Federal Judge says you can break DRM if you don't intend to infringe copyright.

[Diff-chan]

This seems like an extremely reasonable ruling, and that's why I expect it to be overturned in the very near future.

[Dunlap]

Does it count as copyright infringement if the game license only gives you access to the software?

[gameoverDude]

Story @ TechNewsWorld

Intel's new Sandy Bridge processor line will have faster speeds, better integrated graphics, lower power consumption and... *ahem* A hardware based DRM system to protect motion picture studio content and streaming videos. That's right, the devil is in the system. Enter "Intel Insider". This is a new DRM-locked streaming movie service which will require a SB CPU. Forget Insider, I'll just watch movies on Dish or buy the DVD.

Hopefully DLC games don't embrace this DRM. What if you change computers someday?

Of course, some cracker out there will be watching for their chance to strike at the SB hardware DRM.

Now one more thing:

Source
From a security standpoint, the biggest addition Sandy Bridge will deliver will be the ability to remotely kill and restore a lost or stolen PC via 3G, Marek said. Previously, that capability, which delivers a "poison pill" that can remotely wipe the PC's hard drive, was only available via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Now, if that laptop has a 3G connection, the PC can be protected, Marek said.

There's a double edged sword. It may be good for businesses to wipe a stolen laptop full of customer data. OTOH a hacker could abuse said "poison pill" and just wipe your HDD.

SecuROM has been around awhile- I first caught it installing with Half Life's Blue Shift expansion, and Forsaken (from 1998) has an early version of it. Maybe earlier versions weren't nearly as bad as SROM v7.

[kedawa]

I don't have a problem with the technology being in there. It's the fact that it's being enabled for the sole benefit of the content cartels that pisses me off. If I'm paying for the hardware, I should have full access to its capabilities, and should be able to use it for securing my own content against unauthorized use. It won't do a damn thing to prevent piracy in the first place, but it would be ideal for keeping webcam feeds and the like from being ripped and exploited.

[Diff-chan]

This is the sort of shit the MPAA/RIAA/MS/etc. talked up a decade ago after Napster hit. Palladium/Trusted Computing and all that shit. We all thought the "public outcry" defeated it but constant vigilance, etc. Most of the that stuff is in tech today, including Windows 7.