An interesting debate on how operating systems are being undermined by media cartels in collusion with hardware manufacturers.
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/aacs-tentacles.arsPeter Gutmann, author of a well-known and fascinating paper describing the tradeoffs of Microsoft's content protection system in Windows Vista, is on the hunt again
Apple will also have to adopt a strict DRM regimen at the most fundamental levels of Mac OS X in order to be able to (legally) play back AACS-protected Blu-ray or HD DVD discs (e.g., most commercial discs in those formats). Apple thus far has avoided criticism, but only because the company has not unveiled its full plans for appeasing the various requirements imposed by the AACS Licensing Administrator for next-gen optical disc DRM. When Apple does, we'll all see that Blu-ray/HD DVD support comes with plenty of strings attached—strings that Apple will have to work into its OS, too. There is no way around it; something similar to Microsoft's Protected Media scheme will be required of Mac OS X if Apple is a licensee to AACS.
Unfortunately unless your running the linux platform that currently has no facilities for DRM of this type your going to soon be out of luck in making use of your media as you choose, as those on vista have already discovered, a situation thats a certainty to worsen due to manufacturers tweaking the hardware in aid of such monopoly lock-ins.
