Is This the End of Fair Use?

By David Johnston, Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

There has been a lot of fuss on the internet recently about a new partnership between Intel and Microsoft which may mean the end of fair use for consumers. I’ve written before about Microsoft’s new HDCP which will force everyone to upgrade their monitors to view some video content, but the plot has thickened.

New Intel chipsets which will be part of the VIIV package will sport hardware DRM features as well as software DRM features in new Microsoft OSs. Something called the Secure Premium Content Module, or SPCM, will be able to decode media supporting Microsoft’s new DRM features. If your media doesn’t support these new DRM standards, your PC will now “nicely” convert into compliant DRM-encrypted files. Now, of course, the music and movie industries will support Microsoft’s DRM features in new media. This is what they’ve been wanting all along anway.

What All This Means