Re: Potential use case for opaque space bank: domain factored network stack

[Marcus Brinkmann]

At Mon, 08 Jan 2007 00:02:20 -0500,
"Jonathan S. Shapiro" <address@hidden> wrote:
> My design is compatible with the current trend of legal and social
> opinion concerning intellectual property. To the extent that this is
> true, it fits directly into the current political environment and
> economic framework. However, it also seeks to restore to the user a
> balance of power by ensuring that end users can apply all of the same
> tools that content providers can.
>
> Your design proposes to undermine and attempt to redefine both the
> current political and the current economic framework. It seeks reversal,
> not balance.

That makes no sense.  If "a balance of power" is given by ensuring
symmetry of conditions for actors, then both operating system designs
fulfill this requirement equally well, irregardless of the
socio-economic realities that these actors face outside of the system.

Of course, these socio-economic realities outside of the system ensure
that your notion of "balance of power" is not of any practical value.
The security incentives behind TC are unsurprisingly strongly aligned
with the economic interests of those who pay for it, and the balance
of power is strongly tipped in the direction of those monopoly holders
already.  A balance of power would therefore require countermeasures
that are decidedly biased towards the consumer.  Note that I am not
suggesting such countermeasures here as part of the operating system.
My system proposal is symmetrical, just as yours.

In any case, the TC-like systems that have initially been proposed
which were not symmetric have very quickly been dropped after public
outrage, not requiring your effort in this respect.  Even Microsoft
argues now that their open architecture enables everyone to implement
their own DRM system.  From a purely technical point of view, this may
even be correct (I didn't check).

Thanks,
Marcus