[OT] Phoenix Developing DRM-Equipped BIOS

[Steve Gehlbach]

Eric W. Biederman wrote:
> Steve Gehlbach <steve at nexpath.com> writes:
> 
> 
>>Vincent Touquet wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Not sure if the Phoenix DRM BIOS fits into this picture.
>>
>>I suspect the Xbox is your clue...  MS has had plenty of practice on encrypting
>>the bios and locking out foreign app sw, and the xboxlinux group has been the
>>test foil (although in the short run they are on top right now).
> 
> 
> Boards don't sell if people won't buy them.
> 
> Eric
> 

I think people will buy if them if they are cheap enough.  Imagine a 
mobo that only runs Win2k and sells (in a system) for cost, like the 
Xbox, where the revenue stream is the license fees for software, shared 
by the mfr and distributor.

The implications for linuxbios is that any reverse engineering to 
determine chip function is a violation of DMCA (because of the 
encryption), with stiff penalties.  The reverse engineering exception 
may apply, but this DMCA exeception does not allow public dissemination 
of the information that is discovered (see Judge Kaplan's opinion in the 
DeCSS case).  Via is already making it hard enough without encryption.

My worry is that this is prong two of a two prong aproach to slowing 
Linux down by MS.  The other being the SCO license FUD.

-Steve