Edward Felten has an extraordinary post detailing how Microsoft is giving Hollywood explicit veto power over the functionality of the upcoming Windows Vista operating system (formerly known as Longhorn). How explicit? Check out this excerpt from the Microsoft white paper:

"Other companies are free to invent their own [encryption for outputting video content] ... but security considerations mean that there is a high bar to meet before a new cipher can be approved for use....

The evidence must be presented to Hollywood and other content owners, and they must agree that it provides the required level of security. Written proof from at least three of the major Hollywood studios is required."

Staff Technologist Seth Schoen, EFF's resident expert on trusted computing, recently attended this year's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC). This is the third of a four-part series in which Schoen provides detailed updates on the status of Microsoft's security and lockware strategies for Windows. The outcome of these strategies will affect to what degree people using the platform and "trusted" PCs can maintain a desirable level of control over their own computers. The first two posts can be found here and here.

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