From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:49:07 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:48:57 -0400 Received: from hermine.idb.hist.no ([158.38.50.15]:65042 "HELO hermine.idb.hist.no") by vger.kernel.org with SMTP id ; Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:48:42 -0400 Message-ID: <3B67DE37.CA865F44@idb.hist.no> Date: Wed, 01 Aug 2001 12:47:19 +0200 From: Helge Hafting X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.76 [en] (X11; U; Linux 2.4.8-pre3 i686) X-Accept-Language: no, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: James Simmons CC: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [OT] DMCA loop hole In-Reply-To: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org James Simmons wrote: > > Sorry this is off topic but this was way to good :-) > > Virus writers can use the DMCA in a perverse way. Because > computer viruses are programs, they can be copyrighted just like a > book, song, or movie. If a virus writer were to use encryption to hide > the code of a virus, an anti-virus company could be forbidden by the > DMCA to see how the virus works without first getting the permission > of the virus writer. If they didn't, a virus writer could sue the > anti-virus company under the DMCA! They'd still be able to scan for it though - detecting the encrypted string or the decryption algorithm. What if I copyright & encrypt a DeCSS program? Nobody can sue because they don't have permission to decrypt, and therefore cannot prove that it actually _is_ a decss algorithm? :-) Helge Hafting