7 ms·

PS3 Root Key now Public Domain (Exhibit T, page 247)

38 points by dredge 16y ago

taylorbuley 16y ago
Who said the legal system isn't just?
yellow 16y ago
Also, those ads are probably getting some unintended interest through the legal system...
fhars 16y ago
The erk and priv values in the printed website shown there are truncated, so it is not the whole key.
- mmastrac 16y ago
  I think enough of the key is in the record that brute-forcing the remainder wouldn't be much of a challenge. I'm not sure what the parameters represent, but only erk and pub are truncated. I'm assuming that "pub" is the public key in this context.
- cnvogel 16y ago
  Ironically they truncated the public part of the DSA keys. The private key is "k". For bruteforcing the remainder of the AES256 loader key (erk), as proposed by another commenter: There are still 13 hex-digits left (e.g. 52 bits), that might take a while ;-).
  - mmastrac 16y ago
    The EFF's Deep Crack could do 56-bit keys in a matter of days, and this was a long while ago: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Crack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Crack AES256 is more complex than DES, but it's still in the ballpark of "possible".
    - burgerbrain 16y ago
      AES256 is indeed more complex than DES, but it's important to remember that both were designed partially with fast hardware implementations in mind. The difference is not as dramatic as you might initially think. 52 bits of an AES256 key are weeeell within "doable" in 2010.
tzs 16y ago
There are a couple of problems with this. First, encryption keys are not subject to copyright in the first place, so it makes no sense to say they are "now" public domain. For the sake of argument, though, let's assume that they were subject to copyright, so we can go on. Second, a copyrighted work does not enter the public domain by being published in a court filing or record.
- kbutler 16y ago
  > Second, a copyrighted work does not enter the public domain by being published in a court filing or record Court records in the US that are not sealed are presumptively open to public access and copying. While this may be technically different from a work being "in the public domain", in practice, especially if the goal is secrecy, it doesn't make much difference. My favorite example of a copyrighted work in a public court record comes from Campbell v. Acuff Rose Music, 510 U.S. 569 (1994). The Supreme Court decision includes the full lyrics of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/92-1292.ZO.html http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/92-1292.ZO.html I guarantee that Cornell didn't bother to ask Roy Orbison's heirs/assigns for permission to include the Pretty Woman lyrics on that site... kb
  - danudey 16y ago
    My favourite example of a copyrighted work in a public court record is that time Jack Thompson submitted gay porn as part of a court filing, now available to everyone, including minors, from public records, forever. http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/26/judge-spanks-jack-thompson-for-sending-gay-porn-with-court-filing http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/26/judge-spanks-jack-thompso...
  - tzs 16y ago
    However, if you were to decide you wanted to make a new song that uses the "Pretty Woman" lyrics but set to a new tune, you'd hear from Orbison's heirs/assigns. A defense that you copied the lyrics out of the court record would not get very far. When a copyrighted work is reproduced in government documents that are available to the public (such as court records), it is considered fair use. A quick search doesn't turn up much specifically on this, but there is some relevant discussion on the similar issue of copyrighted works released by a government agency in response to Freedom of Information Act requests here: http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_IV_4/page3.htm http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_IV_4/page3.htm.

38 points by dredge 16y ago

taylorbuley 16y ago

Who said the legal system isn't just?

yellow 16y ago

Also, those ads are probably getting some unintended interest through the legal system...

fhars 16y ago

The erk and priv values in the printed website shown there are truncated, so it is not the whole key.

mmastrac 16y ago
I think enough of the key is in the record that brute-forcing the remainder wouldn't be much of a challenge. I'm not sure what the parameters represent, but only erk and pub are truncated. I'm assuming that "pub" is the public key in this context.
cnvogel 16y ago
Ironically they truncated the public part of the DSA keys. The private key is "k". For bruteforcing the remainder of the AES256 loader key (erk), as proposed by another commenter: There are still 13 hex-digits left (e.g. 52 bits), that might take a while ;-).
- mmastrac 16y ago
  The EFF's Deep Crack could do 56-bit keys in a matter of days, and this was a long while ago: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Crack http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Crack AES256 is more complex than DES, but it's still in the ballpark of "possible".
  - burgerbrain 16y ago
    AES256 is indeed more complex than DES, but it's important to remember that both were designed partially with fast hardware implementations in mind. The difference is not as dramatic as you might initially think. 52 bits of an AES256 key are weeeell within "doable" in 2010.

tzs 16y ago

There are a couple of problems with this. First, encryption keys are not subject to copyright in the first place, so it makes no sense to say they are "now" public domain. For the sake of argument, though, let's assume that they were subject to copyright, so we can go on. Second, a copyrighted work does not enter the public domain by being published in a court filing or record.

kbutler 16y ago
> Second, a copyrighted work does not enter the public domain by being published in a court filing or record Court records in the US that are not sealed are presumptively open to public access and copying. While this may be technically different from a work being "in the public domain", in practice, especially if the goal is secrecy, it doesn't make much difference. My favorite example of a copyrighted work in a public court record comes from Campbell v. Acuff Rose Music, 510 U.S. 569 (1994). The Supreme Court decision includes the full lyrics of Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/92-1292.ZO.html http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/92-1292.ZO.html I guarantee that Cornell didn't bother to ask Roy Orbison's heirs/assigns for permission to include the Pretty Woman lyrics on that site... kb
- danudey 16y ago
  My favourite example of a copyrighted work in a public court record is that time Jack Thompson submitted gay porn as part of a court filing, now available to everyone, including minors, from public records, forever. http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/26/judge-spanks-jack-thompson-for-sending-gay-porn-with-court-filing http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/26/judge-spanks-jack-thompso...
- tzs 16y ago
  However, if you were to decide you wanted to make a new song that uses the "Pretty Woman" lyrics but set to a new tune, you'd hear from Orbison's heirs/assigns. A defense that you copied the lyrics out of the court record would not get very far. When a copyrighted work is reproduced in government documents that are available to the public (such as court records), it is considered fair use. A quick search doesn't turn up much specifically on this, but there is some relevant discussion on the similar issue of copyrighted works released by a government agency in response to Freedom of Information Act requests here: http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_IV_4/page3.htm http://www.justice.gov/oip/foia_updates/Vol_IV_4/page3.htm.