[olug] Fw: FC: Linus Torvalds on digital rights management inLinux kernel

[Daniel G. Linder]

Nick Walter [mailto:waltern at iivip.com] wrote:
> I don't think DRM, in and of itself, is a bad thing.
> 
> In conjunction with the absolutely crappy intellectual 
> property/copyright
> laws we have in this country, it does however becomes a tool 
> for content
> providers to control content users.  I agree with Linus, the 
> place to fight
> this isn't on the technical front.  We need to change the crappy laws.
> 
> Nick Walter

Yup, that's my view too.  I can imagine some future implementation of a
firewall/vpn setup that could use the DRM within the kernel to be yet
another layer of ensuring that the module I am loading is the "blessed"
one from my distributor and not a hacked/trojaned version from some
nefarious entity.

DRM should not be a valid reason to stop producing OSS products.  Just
because you have access to the source code and can recompile it, I won't
be able to "sign" it with a DRM key to make someone else believe it is
really the version that "Linus Torvalds" wrote, compiled, and published.
The only theoretical weakness is if the signing key were to be stolen.
Of course, the DRM system should have a way to revoke the key as a valid
key.  Then at least you know that new stuff coming with that signed key
is not to be trusted but you still have the option of loading and using
it (maybe your copy came from a CD that was burned before the key was
stolen).

Like Nick said, the real change needs to be made in the way laws are
interpreted and enforced, not in the writing of more laws or making
technology be our chaperone.  

Dan