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Tcpa
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| arctic |
This is a serious issue that we will all have to confront eventually, and i'm quite keen to see what other people think about this.
If you don't yet know what TCPA is, the following FAQ explains it, and what the ramifications are likley to be: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
I highly reccomend that you read that faw, but if you can't be bothered, here's a short summary found on another site: '
TCPA is a electronic method of eliminating your privacy, A Tcpa protocol downloads updates and can scan your computer for anything blacklisted, if it finds such, it deletes it. It supposedly helps cut the spam and adds security but thats FAR from the truth, Tcpa can read your documents and delete anything that your goverment or the software developer dosen't want people having. To try to convert people popular programs such as Photoshop, Windows, Word Perfect and likewise could be embedded with such, and people with TCPA machines would be the only ones to use them. Soon all software could suffer such - TCPA could also Mine your data and sell it (Spyware) and since programs to remove such would have to be certified and approved you probaly wouldn't be able to remove it either, So the companies continue to profit off you. And Once your relying on TCPA Microsoft could easily up the prices on popular and vital products, making you pay even more. Basically, TCPA means more money for Big Corporations.'
It's also a threat to open source and freeware, as they will have to obtain TCPA liscences as well; and no doubt they will cost money, which open source projects simply can't affoard.
Frankly, i'm shocked and disgusted that this is being allowed to happen. This is a threat to free speech and privacy as we know it :(
Thoughts? |
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| DigiNut |
This has been around for a while now, but yes, it is a serious problem.
Trouble is, it's been initiated by corporations, not government, so there's not really any constitutional recourse. By the same token, it's silly to think that the government would step in and put a stop to it, because it serves their interests quite well.
As the FAQ says, the technology is already out there and has started to spread. I doubt there's any way we're going to get rid of it, short of an international Fight-Club-esque anarchist movement. :p |
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| Yoepus |
| quote: | Originally posted by arctic
Thoughts? |
Don't download software that uses is then? |
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| arctic |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yoepus
Don't download software that uses is then? |
The thing is, it's hardware based. All new processors will have the Fritz chip in them, and eventually it's likley to spread to video cards etc as well. That's the thing, you can't avoid it by using software.
In short, we're handing over remote control of our computer and there's nothing we can do about it. |
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| nrjizer |
| Unless im mistaken, while we may be being force fed these chips, they arent mandantory by law (yet). So all it will take is a few brilliant folks to make a non DRM hardware company and turn a gigantic profit. |
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| nrjizer |
| Btw, just like everything else this will be cracked almost instantly :cool: |
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| DigiNut |
| quote: | Originally posted by nrjizer
Btw, just like everything else this will be cracked almost instantly :cool: |
I don't think you really understand what TCPA is...
TCPA isn't and never will be mandatory by law, but no company would even bother trying to make non-compliant hardware once TC becomes standard, because then they'd pretty much suffer the same fate as Apple. While, currently, Linux and OSS/GPL is the ultimate answer to all greedy software corporations, it's going to be a whole other story when these things are hardwired.
It won't be cracked, and it will happen, there's nothing we can do. My only hope is that it doesn't get perfected within my lifetime. |
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| arctic |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
I don't think you really understand what TCPA is...
TCPA isn't and never will be mandatory by law, but no company would even bother trying to make non-compliant hardware once TC becomes standard, because then they'd pretty much suffer the same fate as Apple. While, currently, Linux and OSS/GPL is the ultimate answer to all greedy software corporations, it's going to be a whole other story when these things are hardwired.
It won't be cracked, and it will happen, there's nothing we can do. My only hope is that it doesn't get perfected within my lifetime. |
That's how I understand it as well, in short, it can't just be cracked like other technology, as it's fully hardware based; it's intergrated.
All the major companies have jumped on the bandwagon; defeating this is going to be next to impossible. |
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| trancaholic |
| quote: | Originally posted by DigiNut
While, currently, Linux and OSS/GPL is the ultimate answer to all greedy software corporations, it's going to be a whole other story when these things are hardwired. |
Linux distributions will function regardless of extra chips, like Fritz, sitting on the motherboard of your computer. The only way to stop this is if the machine refuses to boot any other boot image than that of Windows XP/.Net/2000/what have you. If this becomes reality I'll bet you that companies will produce hardware without these chips. Why am I certain of that? Because the Linux user base is quite large and they will need to get new hardware once in a while. Markets this size tend to find suppliers.
You might object that Linux users would end up in the same situation as Mac-users are today: Having little new software to play with and gradually less hardware support, in turn causing a mass emmigration of users to other platforms. However, Linux users have never counted on companies to produce software nor provide hardware support for them.
As I see it, the only way MicroSoft and its henchmen can shut down the Linux user base, is by gradually persuading companies to only produce DVDs and CDs that require TC-technologies for playback. However, such products won't work in your existing DVDs nor CD-players, and consumer demand, consequently, will be limited.
Even if companies are currently complaining about piracy, I doubt that they are prepared to produce only TC-versions of their products, as this will limit their potential consumers to those with TC-hardware - yielding significantly lower sale figures than now. In short, the TC-plan requires indulgence on consumers part to ever succeed. |
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| arctic |
| quote: | Originally posted by trancaholic
As I see it, the only way MicroSoft and its henchmen can shut down the Linux user base, is by gradually persuading companies to only produce DVDs and CDs that require TC-technologies for playback. However, such products won't work in your existing DVDs nor CD-players, and consumer demand, consequently, will be limited.
Even if companies are currently complaining about piracy, I doubt that they are prepared to produce only TC-versions of their products, as this will limit their potential consumers to those with TC-hardware - yielding significantly lower sale figures than now. In short, the TC-plan requires indulgence on consumers part to ever succeed. |
Come to think of it, that's quite a comforting point of view. :p
I'm looking at getting into Linux, basically to avoid TCPA and it's ramifications. All TCPA will do is beifit large corporations and (supposedly) copyright holders, and not the consumer/pc user. |
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| tathi |
| debian - has no equal :) |
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