had one of those rare Ah Ha moments. Maybe I am just slow to make the connection, but it is now obvious that DRM is a back-door attempt by Microsoft to lock out Linux. All the major DRM schemes are exclusively Windows client compatible. The very way DRM works is in conflict with many of the open source licenses out there. The VP of Linux at HP is so worried about this that he used his keynote at LinuxWorld to talk about it. DRM is one more Windows platform lock. And it is gaining traction. Ouch.
Posted by Martin at August 4, 2004 6:57 AM
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This has been acknowledged for a looooong time, most notably by Lucky Green, who, in late 2002, filed two patents to try to block this use of the Microsoft/Intel Palladium technology. Yep - as soon as all code has to be signed by Microsoft in order to run on a machine, you've got trouble. Add in the DMCA, which prevents circumvention of "copyright protection" technologies, and you've got the makings of the next Microsoft monopoly, and an end to any non-Microsoft sanctioned innovation in software.
And here we were thinking that Microsoft's plan to pay out a dividend signaled that they were out of ideas. Apparently not.
Posted by: Brendon J. Wilson at August 4, 2004 9:46 PM
Thanks for giving these pointers. Yea I knew I was behind on this. MS has done a good job keeping this low profile. DRM by it's very nature has to be CLOSED source. If it were Open, it wouldn't be much protection would it?
Posted by: Martin at August 4, 2004 11:21 PM
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