Intel quietly embeds DRM in it's 945 chips firmware

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: EEkid () aol com
Date: May 30, 2005 7:58:19 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Subject: (w/link) Intel quietly embeds DRM in it's 945 chips firmware


http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/11878


Intel quietly embeds DRM in it's 945 chips firmware
Posted by Dan Bell on 29 May 2005 - 01:07 - Source: DigitMag

According to this article over at Digit Online Magazine, we finally  
are seeing the copyright holders protection hit at the hardware  
level. Intel is now embedding digital rights management in the new  
dual-core processor Pentium D and the 945 chipset found in the  
motherboard. Furthermore it's enabled and works along side Microsofts  
DRM model, unfortunately no ones tallking much about it. The new  
system can theoretically give content holders the option of denying  
copying and re-distribution of their products, so this is  
understandable from a marketing standpoint.

Even though Intel was able to avoid mentioning the new DRM scheme at  
the Australian launch on the 26th, Australian technical manager for  
Intel, Graham Tucker, publicly let it slip that Microsoft-flavored  
DRM technology will be a "feature" of Pentium D and 945. We have to  
wonder how this will affect the use of recordable drives and the  
accompanying softwares out there. Luckily, at first it probably wont  
if we can believe this quote.

"[The] 945g [chipset] supports DRM, it helps implement Microsoft's  
DRM ... but it supports DRM looking forward," Tucker said, adding the  
DRM technology would not be able to be applied retrospectively to  
media or files that did not interoperate with the new technology.

However, Tucker ducked questions regarding technical details of how  
embedded DRM would work saying it was not in the interests of his  
company to spell out how the technology in the interests of security.

So if I read this correctly, the DRM will not affect what is out in  
the field now, and is more for use in the future. The details were  
carefully left out though on specifically how the new hardware will  
perform it's DRM duties for "security reasons" and I suppose we will  
need to keep listening for more information. Meantime, it sure makes  
it easy to resist taking the plunge for a new Pentium D! I wonder if  
they will drop the old Intel inside logo, as it could frighten off  
some and send them scurrying over to AMD. Hopefully, the DRM features  
will be able to be turned off in the BIOS but it's hard to know from  
reading this story.

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