MS Patent for DRM OS

[Peter Fairbrother]

Forgive my ignorance, but even under US law, does a patent not require an
inventive step? From the abstract this seems to cover all DRM OS's, and not
be inventive at all. The idea has been around for ages. I would think there
was prior art as well.

If content can only be played on this OS, isn't that restraint of free
trade?

Not that it matters much - M$ has so much market coverage, and political and
lesliglative clout, that they can impose whatever they like. But - will it
be compatible with Windoze and Windoze software? I don't think it could be,
so M$ may be digging their own grave, or at least an expensive hole.

M$ have been writing OS's without regard to security for so long, I doubt
they can write a secure one anyway. And if they can, why haven't they done
so already? 

-- Peter