IP: More on DMCA and Dutch crypto whiz breaking Intel dig-vid scheme

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> \Clear as mud djf


> Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2001 15:10:05 -0400
> To: politech () politechbot com
> From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
>
>
> I spoke with an Intel rep about this. Their position, as explained to me:
>
> http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46091,00.html


> > The official Intel line follows, as explained by company spokesman Daven 
> > Oswalt: "We have no problem with Mr. Ferguson presenting his research. 
> > The information that he's saying, it's certainly his right to say it."



> > However, when it comes to the DMCA itself, Intel's position appears a bit 
> > harder. Continues Oswalt: "Even if Intel entered into an agreement (not 
> > to sue), we'd have no control of what other government authorities would 
> > decide. It's hard for us to tell what the legal ramifications (were of 
> > publishing)."
>
> Background:
> http://www.politechbot.com/p-02393.html
>
> Below message forwarded to Politech by >Below message forwarded to Politech by jono () microshaft org.
>
> -Declan
>
> *********
>
> Niels Ferguson has found a weakness in the HDCP content
> protection system. However, he can not publish the
> results due to DMCA issues.
>
> He has written a paper regarding this issue here:
>
> Censorship in action:
> why I don't publish my HDCP results
> http://www.macfergus.com/niels/dmca/index.html
>
> <quote>
> HDCP is fatally flawed. My results show that an experienced IT person can 
> recover the HDCP master key in about 2 weeks using four computers and 50 
> HDCP displays. Once you know the master key, you can decrypt any movie, 
> impersonate any HDCP device, and even create new HDCP devices that will 
> work with the 'official' ones. This is really, really bad news for a 
> security system. If this master key is ever published, HDCP will provide 
> no protection whatsoever. The flaws in HDCP are not hard to find. As I 
> like to say: "I was just reading it and it broke."
> </quote>



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