[2251] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Network access to non-free information
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bob Smart)
Sun Feb 2 23:42:39 1992
To: com-priv@psi.com
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 92 15:38:23 +1100
From: Bob Smart <smart@mel.dit.csiro.au>
One of the problems in introducing commercial services on networks is
a symptom of a much wider problem. The problem is the ease with which
information which is represented as a stream of bits can be stored and
copied. This makes it hard for people to sell information in a
controlled way. The partial solution that I am going to propose is not
a perfect solution. I maintain that a perfect solution is impossible.
People who want to sell software, whether it be audio, video or
programs, are going to have to live with an imperfect solution. One
way to improve an imperfect solution is with legislation.
The legislature should enact the concept of a Restricted Use Document
(RUD). A RUD is a sequence of bits (i.e. a file in computer
terminology) with a special header. The header would include some
specific wording in ASCII indicating that what follows is a RUD. It
would also include:
the length of the document;
the key needed to decode the remaining bits;
a one-way checksum of the header;
the restriction;
The restriction can restrict use of the document to a specific person
or to a specific time period or both. Restriction to a person will be
based on a long password allocated to the user which he has agreed
not to give to anyone else. Restriction to a time period specifies the
start and end time of the period in which the RUD can be used.
To make this work legislation is needed. The legislation would say
that
1. Software or hardware that decodes a RUD must be registered.
2. The hard/software that decodes a RUD must implement the
meaning directly (e.g. produce sound or load code for
execution) not generate decoded bits that can be copied
or stored. E.g. a unix implementation can't be a pipe.
3. RUD decoders must obey the restriction in the header
and must check the header checksum.
4. It is illegal to use someone else's identifying password or
to subvert the RUD by deliberately doctoring the current time
as it appears to the RUD decoder.
5. An RUD must be kept as a whole: it is illegal to create a
subset or otherwise modified version of an RUD.
I realise that these restrictions can be easily subverted. That is no
different from the situation now with audio software (it is trivially
easy to create audio cassette tapes) or with program software (which
can be easily copied).
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With RUD legislation in place and software available we can create
a market for information:
1. I can publish an electronic book or magazine. Each purchaser-
subscriber gets their own copy which only they can read.
2. I can "rent" out a movie or a piece of music for 24 hours.
3. I can return information from a database search in a form that
is restricted (so the enquirer can't legally use the information
to set up a rival database).
4. I can sell software with documentation and distribute it through
a network. I can keep trial (time-restricted) versions available
for anonymous ftp (or equivalent).
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All Intellectual Property laws in a free society are extremely
imperfect because of the need for the state to respect the privacy of
the citizen. However most citizens and most organizations are
remarkably honest. I really think it would work quite well.
This doesn't cover the question of how to use the network to transfer
the money needed for the sale of information to safely take place. That
is a separate and equally important matter. It is also a matter where
trusting to the honesty of the population is not a safe option.
Bob Smart
