[mythtv-users] Slightly OT - Intel confirm HDCP is cracked

Brian Wood beww at beww.org
Fri Sep 17 23:19:30 UTC 2010


On Friday, September 17, 2010 05:06:41 pm Michael T. Dean wrote:
>   On 09/17/2010 05:27 PM, Brian J. Murrell wrote:
> > Now, what this key will provide is a market for (cheap, since licensing
> > costs go away)
> 
> Think you better wait for Intel/DCP, LLC/HDMI Licensing LLC's
> announcement that they're dropping licensing costs for HDCP/HDMI before
> you roll out your new devices.  :)
> 
> IANAL, but I'm pretty sure you have to pay to use the patented
> technology--whether it's broken or not--until the patent holders tell
> you otherwise.
> 

Of course, lots of patented devices are made obsolete by technological advances or subsequent discoveries, that doesn't 
mean they are no longer covered by the original patent. I'm sure there are many patents applying to buggy whips which are 
still enforceable.

Of course in this case the thing in question was NEVER suitable for what it was licensed for, but that doesn't prevent 
idiots from paying to use it.

You'd think they would have learned from the CSS experience, but they never seem to.

Now, if you had a license whose terms guaranteed merchantability or fitness for a certain application, you might have a 
case, but nobody is going to give you anything like that.







More information about the mythtv-users mailing list