[dvd-discuss] RIAA Student Lawsuit + Microsoft Speculation

[Seth Johnson <seth.johnson(at)realmeasures.dyndns.org>]

With reference to the RIAA suing some kids at four schools recently (See
discussion everywhere online; here's a news link:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=H4KLWRNIJZMZ0CRBAE0CFEY?type=technologyNews&storyID=2505231)


All of these folks were developing apps using Samba/SMB, a protocol patented
by Microsoft.  Might it be the case that the reason for this prosecution is
to create an opportunity to air Microsoft's views in court regarding what
principles should apply regarding DRM?

. . . and by further contemplation, might this be the opening blow of a
major battle striking at the GPL, while leveraging Palladium and TCPA as the
"solution" to unauthorized filesharing -- i.e., by adding DRM support to SMB
file transfers?  See:

http://www.advogato.org/article/453.html

What I'm suggesting is that this particular action at this time, with these
elements in the scenario, seems particularly well designed to rationalize
the Microsoft "solution."

Seth Johnson

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