[governance] Verisign to control what operating systems you can run on your computer

[Carlos A. Afonso]

Yes, this is precisely the point, Daniel. And there is no "logical"
reason (in the logic of the IP industry) for M$ not requiring this to be
extended to any new box able to run Win8, whatever its size or purpose.

--c.a.

On 06/07/2012 09:21 AM, Daniel Kalchev wrote:
> I believe this is a bit misleading...
> 
> It is not Verisign, but Microsoft, who are trying to lock computer
> hardware to their OS. Microsoft is trying to persuade the vendors, that
> they must modify the PCs boot loader to allow only an OS that has boot
> loader signed by Microsoft to load, and that boot loader will presumably
> load Windows 8 only.
> 
> This has been the reason of much debate recently and so far it seems the
> current requirement of Microsoft is for vendors to lock-in only
> non-desktop computers, such as tablets. If the vendor wants Windows 8 on
> their tablet, it must not be able to load another OS. For the desktop,
> because of existing Windows versions that apparently do not support this
> "secure boot" technology, this restriction is optional. You will be able
> to switch it on or off in the BIOS.
> 
> Yes, this would mean computers with Windows will not be sold in
> embargoed countries, but I wonder how Windows gets there today...
> 
> None of this will impact Linux or other OS running on "PCs". And it is
> not really anything to involve Verisign with.
> 
> If someone has to be blamed for this development, that is Microsoft.
> They will of course claim it is for your own protection :)
> 
> Daniel
> 
> On 07.06.12 09:32, Jeremy Malcolm wrote:
>> There's been much disquiet on this list about the power that Verisign
>> has to delete domains from the Internet at the whim of US authorities.
>>
>> Potentially even more frightening, they will soon be able to decide
>> what operating system you may run on your computer.  PCs that are
>> certified for use with Windows 8 will, by default, refuse to run any
>> operating system that is not digitally signed by a Verisign-issued
>> certificate.  Even worse, the only certificates that hardware and
>> device manufacturers will recognise by default are Microsoft's.
>>
>> This leads to the absurd situation that even commercial vendors of
>> Linux, such as Red Hat, will be paying Verisign to attach a digital
>> signature from Microsoft's key-signing root to their versions of Linux
>> - otherwise they simply won't run at all.
>>
>> If that wasn't outrageous enough, consider the geopolitical
>> implications of this.  By virtue of US sanctions, Verisign will not
>> permit anyone from Cuba, Iran, Syria etc. to develop an operating
>> system (or even to distribute a version of Linux that they compile
>> from source) for users of Windows 8 certified computers.
>>
>> Why should it stop there?  A US court order might be obtained against
>> Verisign to prevent it from certifying China's Red Flag Linux, or
>> Russia's ALT Linux.  Billions of consumers could be forced into using
>> older or second-rate computers, or buying Microsoft's operating
>> system, because home-grown operating systems won't run.
>>
>> Will the IGC take a stand against this?
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> *Dr Jeremy Malcolm
>> Senior Policy Officer*
>> Consumers International
>> Kuala Lumpur Office for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East
>> Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur,
>> Malaysia
>> Tel: +60 3 7726 1599
>>
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