[linux-dvb] Re: software decoding of crypted channels ?

[Rolf Hakenes <hakenes@hippomi.de>]

Felix Domke schrieb:
> 
> > I have downloaded the whole stuff some time ago (Webpage and programs). I
> don't
> > have it at home but at my work, so if anyone is interested, just mail me,
> I will
> > send you a tarball on Monday...
> > My first idea was to set up a complete mirror site, but I wouldn't like to
> do
> > this without the permission or even knowledge of the original author...
> Please keep in mind that the use of this program is just ILLEGAL since you
> don't own a SECA-license.
> 
> As always, the expensive thing is the LICENSE you buy (if you own a CI) and
> not the hardware itself.
> 
> (I don't know why aston is still so happy, but i just want to protect you
> and all other developers from HUGE legal problems with Canal+ et al.)
> 
> bye,
> felix domke
> 
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Hi,

as far as I have seen in the code, there was nothing illegal in there. No
attempt to decrypt keys or something like that, just the handling of a received
ECM/EMM stream, offering it to the smartcard via a puplically available
smartcard-accessing library, and showing the results coming from the card. These
keys could be used by the (TI-chip built-in) DVB descrambler to decrypt the
stream, if they would exist API calls for that.
BTW, you definitely do not need a SECA license to view SECA encrypted channels.
The channel provider have to buy one, if they like to crypt their programs that
way, and maybe the CAM supplier, when implementing it into hardware, but not you
as the customer. It can be only a patent, not law. As long as you do not plan to
sell your solution, you won't have any problems. Quite the contrary, if it would
be a patent, the knowledge about the system should be already available for the
public, therefore maybe it's not even a patent, I suppose.
On the other hand it is quite clear, that companies who sell solutions for
encryption don't like to spread the knowledge about it over the country, because
the more people know about it, the likelier it will be possible to find some
weaknesses. But, sorry, that is not my problem. The spirit of open source
software is exactly this spreading of knowledge.
Imagine, if you would not be allowed to write such kind of software, you could
not write anything. The whole Microsoft stuff for instance (think of file
formats (Word, Excel, DivX...)) would block everyone from writing software to
read these formats without a license. Or even worse, every single user would
have to buy one...
Please don't mix this topic with the (in fact existent) problem of illegal pay
TV watching. And even there: It is not illegal to hack and decrypt the channels
without having a valid subscription, but the WATCHING is illegal. Of course it
would be quite difficult to argue with the judge, why the hell you would have
been interested in hacking the program without watching it.
Ok, so much for that. My opinion is, regarding this piece of software we talk
about, that it is a demonstration how things could be implemented to get rid of
the necessity to have an 'extra' smartcard reader. It is not useful at all at
the moment, as the DVB API does not support direct key insertion into the DVB
decrambler (maybe this is not even possible). You can use it only to learn
something about ECM/EMM streams, which are very hard to get documentation about
(for the former mentioned reasons), or about the DVB security system itself. But
nothing more !!! Therefore I do not have any retentions to spread the software,
as long as the original author does not veto it.

Best regards,

Rolf


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