Intel retreats from mandatory DRM

Intel could be reducing its high-profile involvement in the Trusted Computing Alliance (TCA), an industry initiative to build digital rights management (DRM) technology direct onto the motherboard.

"We are keeping track, and are active members of the Trusted Computing Alliance, but it isn't essential to content protections," explained Mike Reed of Intel's content protection group.

"TCA is just there to increase the robustness; it's not the only way forward."

The chip maker also co-sponsored a DRM conference with consumer rights organisation DigitalConsumer.org in Silicon Valley held on Wednesday this week.

Legislators, academics and hardware manufacturers used the conference to consider new ways of introducing DRM technology without strangling the market for digital media.

Microsoft is still committed to including DRM technology in its forthcoming Palladium operating system, recently renamed as Next Generation Secure Computing Base.

Some experts are asking the US government to step back from legislation on copy protection and let the market decide. But other parts of the industry want DRM technology to be mandatory.