Re: [d@DCC] All eyes on new DVDs' format war

From: Russell McOrmond <russell _-at-_ flora.ca>
To: "General Copyright Discussions \(questions, organizing, etc\)" <discuss (at) list.digital-copyright.ca>
Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2005 15:06:41 -0400
References: <Pine.LNX.4.63.0507120933040.7117@bangalore.flora.ca>

Russell McOrmond wrote:

> http://news.com.com/All+eyes+on+new+DVDs+format+war/2100-1026_3-5783387.html

>  "A new format could breathe new life into those sales. But as long
> as the two formats, called HD DVD and Blu-Ray, remain at odds, few 
> believe that consumers will rush to open their wallets."

> I am wondering if any of the techies in this forum have analyzed the 
> software side of these technologies, and if there is a replacement 
> for the DVD CCA's access control protection measure?  Are these only 
> physical media upgrades, or are there also changes in the data stored
> on the physical media?

   I received a reply from someone who wished to remain anonymous.  The
access control specifications for HD DVD is at: http://www.aacsla.org/

   The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is expected to adopt the same 
specification, meaning the differences will be in the media and not in 
the access software.


 From "Introduction and Common Cryptographic Elements v0.90", "1.2
Objectives and Design Criteria" it states:

"AACS is designed to meet the following general criteria:
  ...
    * Limit access to protected content to only licensed compliant
implementations.
    * Support revocation of individual compromised devices' keys.
  ..."


   In other words, this is yet another access control technical measure
that will have the same (I suspect far worse) anti-competitive
implications than the DVD CSS access control technical measure.

   I'm not sure how they plan to support key revocation (I did not read 
the complete specification, just the objectives), but this could be 
through devices needing to synchronize from time to time with a key 
server to get new keys and a key revocation list.  This would allow for 
far more fine tuned market control by the management of this keying 
service than was possible with the DVD CCA.  The organization that 
controls the keys will effectively control the the market for content 
and access technology.


   With the DVD CSS system the vendor keys were in the devices, and once 
a movie had been encoded to be able to be decoded with a specific vendor 
key there was no way to revoke vendor access at a later date.  They 
couldn't have per-product-version keys as there was no way to "update" 
the keys on already shipped media to be able to be decoded with a new key.


   Analyzing the competition issues will have the same problems as with 
DVD CCA.  The end consumer buys content and access technology.  The 
potential "tied selling" and "refusal to deal" is with a supplier at the 
next level up, which is the organization that controls the AACS 
specification (including likely patents) and most importantly the keys. 
  Competition law may need to be upgraded to deal with this case which 
is different than the standard case.


   If someone could do a more detailed analysis of this access control
system, translate it to laypersons terms, and submit it to the
competition bureau this could be very helpful to allowing them to 
analyze this access control (AKA: market control) technological measure.



"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...err.. the
anti-competitive access control I'm telling you is a copyright
protecting copy control"..

-- 
  Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>
  1800+ Canadians oppose Bill C-60 which protects antiquated Recording,
  Motion Picture and "software manufacturing" industries from change...
  http://KillBillC60.ca    Sign--> http://digital-copyright.ca/petition/
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