I've had the opportunity to discuss DRM with Stallman and he said this: "There is no room for DRM in Free Software. You could write a Free program which refuses to do something, I think there are a few, but the point is, since users can change it, it won't really satisfy anyone who wishes to impose DRM on others." http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20060625001523547
Sean On Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 5:32 PM, David Tomlinson <[email protected]> wrote: > Sean DALY wrote: >> >> David, I'm curious, what's your basis for asserting that FLOSS is >> incompatible with DRM? Sun's Open Media Commons project is designed to >> allow media playback restriction. OpenIPMP >> (http://sourceforge.net/projects/openipmp/) is not an active project >> AFAIK, but it is Mozilla MPL. > > Hoist by my own petard ? > > I was aware of some (misguided in my view) attempts at Open Source DRM. > But I am not familiar with the details (I just rolled my eyes skyward). > > Open Source and Free Software cannot enter into Non Disclosure Agreements as > the text of the source code must disclose the information contained in the > agreement. > > If I can argue by analogy (Always a dangerous thing to do). > > DRM is about keeping a secret. Free standing DRM needs to supply the key > within the material supplied therefore, the only security is through > obscurity. > > e.g One system uses the file size (in plain view) as the key. > > Not knowing that his is the key or how to apply it is how this closed source > system works to keep the secret key secret. > > So if in the case of a physical key, I hide a spare beneath the plant pot, > that is security through obscurity. > > Placing a plain text note: On the door saying the key is beneath the plant > pot is Open Source (or Free software), for anyone who can read the text > (source code). > > Again the key could be in the dog kennel, but the dog is access control, > which is a bit like the key locked inside a trusted module chip. Again it > the the lack of control of the hardware that checks for signed code (XBOX > PS3 etc) the DRM is in embedded in the hardware (even if it is software) > hence the need for a mod chip. > > A note on the door saying the key is next door, just transfers the access > control to my neighbor, and this is a tethered application like the ones > that I understand audible use (audio books) etc. > > This can consist of a challenge and response etc, so could be open source as > the secret is in the challenge (and required response) on server under > external control. > > SUN's DReaM. > http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/20061115-00 > > "with a tag to trace misuse" - A watermark. > Again enforcement is external to the source code. > > Sun's DReaM appears to require dedicated hardware, or am I mistaken. > > A purely open software solution to DRM would appear to be impractical, if > Open Source is used and against the principles of free software. The DRM is > in the hardware in Apples iTunes or the XBOX etc. > > Lessig and Stallman on Sun's DRM > http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/15/lessig_stallman_drm/ > > I don't share Prof Lessig's views on DRM. > http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/24/lessig_blesses_drm/ > > The delay in replying is a product of having to lookup Sun's DRM. > I will address the rest in a separate post. > > p.s. > Strong encryption (GnuPG, TrueCrypt) relies on the control of the keys which > have to be supplied with stand alone DRM and just obfuscated, difficult to > do with open source (e.g Java Script Obfuscation). > > Public key encryption is strong, key control (in standalone DRM) is weak. > > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please > visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial list archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
