DMCA Fun

Security warning draws DMCA threat - Tech News - CNET.com "HP hereby requests that you cooperate with us to remove the buffer overflow exploit from Securityfocus.com and to take all steps necessary to prevent the further dissemination by SnoSoft and its agents of this and similar exploits of Tru64 Unix," Ferson wrote, according to a copy of the letter seen by CNET News.com. "If SnoSoft and its members fail to cooperate with HP, then this will be considered further evidence of SnoSoft's bad faith." [CNet]

I saw the link in a bunch of places, one of which was slashdot. Bruce Perens, of course, got roasted. Not surprising in the least of course. Perens, just like RMS and ESR is out there trying to make a difference. They all do it in different ways, but at the heart of it all they are trying to do good. Help 'em out eh.

But on to the DMCA...no case has come to trial where the defendant wasn't some "hacker" being painted as a common crook. The 2600 case was a classic example of this.

The Felten case was dropped since the RIAA caved and didn't have a "hacker" to put on trial, but rather a career professor who was interested in teaching people. There will probably never be a challenge where the defendant won't be somebody that can be painted as a hood. I mean look at this research institute that HP is trying to silence. They all go by 31337 haxor names. The kind of people who don't stand a snowball's chance in hell in a court room.

We all know that Freedom of Speech is only for nice people.