[Ecommerce] Losing Control of Your TV by S. Garfinkel

[Manon Ress]

The broadcast flag technology is coming:

Losing Control of Your TV

*The latest anti-piracy move will prevent you from making high-quality copi=
es of broadcast TV programs. And the new "broadcast flag" technology enable=
s all manner of other restrictions.*

By Simson
Garfinkel
The Net
Effect <http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/opinions.asp>
March 3, 2004

In the future, the Motion Picture Association of America will control
your television set. Every TV sold in the United States will come
equipped with an electronic circuit that will search incoming TV
programs for a tiny electronic =93flag.=94 The MPAA=92s members will contro=
l
this flag, putting it into broadcast movies and television shows as they
see fit. If the flag is present, your TV will go into a special
high-security mode and lock down its high-quality digital outputs. If
you want to record a flagged program, you=92ll have to do so on analog
tape or on a special low-resolution DVD. Any recording will be limited
to analog-quality sound. This security measure is not designed to
protect the television from viruses or computer hackers=97it=92s designed t=
o
protect TV programs /from you/.

This future arrives on July 1, 2005.

[snip]
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/wo_garfinkel030304.asp?trk=3Dnl

--
Manon Anne Ress
Consumer Project on Technology
www.cptech.org
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
manon.ress@cptech.org, voice: 1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176