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
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Aug 07 2001 - 21:00:10 EST