Microsoft's anti-piracy plans spark controversy

A recent software update for Microsoft's Windows Media Player requires users to permit the automatic installation of undisclosed future anti-piracy measures.

Computer enthusiasts have raised concerns about the agreement, saying it could force home users to hand over control of their computers and might open them up to new security risks. Microsoft has yet to explain what future updates it plans to install through the media program.

The software update was issued on June 26 to fix a security bug in Microsoft's Windows Media Player. The End User License Agreement displayed during installation of the patch requires users to agree to any future security updates related to "digital rights management", i.e. preventing copyright infringement.

It states: "In order to protect the integrity of content and software protected by digital rights management "Secure Content", Microsoft may provide security related updates to the OS Components that will be automatically downloaded onto your computer."

But some commentators fear this would give Microsoft free reign over a computer. Adrian Midgley, director the UK's Campaign for Digital Rights, says the updates could be used to prevent copying or to delete files altogether. He also says it could provide a potential security weak spot.

Midgley told New Scientist: "What's nasty is that you are forced to hand over control of your computer without even having the ability to discover what changes are going to be made and approve or reject them."

The Microsoft agreement says only that "we will use reasonable efforts to post notices on a web site explaining the update".

The most common way to protect audio files from unauthorised copying is through digital watermarking. An identifying "watermark" embedded in a copy-protected file will tell an audio or video program to refuse to copy it.

Will Knight

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British Psychological Society