Get APLawrence.com by RSSLicensed Operating Systems
(Traditional format)
Index
Thu Aug 21 10:03:39 GMT 2003 Licensed Operating Systems
I've written earlier about "illegal"
Linux, but I now think I have a pretty good idea how it could
come to be.
John Dvorak wrote about licensing computer users, but that's not what's going to happen. No, what the s.o.b's will probably try to do is license operating systems that can connect to the internet.
Here's the argument they'll make: unpatched, unlicensed operating systems are too dangerous. National security is at stake, and businesses are losing billions of dollars because of this.
Only "approved" operating systems will be allowed to connect. Of course Microsoft will happily include Windows 98 and NT4 in the unapproved list, because then it's not their fault you have to upgrade.
Microsoft and anyone else who wants to play will have to build certain bogus "safeguards" into their offerings, but no Open Source need apply because obviously it's too easy to pervert the safeguards if you have source. So anything you can build yourself, that hasn't been compiled by a duly licensed operating system vendor, will be illegal on the Net.
So you'll be able to use your Linux, but not if it connects to the internet. Effectively, that means you can't use it at all.
This really can happen. I am certain that plans along this line are being pitched right now. Our legislators will love the idea: it shows them as being proactive on national security, pro-business, anti-virus, anti-spam, and think of the economic boost from all those forced upgrades and conversions. Heck, it's tech boom all over again.
Keep your eyes and ears open. If you see anything that even vaguely smells like this, report it and try to counter it. I don't think I'm off base here.. though I would love to be.
See Internet access is not a right also.
Enter your email address for automatic notification of new posts here
(be sure to whitelist 'feedburner.com' if you use spam filtering)
| Views for this page | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | This Week | This Month | This Year | Overall |
| 1 | 8 | 21 | 394 | 2,020 |
Have you tried Searching this site?
Unix/Linux/Mac OS X support by phone, email or on-site: Support Rates
This is a Unix/Linux resource website. It contains technical articles about Unix, Linux and general computing related subjects, opinion, news, help files, how-to's, tutorials and more. We appreciate comments and article submissions.
Your ad here - $24.00 yearly!
http://bcstechnology.net Full service Linux & UNIX systems integrator; Windows to UNIX/Linux Client-Server Specialist; Secure E-Mail & Website Hosting; Thoroughbred Software Developer; Custom Industrial Automation; Hardware & Electronics Experts; In Business Since 1985.
http://thatitguy.com Business networking servers, Linux and Unix experts. In business since 1997! Windows and Exchange to Samba and Scalix migration experts.
larryi@ccamedical.com SCO OS5, Debian Linux, RedHat Linux, MySQL, Apache, AJAX development using dXport/dL4/Unibasic, Windows Connectivity, Sharing Resouces, Automation, Shell Scripting
Related Posts
Publish your articles, comments, book reviews or opinions here!
Look at what the DMCA did..
--
Right. But how do we argue AGAINST this?
--TonyLawrence
I was just thinking about who would jump on this wagon. Obviously Miscrosoft, SCO, HP, Sun. But what about IBM?
I think they would, because what they'd do is produce a "legal" Linux - it wouldn't really be Linux anymore because you'd get no source, but they'd advertise it as a replacement for the illegal systems you'd need to get rid of.
--TonyLawrence
This would be tough. What ever method they come up with to make the O/S to appear as licensed, would be cracked. Heck, I run a "non-licensed" DVD player on my Linux box, and it plays all my encrypted DVD's just fine, even though I'm not using a "licensed DVD player". Do I mass pirate DVD's, No way! I just want to use my O/S, with the DVD's I purchased. I think this same scenario would apply to licensed O/S's - people will find a way to run what they want, without being forced into some nazi style campaign, with all sorts of euphemisms about National Secuirty, and other ways to brainwash the gerneral public. This is about freedom. Freedom to choose the O/S that suits your needs the best. When people start making decisions for other people based on what the decision makers feel is in the best interest of you, you can kiss our democracy goodbye.
Sorry for the rant, but that idea both scares me, and makes me angry.
-- Bruce Garlock
Well, it hasn't happened, but I feel that "they" could try to make this happen, and it would be tough to argue against - not because you can't make rational arguments, but because it wouldn't be based on rational thought: it's all fear and ignorance.
--TonyLawrence
Well, maybe Microsoft will help out Linux, with comissioning it as an "approved O/S":
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=74&ncid=738&e=9&u=/cmp/20030821/tc_cmp/13100775
- Bruce Garlock
How do I properly display that link? - Bruce
Well, normally just type it in - but the Wiki code doesn't seem to like it. I'll see if I can see why..
Well, the code is a bit complex, so for the moment if you just click on the "Edit Links" below, that will put it out in a good format.
--TonyLawrence
Add your comments