From: Fisher Mark <FisherM@exch1.indy.tce.com>
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 02:36:12 +0800
To: "'cypherpunks'" <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net>
Subject: IBM Abandons Cryptolopes
Message-ID: <2328C77FF9F2D011AE970000F84104A74934B9@indyexch_fddi.indy.tce.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



CNET has the full story at
<URL:http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,17474,00.html>.

Apparently (IMHO), someone at IBM realized that Cryptolopes were
isomorphic to copy-protection -- and we all know how much
widely-available commercial software is copy-protected today (i.e. none
to speak of).  As a veteran of the copy-protection wars on the side of
the bad guys (the copy-protectors), it is just impossible to fully
copy-protect software given the current state of PC and workstation
hardware (though I expect most of you already know this).  I predict
that if someone tries to add features to computers to make
copy-protection more tamper-resistant, there will be a great groundswell
of protest by the mass of computer users, both private and corporate.
Only if such protection were mandated by government (a la Stallman's
"The Right to Read") would this even be close to feasible.

To close, a quote from Eugene Spafford:
"The only truly secure system is one that is powered off, cast in a
block of concrete and sealed in a lead-lined room with armed guards --
and even then I have my doubts."
==========================================================
Mark Leighton Fisher          Thomson Consumer Electronics
fisherm@indy.tce.com          Indianapolis, IN
"Their walls are built of cannon balls, their motto is
'Don't Tread on Me'"