Former MSFT Security Manager Blasts DRM/Ed Bott on DRM

Jesper Johansson, former Security Program Manager at Microsoft, and
currently in charge of security at Amazon, has just blasted the infernal
hassles with Digital Rights Management. Although he specifically targets
Microsoft, his comments apply to Apple as well. Jesper co-wrote *Protect
Your Windows Network* with Steve Riley and he co-wrote *Windows Vista
Security*:

From Jesper's Blog (Read the rest here--)
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ath-or-the-death-of-windows-media-center.aspx

"I'm turning off, disconnecting, and throwing out my Windows XP Media Center
PC. For two years it has been the DVR unit in my home, as well as just a
convenient way to view movies. However, the DRM zealots have finally
rendered it completely useless...

Is it just me, or is DRM of movies and music the poster child for an
inappropriate security v. usability tradeoff? How many billions has the
industry spent on DRM schemes that the bad guys break in weeks? How many
perfectly legitimate users has the industry annoyed and driven away? How
many lost DVD sales has it caused? How many lost sales of Microsoft's Media
Center software and Windows Vista has it caused because the DRM sub-system
randomly decides that you must be a criminal? And, how many bootleggers has
it stopped? Based on my last jaunt through a night market somewhere in the
Far East the answer to the last question seems pretty clear at least."

Ed Bott on DRM (3 Parts)

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=309

CH