<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)"> <style>  </style> </head> <body lang=EN-GB link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Hi,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Apologies if this has already been covered …. What is the feeling regards the extreme measures that have been imposed to ensure that premium content remain encrypted and the implications this may have on supporting hardware under Linux / X etc see <a href="http://www.aaxnet.com/info/vista_cost.txt" title="http://www.aaxnet.com/info/vista_cost.txt">http://www.aaxnet.com/info/vista_cost.txt</a>.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> For example encrypting command codes and data to prevent reverse engineering of video cards. This is all tied up in such a way as to suggest that if open source drivers may not be developed for the device I’m not sure if this implies that should such a driver appear that legal action may be taken to remove the driver (if possible) in conjunction with the concept that it will not be possible to develop anyway (there may be a huge cost to the manufacturer should a current device become compromised).<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Does anyone have any more details on how this will affect open source software and hardware support on an ongoing basis i.e. what is the reality of the situation, it’s often very different from what anyone imagines it to be on paper.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Regards<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Will Wiseman<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <o:p> </o:p> </div> </body> </html>