From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261362AbTDXHnq (ORCPT ); Thu, 24 Apr 2003 03:43:46 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S261449AbTDXHnq (ORCPT ); Thu, 24 Apr 2003 03:43:46 -0400 Received: from mail.jlokier.co.uk ([81.29.64.88]:48263 "EHLO mail.jlokier.co.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261362AbTDXHnp (ORCPT ); Thu, 24 Apr 2003 03:43:45 -0400 Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 08:55:52 +0100 From: Jamie Lokier To: Linus Torvalds Cc: Kernel Mailing List Subject: Re: Flame Linus to a crisp! Message-ID: <20030424075552.GE28253@mail.jlokier.co.uk> References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.1i Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Linus Torvalds wrote: [a message which I found quite surreal] I felt as though I were reading on of those April 1st fake Linus emails. But my sleep cycle is so screwed everything feels like that today :) I don't mind if commodity hardware becomes DRM-locked, like the X-box, so long as it remains legal to develop alternative hardware. 20 years ago it would have been a real problem, but I think we have access to enough computing and communications resource today that we could actually develop alternate hardware if needed - if there enough motivation. Not there will ever be a need - see how virtually all the DVD players you can buy have "play any region" back doors. If there were lots of manufacturers of things like the X-box (as you'd expect for a 2006 PC), expect to see some of them putting DRM-disabler back doors in. The scary part is when it becomes illegal to use those back doors, or (much worse IMHO) illegal to make your own equipment. [Oh, I see that has already begun. Shit!] On a related note, it's World Intellectual Property Day this Saturday: http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/index.html?wipo_content_frame=/about-ip/en/world_ip/2003/index.htm [Personally I find WIPO's cute fluffy leaflets about protecting the small inventor from the big sharks rather creepy. They start with generalities about one-man designers in poorest Africa, and how they can protect their designs from being ripped off. Then lead to examples of where this has worked, and the inventors in the examples are all huge companies with familiar names, the very companies I see as big sharks. Ah well.] -- Jamie