RE: [dvd-discuss] Re: TurboTax for free?

["Richard Hartman" <hartman(at)onetouch.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ole Craig [mailto:olc@cs.umass.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 9:48 AM
> To: dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu
> Subject: RE: [dvd-discuss] Re: TurboTax for free?
> 
> 
> On 01/08/03 at 09:12, 'twas brillig and Richard Hartman scrobe:
> [...]
> > >
> > > But lo and behold, the keyblock itself is itself 
> encrypted. To decode 
> > > the DVD, i have to have bought a player. Authorization is denied 
> > > despite the sale. To obtain authorization, I must buy a player.
> > 
> > ... a _sanctioned_ player.  Which Jon did not when
> > he wanted to view his DVDs on his Linux box ...
> > 
> > > 
> > > So, I go down to the electronics store and secure myself 
> a player. As 
> > > it fits my legal strategy, I make sure this acquisition 
> is obtained 
> > > with cash, rather than sleight of hand. A few hours 
> later, in the wee 
> > > hours of the morning, I secure myself a large DVD 
> collection--and all 
> > > with the approval of the CCA's legal department.
> > > 
> > 
> > ... but you've relegated poor Jon to prison for
> > circumventing the DVD protection when he views
> > his DVDs on his home-brewed Linux player.  Isn't
> > that what we've been fighting against?
> 
> 	Somehow, I suspect that Jon did not construct his DVD hardware
> out of spare parts, but rather bought a mass-manufactured DVD drive
> from one of the DVDCCA cartel participants. I am sure that drive came
> with a key. So Jon was doubtless in possession of a key, nu?
> 

It's the player key that's significant.   Some of 
the early software players used a compromised key
from (who was it ... Ving or something like that?)
Others just brute-force discovery of a key.  Either
way there is a non-legitimate key involved in the
open-source DVD players.  

-- 
-Richard M. Hartman
hartman@onetouch.com

186,000 mi/sec: not just a good idea, it's the LAW!