Re: bit-split, or: the schizophrenia of trusted computing

[Marcus Brinkmann]

At Mon, 1 May 2006 04:58:03 +0200,
Pierre THIERRY <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> Scribit Marcus Brinkmann dies 01/05/2006 hora 04:21:
> > Anyway, I did not even talk about ownership of the program.  I talked
> > about ownership of the storage that contains the program.  The
> > peculiar thing is this: Once you run DRM software on your computer,
> > the computer does not any longer belong to you in full.
> > 
> > Let's look at embedded devices, for example hard disk video recorders.
> > If these come with a DRM-restricted software, so that you can not
> > update the software on the machine, you do not fully own it.
> 
> I think you're mixing things abusively. Having a device that will enable
> me to run DRM software, which in turn is the only one enabled to read
> DRM-protected data doesn't mean that I'm not able to run another
> software.

Sure, you can run another software.  But the "DRM-protected data" will
contain everything from your word documents to your music files.

> This is what Palladium seems to be intended for, and I'm already trying
> to make all the people I know concerned by this perversion. I agree this
> would not be anymore owning the computer, and I want to own my computer.
> And I think it's sound that people in general own their computer in this
> way.
>
> But I want to know where the harm is in a system with the TC chip
> enabled where non-DRM software can be run, even if it is to replace all
> the system. WRT DRM IIUC, the only problem is that replacing the
> certified OS with another one that is not makes the user unable to read
> DRM-protected data.

You seem to ask me if I have a general proof that all uses of a TC
chip are harmful.  I don't have such a proof.  I have, for me
personally, decided that all use cases that I know about (and I have
done an extensive search) are harmful, if they have any broader impact
at all (there are some use cases which don't appear to be very
harmful, but they also have no broader impact, so who cares?).

I have also given some thoughts on why this may be the case.  But this
is not a proof.  You will have to make up your own mind.  If you find
a use case you are interested in, maybe you want to submit it to the
challenge I posted.

Thanks,
Marcus