MPAA WANTS ‘EXPERT’ LEVEL OF PROTECTION FROM HACKERS IN FLAG
The MPAA asked the FCC to reconsider and clarify its broadcast flag rules, saying the agency’s regulations weren’t strong enough to prevent the mass redistribution of broadcast content over the Internet by “expert” hackers. In a petition filed Fri., MPAA said the agency had failed to adopt a level of “robustness” equivalent to that proposed earlier by a coalition of industry groups that included the MPAA, the 5C companies and the Bcst. Protection Discussion Group (BPDG). “The robustness rule adopted by the Commission establishes a weaker robustness standards than commonly accepted and used in the marketplace for other protected distribution channels,” MPAA said.
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MPAA said the robustness standard proposed by it and others could be implemented “with no material increase in cost for manufacturers or consumers, and no less flexibility for manufacturers in designing their devices.” To hasten the process, it proposed that the existing robustness rule remain in effect for an interim period until the new robustness rules would become effective -- 18 months after public notice of their adoption. The MPAA also asked the Commission to clarify its order to make more clear that manufacturers of add-in computer products using “robust method” transfers must ensure that marked and unscreened content were not available in unencrypted, compressed form through a user accessible busport.
The heart of the issue for MPAA is the FCC’s conclusion that an expert level of robustness wouldn’t be necessary to effectively implement an ATSC flag, but rather a level that would protect against security breaches by “ordinary users.” The order said content protection requirements should be implemented “in a reasonable method so that they cannot be defeated or circumvented merely by an ordinary user using generally available tools or equipment.” The MPAA said that wasn’t good enough, and said the FCC rules did nothing to ward off skilled or expert hackers or experienced users and allowed compromised devices to continue operating. “A level of robustness that deters only ‘ordinary users’ will therefore not provide much of a roadblock for unauthorized redistribution,” MPAA said.
MPAA insisted that the higher level of robustness would cause no harm to device manufacturers. The association pointed out that all such products would have to adhere to a level of robustness compatible with obligations under cable or satellite protection regimes, which included the jointly proposed robustness rules. “Inclusion of the same robustness rules for handling broadcast content in such devices would thus represent no additional burden,” the MPAA said, stressing that content delivered over the air in the clear must be equally as secure as other distribution channels if broadcast were to survive as a medium.