Intel Confirms Leaked 'Master Key' to Unlock HD is Real

Intel has confirmed that the leaked HDCP 'Master Key', which can be used to unlock encrypted HD content, is real.

"It does appear to be a master key," said Tom Waldrop, a spokesman for Intel, which developed and oversees the HDCP technology.

HDCP is used in Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and HD TVs to prevent you from connecting to another device to duplicate HD content.


"What we have confirmed through testing is that you can derive keys for devices from this published material that do work with the keys produced by our security technology," Waldrop told FoxNews.com. In other words, "this circumvention does appear to work."

Intel is not very concerned about the leak because "for someone to use this information to unlock anything, they would have to implement it in silicon -- make a computer chip". Then they would have to build it into a device. That is not likely to happen.

"It would be a lot of work and a lot of expense to do that," Waldrop said.

FOX notes that pirates in countries less respectful of copyright law could take on that expense, releasing Blu-ray players and televisions that bypass the licensing fees and knock a chunk off retail costs.


"We will use the appropriate remedies to address the issue, where we choose to," Waldrop said. "HDCP remains an effective component for protecting digital entertainment. It relies on these licensing agreements to ensure that implementations are done appropriately, and there are legal enforcement methods available for cases where it is done inappropriately."

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