MS Patent for DRM OS

[Matthew Byng-Maddick]

On Thu, Dec 13, 2001 at 11:20:34PM +0000, Anthony Naggs wrote:
> In message <20011213145708.E51502@colon.colondot.net>, Matthew Byng-
> Maddick <ukcrypto@lists.colondot.net> wrote
> >I also note the idea that it gets the time off a "trusted" time server,
> >what will the "trust" be based on, and how will it cope if not networked.
> Not a "time server", a clock.

That wasn't how I read it.

> >Surely this doesn't imply that I have to be on a live, internet-connected
> >network, to run software?
> The trusted clock would tick at a fast rate, but probably slower than
> the processor clock.  The purpose would be to detect the operation of
> debugging tools in the vein of Numega's SoftIce.  If a debugger was
> active then the code would take longer to execute.

Ah, I think here is where we differ in our understandings, my understanding
was that this was imposed as part of content control mechanisms, in order to
control when people can view copyrighted content.

Either way, it's a pretty bad idea, having what is effectively a TCB on
untrusted hardware.

MBM

-- 
Matthew Byng-Maddick         <mbm@colondot.net>           http://colondot.net/