Unofficialbmw.com

[ExemptX2000]

I just heard about something I feel is important to each and everyone reading this forum, and using a computer all around the world each and every day... So here goes, TCPA stands for Trusted Computing Platform Alliance, heres a paragraph from this website about TCPA http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html:

quote:

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The technology:
TCPA stands for Trusted Computing Platform Alliance. For the technology we will speak from TCP (The trusted computing platform). This plans that every computer will have a TPM (Trusted Platform Module), also known as Fritz-Chip, built-in. At later development stages, these functions will be directly included into CPUs, graphiccards, harddisks, soundcards, bios and so on. This will secure that the computer is in a TCPA-conform state and that he checks that it's always in this state. This means: On the first level comes the hardware, on the second comes TCPA and then comes the user. The complete communication works with a 2048 bit strong encryption, so it's also secure enough to make it impossible to decrypt this in realtime for a longer time. This secures that the TCPA can prevent any unwanted software and hardware. The long term result will be that it will be impossible to use hardware and software that's not approved by the TCPA. Presumably there will be high costs to get this certification and that these would be too much for little and mid-range companies. Therefore open-source and freeware would be condemned to die, because without such a certification the software will simply not work. In the long term only the big companies would survive and could control the market as they would like.
Some could think that it should be possible to get around this security. But probably they would be proved they're wrong. Until now there're no such hardware-implemented security systems and actual security systems have to work offline. This would be changed with TCP. The rights and licenses would be central managed by the TCPA (USA?). And as soon a violation is noticed, they will get notified. Read the chapter "The bills" to get an overview about the possible resulting consequences.

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So what does that mean for u and I? Well it means essentially THEY control your PC, you no longer control it, they can choose and set standards for what software you run, what hardware you have installed, where you go on the internet can even be controlled... Bottom line this is the first step to controlling your every move!

Heres some websites u can learn more about it:


A ProTCPA website: http://www.trustedcomputing.org/home

TGC's (official site for the group of whom is trying to put this into effect) website:
http://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org

Anti-TCPA website: http://www.againsttcpa.com/what-is-tcpa.html

GNU article on TCPA (probably the most understandable read for the avg PC user): (GNU is an open source community dedicated to Non-proprietary software such as Linux) http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/can-you-trust.html


I know theres alot of others on here, some of which are employed by some of the comapnies who are apart of the TCG, I would just like to know what you all think about this issue? I just want to know should we worry about this? Or is this just a way for Mac or Linux users to sway us IBM (100% compat)/Windows users to flock to their systems?

[ 03-29-2004: Message edited by: ExemptX2000 ]

[Rich Maddox]

If the International(or should I say extra-
national)corporations get their way, life
will be secured (for them), and everything
will be copyrighted (by them). I hope they
don't succeed. Did you know that McDonald's
sued a 100+ year old restaurant in Scotland
named, yes, McDonald's,for Trademark and
copyright violations? They lost, thank Zeus.

Xman

[ 03-29-2004: Message edited by: Xman ]

[ExemptX2000]

No I didnt know that... Thats good they lost tho... Score one for the lil guys!

[ 03-29-2004: Message edited by: ExemptX2000 ]

[ExemptX2000]

No other comments on this? I am really curious as to what the others have to say about this...