Self destructing downloads

Television stations are now making programmes available for download - which
will "self destruct" in x days. I am curious as to how this works and
concerned that either the programmes themselves or the mechanism by which
they "self destruct" may be used as a means of doing nasty things to
computers.

Any info please?

Bill Ridgeway

"Bill Ridgeway" wrote in <news:eC2OAeyyIHA.2188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl>:

> Television stations are now making programmes available for download - which
> will "self destruct" in x days. I am curious as to how this works and
> concerned that either the programmes themselves or the mechanism by which
> they "self destruct" may be used as a means of doing nasty things to
> computers.
>
> Any info please?
>
> Bill Ridgeway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management

I'm sure expiration is also one of the attributes that can be assigned
in the DRM attributes of the file.

Since you didn't bother to provide an example URL that shows a web page
describing the "self-destruct" movie (what you're calling "programmes"),
no one but you really know what they (or you) might mean by that term.

Bill Ridgeway wrote:
> Television stations are now making programmes available for download - which
> will "self destruct" in x days. I am curious as to how this works and
> concerned that either the programmes themselves or the mechanism by which
> they "self destruct" may be used as a means of doing nasty things to
> computers.
>
> Any info please?
>
> Bill Ridgeway
>
>

There are various ways that this can be accomplished, running from
putting a "time bomb" into the downloaded file that is connected to
a time-stamp or even cookies to using DRM to either block playback
and lock the file. However, would seriously doubt that any mechanism
would wreak havoc with the computer...just the particular media file.
And there are ways to get around the time limit.