http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6236612.stm
"The charge concerns the use of Microsoft technology in the corporation's forthcoming iPlayer. " On the BBC News website. Using the meaning I said! TYS On 26/06/07, Christopher Woods <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I am also against the use of WM DRM as a matter of principle, but I think we all have to realise that the iPlayer trial is a closed, walled-garden trial, and I fully expect the setup to change once a viable alternative is developed and brought to a quality level where it's robust enough to handle everything possible (including kids and grannies all using the same service, with their various skill levels)... ... What's that, nobody else has come up with a truly-viable open framework-based system which is production level ready? Oh dear, best get paying some developers then. The biggest problem I can see with an open-standards-and-framework DRM platform is that, because it's open, by its very nature everybody can see its innards and the hackers have an even easier starting point with which to break the system, because all the base code is given to them in a silver tarball. I'd much rather see an open, platform-agnostic DRM system for the iPlayer than a WM DRM short-term solution, but at the end of the day the implementation of any DRM system is a moot issue; it is all doomed to failure. This discussion has become more embedded in the particulars of one scheme versus another when I think we're forgetting that the BBC is largely at the behest of its many rights holders - all of whom (in my opinion) bandied together and forced the Beeb to implement a solution that suited _them_, not the BBC or the Trust's list of requirements. They had to bend to the will of the rights holders and agencies, because without content, any system will flop, regardless of whether it works on machines ranging from your mum's XP laptop to your geeky flatmate's BSD cluster. What's a Corporation to do? > -----Original Message----- > From: Andy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 26 June 2007 17:34 > To: backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk > Subject: Re: [backstage] BBC Ofcom complaint raised > > On 25/06/07, Graeme Mulvaney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I don't agree with piracy and it annoys the hell out of me > when I see > > entire episodes of BBC programming published on places like YouTube > > Why does it annoy you? the BBC don't mind, if they did they > would have asked google to take them down. > > > I like DRM it helps to stop lazy people from getting 'creative' and > > using yet another web 2.0 service to 'mash-up' > > everything in sight, > > How much do you know about basic Computer Security concepts? > Lazy people can bypass DRM, there are point and click methods > for striping DRM. > > Add to that the BBC are using an extremely weak DRM scheme. > All software DRM scheme's are crackable. We know this, it's > due to the workings of CPUs and the laws of mathematics, > mathematics won't change live with it. > > A DRM scheme can only be strengthened by reducing the > incentive to attack it as it WILL fall apart under an attack > by a skilled attacker. > How do you reduce the incentive to attack the system? > > Well first off you make sure the minimum amount of content is > protected using that scheme. This means any bespoke scheme is > stronger than an off the shelf scheme (this is the opposite > of things like encryption algorithms as they are based on the > assumption they can not be broken and as soon as they are > sufficiently broken they are > decommissioned.) > > Secondly you don't unnecessarily limit use. For example you > don't lock it to one OS. > > The BBC is ignoring both those facts to intentionally weaken > any protection and to lock out certain license fee payers. > Odd that they always claimed it was content producers who > insisted on such protections. Are the producers happy the BBC > is intentionally and knowingly weakening the DRM protection > for the purposes of a third parties financial gain > (Microsoft's shareholders)? > > > the intention isn't to stop you creating your own original content > > it's to guarantee a revenue stream for the creative types who > > originate stuff in the first place. > > The intention is to block the use of non-MS products, > presumably somebody at the BBC holds shares in this company > and would like to increase there wealth. Any chance of the > BBC stating whether their employees are MS shareholders or not? > > > > I want a DRM version of iPlayer now! > > And I would like the BBC to comply with British and European > law without the need to involve regulators but the BBC refuse > to comply with the law. > > > > If it works well on Vista or XP then that's great - I'm > glad the BBC > > is focusing on delivering the iPlayer on a computing platform that > > will reach over 90% of its' target audience, that represents great > > value for money and most people in the country probably > couldn't care less either way. > > It could have got one that worked with 100% of it's target > audience, and for a better value for money. Release a > standard for server to client interaction (including file > formats), use previously published standards (which I > helpfully listed for you). Should take less than a month. > > Someone will pop over to sf.net and start a project wait a > while and there you get a cross platform iPlayer for no money > what-so-ever. How could you beat that? > > > This has nothing to do with freedom of choice or public service > > remit... its just another woe-pen source bandwagon - instead of > > bickering about the BBC using Microsofts' DRM, get together > and come > > up with a suitable open-alternative - that's why the open source > > movement started in the first place. > > OpenIPMP! I mentioned it a very short while ago! Did you > download it, did you read the documentation, did you read > what it provides? It provides time constrained DRM, that's > what you wanted wasn't it? > > Country locking is simple to implement, assuming you used a > Linux OS, simple add a rule to block all non UK IPs to > iptables. If you are using a Windows server, don't bother > with DRM someone will just hack the server and grab the > unDRMed file anyway (see metasploit for some examples). > > iPlayer has been completely mismanaged. Can the BBC confirm > the fool in charge of it has been fired? They certainly > should be or does the BBC not considered incompetence a problem? > > A huge indicator that iPlayer was mismanaged is evident from > the choice of Windows Media Player. The BBC trust has told > you it wants platform neutral. Read the judgement! > When developing a cross platform application you have to be > careful to make sure you don't stupidly tie yourself to one > platform. If you have to use external libraries you make sure that: > 1. It is cross platform > 2. You know precisely how it works and you have all the > information needed to reimplement it (i.e. you need all the > standards defined). > 3. You make sure you can port it to other platforms and are > legally allowed to do so. > > The Windows Media Player and MS DRM libraries manage to fail > all 3 of those tests. Which moron decided that it would be a > good thing to use considering the requirement for it being > platform neutral? > > Add to that the fact an EU court has found that WMP has > already been used to restrict competition and this is adding > up to either the single most incompetent software engineer in > the history of the world or deliberate actions to restrict > other operating systems. Which is it? > > Another good trick when working cross platform is to make > sure you use a programming style that is portable. Do NOT > call OS functions that are not defined to exist on multiple > platforms. For instance calling Windows API functions would > be non-portable. Calling POSIX functions would be portable as > any system conforming to standards will have the same > functions though the underlying implementation would vary. > > I do have further evidence regarding mismanagement but I > can't provide it as it would influence future or current > legal proceedings. > > Andy > > -- > Computers are like air conditioners. Both stop working, if > you open windows. > -- Adam Heath > - > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To > unsubscribe, please visit > http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. > Unofficial list archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/ - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
-- Please email me back if you need any more help. Brian Butterworth www.ukfree.tv
