[Asterisk-Users] G.729 licensing - Hardware Devices rather than software

[trixter http://www.0xdecafbad.com]

On Tue, 2005-07-19 at 00:35 +0000, Obelix wrote:
> 
> I have been reading a number of the past threads about G.729 licensing., about
> how the registration keys are linked to the network configurations, limited
> number of registrations etc, etc.
> 
> Is there no reason why the decoding can't be done in with some Asterisk
> compatible hardware, so that once the adapter is bought, all licensing issues
> go away.
> 
> In that way the owner could fiddle with the installation to his hearts content,
> without having to bother about reregistering licenses after some changes.
> 
> It would save both Digium and end users a lot of hassle.

They need to ensure that the license is not used by others.  Digium has
to pay the patent owner a fee for the codec.  The way that it is
licensed by the patent owner is per concurrent use as well.  In linux
gethostid() returns the IP address, not all systems work this way, some
use a serial number off an eeprom (sparcs for example).  Without locking
it to something hardware based (cpu serial or something which isnt
guaranteed to be accurate since its trivial to make a sysctl to report
whatever you want ...) that woud be a feat. 

Additionally if you lock it to a peice of hardware you would not be able
to play with the hardware, only the network.

gethostid() is a silly way to lock hardware in my opinion anyway since
it returns the IP address and many people now use NAT (by need or desire
such as perception of increased security).  NAT allows the system to sit
behind the real IP and dish out seats and its possible (although it
would take an illegal act on all concerned parties) to use the software
without actually paying for it (someone somewhere would have to pay for
it, but ...)

Additionally with LD_PRELOAD or programs like systrace (depending on how
its done in the code) you can force gethostid() to return whatever
arbitrary data you wanted on a per invocation basis.  One program can
get the hostid as X while another on the same system at the same time
gets it as Y.  

But right now this is the best of everything because it does not force
you to buy additional hardware you may not have and do not want.  And
unless the communication path to the device could be controlled or a
crypto system was implemented (and ITAR may be a problem, although I
think they have exceptions for devices like this) the hardware could be
emulated via software and it would totally defeat the licensing system
with about the same degree of ease.  All it would do is add cost to the
end user, something I am sure most people do not want.

In theory asterisk could bridge the licensed codec to an external
hardware device that would have the number of seats in it but this would
add latency and degrade performance, something I am very certain people
do not want.

What exists is the best of all worlds given the world we live in.
Patents do exist in some places and as such the patent holder has the
right under those laws to charge if they desire.  In this case they do
desire, and so digium is forced to pay.  Being responsible business
people they pass that charge on to the end users as it would be foolish
for them to asorb the cost so that everyone else does not have to pay.


-- 
Trixter http://www.0xdecafbad.com     Bret McDanel
UK +44 870 340 4605   Germany +49 801 777 555 3402
US +1 360 207 0479 or +1 516 687 5200
FreeWorldDialup: 635378
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