Building the AACS Next-Gen Copy Protection Scheme

Anonymous Slashdotter writes "The IEEE Spectrum has a piece that discusses the proposed encryption scheme for the upcoming HD-DVD standard. 'The key to the spirit of compromise is an agreement that the AACS specification will allow consumers to move the data on an optical disc to the various devices they own, including video servers and portable video players, either directly or via a home network.' AACS will use a so-called strong key, the 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard approved by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology."

Heh...

[grub]

I can see the ads in the theaters already. "I'm John Weiner and I design ciphers for the movie industry. Downloading movies hurts me."

Ladies And Gentlemen...

[rincebrain]

START YOUR CLUSTERS!

*makes sure his copies of john are all up to date*

Re:So compromised keys make for faulty hardware?

[grub]

I was wondering how they industry would know what player it was that was compromised. Sounds like a bunch of suits have been sold some snake oil.

Bah

[The Cisco Kid]

Unless I can extract the content to a non-encrypted format that I can play using non-proprietary software on stock hardware, it can go to hell.

Feature?

[jacobcaz]

Isn't not being able to copy "Who's Your Daddy?" multiple times a feature and not a bug?

Let's all remind DVD Jon how cool he is!

[Anonymous Coward]

With positive reinforcement from /. he'll have this thing broken in a week.

Re:So compromised keys make for faulty hardware?

[rincebrain]

And just like DVDs today, all it takes is a decent amount of time and effort, and suddenly the keys you thought were secure are now being used to playback content under Linux.

What I want to know is

[Lurker McLurker]

Will this work on linux or will we have to rely on a HD-DVD Jon?

Especially considering

[melted]

that re-digitized HDTV stream will have better quality than direct rip from a DVD.

Stealing using recorders ???

[AtariAmarok]

"The Entertainment Industry assumes that all uses of recorders is for stealing copyrighted material. But that simply is not the case"

Correct. It is technically impossible to steal a thing using a recorder, unless you do something really odd like club a victim witha VCR during a mugging, or heave a reel-to-reel unit through a jewelry store window in order to break in and burglarize it.

Copying your butt

[AtariAmarok]

Is this device [thetoque.net] compatible with DRM?

Re:So compromised keys make for faulty hardware?

[k12linux]

Consumers are really going to be interested in continuously buying new players or upgrading their current firmware to play new realeases because someone broke through their brand of player.

This all seems like a set-up to me.

1. Consumers buy scads of DVD equipment without knowing a compromized key will disable their player.
2. Keys start to be cracked.
3. Industry tells upset consumers that the reason they have to buy new equipment is evil cracker (not poor design/planning.)
4. Consumers buy new equipment and demand that something be done to prevent this from happening again.
5. MPAA and others get new super-DMCA laws passed.
6. Attempting to watch a DVD on Linux is now punishable by death. (At least in Texas.)

Yeah, I can see how the consumer wins in that scenario.

Worry not....

[nother_nix_hacker]

....DVD Jon has come up with a crack already, just from the text of the article! :)

Re:Same old, same old.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes.. not with cryptography..

but what if we use..

*swirling cosmic music*

THE POWER OF HYPNOSIS!!!!!!

"You don't need to copy movies to multiple machines"

"But, I have two computers and---"

"STARE into the swirling spiral..hear my voice.. I will count to three and then you will no longer want to use content in an unauthorized manner..1......2..................3!"

"Yahhhhh.." *glassy stare*

"When you awaken you will do believe the following: 1) EULA's are enforceable, always, no questions asked.. 2) circumventing copy protection causes incurable cancer of the groin and 3) Any movie starring Ben Affleck is wonderful and you must buy three copies."

*tears begin forming* *jaw clenches* "Yes.. yes .. wonderful.. three copies..."

Re:So compromised keys make for faulty hardware?

[karnal]

Specially now that I'm done with college I have loads more free time. ;-)

No kidding. I count 24 posts from you today alone!!! :)

Re:So compromised keys make for faulty hardware?

[tomstdenis]

Why would they lie? They're responsible well-intentioned adults. Clearly they have a case.

Dialogue.

[Grendel Drago]

So, what would you recommend for good dialogue? I really enjoyed the rhythm and style that everyone in Firefly spoke with. The dialogue wasn't just there to advance the plot.

Or Scrubs, and the little rants that Dr. Cox goes on. (A doctor I know assures me that the portrayal of hospital life in Scrubs is far, far more accurate than that in ER. Go figure.)

Are there any other shows I should fetch for their scintillating dialogue? Please don't tell me "CSI". I've been refusing to watch "CSI" ever since the only episode I ever saw centered on "look, perverts! perverts murder people!". As a pervert, I felt insulted.

--grendel drago