[U-Boot] U-book and GPLv3? (fwd)

[ksi at koi8.net]

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009, Mike Frysinger wrote:

> On Wednesday 24 June 2009 20:59:11 Richard Stallman wrote:
> >     Embedded systems using core soc silicon from a number of
> manufacturers
> >     have started to use what is known as 'secure boot'. This is
> typically
> > the case in applications which utilise conditional access system
> software
> > to protect content. The emphasis on using secure boot is largely
> driven by
> > the conditional access industry itself.
> >
> > The principal purpose of these products is to restrict the public's
> > freedom.  So it is natural that their means involve restricting our
> > freedom too.
> 
> it sure is nice to make generalities as it makes your resulting argument
> so 
> much easier to digest.  the companies ive worked with could give two
> sh*ts 
> about end customers tinkering with their products.  they're interested
> in 
> keeping their product secure from other people in their respective
> industry 
> and from malicious tampering for regulation/safety purposes.

I would like to add that sometimes regulations EXPLICITELY require secure
boot. No product can be approved without it. And this does not have anything
to do with public's freedom. Just one example is gambling industry which I
happen to work right now. Nobody cares about cloning or public's freedom
here. What they care about is that nobody can cheat on those nice shiny
machines that sometimes let a lucky person to win a multimillion jackpot.

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