Forget DMCA, the US has bigger fish to fry

The entire world (and especially those poor Russian programmers) rue the day America introduced the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now, there’s a potential new US law that could have much more dire implications for computer users the world over.

The entire world (and especially those poor Russian programmers) rue the day America introduced the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now, there's a potential new US law that could have much more dire implications for computer users the world over. Can't even begin to contemplate the possibility? Read on dear Atomican.

The US Government is currently considering passing into law, a proposal called the Security System Standards and Certification Act (SSSCA), which would make it a criminal offence to own or operate any computer system that did not contain government approved anti-piracy technology. The SSSCA is currently only in draft form, but could make it to Bill stage by the end of this year.

Whilst the initiative sounds fine in principle (software piracy is theft), you must consider the wider implications. The RIAA and the MPAA would have a field day, were this technology become de rigueur for computer systems sold or manufactured in the United States – not to mention any other player who wants their products secured by US law. Consider the following possible (and if the SSSCA is passed, extremely probable) scenario: Adobe decides it would like more protection for its weak eBook encryption methods than is already provided under the DMCA. Consequently, Adobe apply for specific coverage in the SSSCA specifications to cover eBook technology – or more precisely, Adobe's eBook technology. Frightening, we know, but this is only half the story.

Imagine a world where you are prevented from doing what you want with your data. Bought the latest Britney CD and want to rip it to MP3 for your Rio? Forget it. Feel like DivX'ing your favourite Anime DVD, so you wont scratch the original after you watch it for the 300th time? Again, forget it. Want to read that eBook a second time after paying $US12.95 to download it? Once again, forget it.

What the SSSCA doesn't specifically address, is exactly how this anti-piracy protection would be implemented. Insertion of the technology at an OS level would most likely be unworkable. Sure, Microsoft and Apple may comply, and perhaps even some large Unix vendors such as SGI or IBM – but you can be sure Linux won't support it. Linux developers and users will shun the idea, simply because Linux gives its users source code, and source code ultimately means freedom of information. Add to this the fact that there is no one 'Linux' OS, but instead Linux is merely a kernel supported by many different applications to make up a distribution, and it becomes obvious that Linux users will just refuse to install SSSCA code. They loose no functionality – they still have a perfect, up to date OS. That of course leaves us with some type of hardware implementation. Add-on cards are out of the question, for obvious reasons. Motherboard based systems are certainly possible, but most likely would be a solution based on implementing the technology in hard drives.

Regardless of how this technology is implemented, it will be bypassed at some stage, and the technique for circumvention will spread. Despite the circumvention being illegal, piracy groups will certainly utilise the technique (why not; they're already breaking the law) to continue making their warez versions of games and applications – making the entire law an exercise in futility. That leaves us with only one group of users affected by the preposed law; your ordinary home user. People who buy their games, music CDs and movie DVDs legitimately, and sometimes like to change the format used to store them, in order to enjoy the content in new ways. Of course, the SSSCA could change all that. Piracy continues whilst your ordinary home user's rights are restricted even further.

How does this really affect Atomicans? Well consider this: Major PC makers will have to produce computers that meet SSSCA specifications under law. PC component makers (such as Quantum) will of course follow suit, lest PC vendors stop using their products. So far, so good. The real problem comes when you realise that companies will not be willing to make two different versions of their products – one SSSCA compliant for the US market, and one non-compliant for the rest of the world. Thus, if the SSSCA becomes law in the US, Australians would soon have SSSCA compliant technology forced upon us whether we wanted it or not.