Don't even talk about it

[Gonz]

Well, isn't this sweet.

Princeton Student Sued Over Paper on CD Copying
Reuters Thursday, October 9, 2003; 6:07 PM By Ben Berkowitz

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Three days after a Princeton graduate student posted a paper on his Web site detailing how to defeat the copy-protection software on a new music CD by pressing a single computer key, the maker of the software said on Thursday it would sue him.

In a statement, SunnComm Technologies Inc. said it would sue Alex Halderman over the paper, which said SunnComm's MediaMax CD-3 software could be blocked by holding down the "Shift" key on a computer keyboard as a CD using the software was inserted into a disc drive.

"SunnComm believes that by making erroneous assumptions in putting together his critical review of the MediaMax CD-3 technology, Halderman came to false conclusions concerning the robustness and efficacy of SunnComm's MediaMax technology," it said.

SunnComm, which trades on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board, said it has lost more than $10 million of its market value since Halderman published his report.

WashingtonPost

 

[Rose]

Oh. My. Goodness.

Now, didn't a rep from the company already state they knew of the error before releasing the cd's? What exactly are the "erroneous assumptions" they found in his paper? Er, anyone got a copy of the paper?


*edited*

*giggles*

"I'm still not very worried about litigation under the DMCA, I don't think there's any case," [Halderman] told Reuters. "I don't think telling people to press the 'Shift' key is a violation of the DMCA."

((from WashingtonPost story as linked above))

 

[Squiggy]

Wait till the guy that invented the shift key gets a hold of him...

 

[Oz]

I guess I shouldn't post my instructions about how to bypass copyright on cd's with the simple use of a felt tipped pen

 

[CydCharisse]

God, can the world get any more greedy? What are they going to use the money on anyway? I know for sure they're not donating to any worthy charities...

 

[Mirlyn]

I came very close to posting this this afternoon. Its just pointless.

This is the report: http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~jhalderm/cd3/

This is the business report on the lawsuit: http://home.businesswire.com/portal...newsLang=en&beanID=202776713&viewID=news_view

The DMCA ranks right up there with the Patriot Act for my "favorite pieces of legislation" This is yet another nail in the coffin that contains our freedom.

 

[Mirlyn]

Update:

Maybe we shouldn't sue afterall?
http://www.p2pnet.net/article/8380

 

[paul_valaru]

one shift key



didn't they look for flaws like this?

 

[Mirlyn]

one shift key



didn't they look for flaws like this?

Careful.....its not a flaw....its a way to illegally circumvent the product security feature, you criminal.

 

[paul_valaru]

Careful.....its not a flaw....its a way to illegally circumvent the product security feature, you criminal.

crap, don't tell them where I am, I littered 2 days ago, I'm gonna get the chair!!!

 

[rrfield]

Oh analog, how I miss thee

 

[Thulsa Doom]

I guess I shouldn't post my instructions about how to bypass copyright on cd's with the simple use of a felt tipped pen

yeah and those of you with tape recorders or VCR's well if you use that RECORD button theyre gonna be knocking at your door with the lawyers.

 

[AnomalousEntity]

1940'S Germany here we come.

Before long, if you speak out against authority, you'll suddenly "dissapear" in the middle of the night.

 

[Thulsa Doom]

1940'S Germany here we come.

Before long, if you speak out against authority, you'll suddenly "dissapear" in the middle of the night.

Guess I better delete all my pirated MP3 copies of "Fuck The Police" by Public Enemy. Ill have pretty much everyone after me.

 

[Kawaii]

1940'S Germany here we come.

Before long, if you speak out against authority, you'll suddenly "dissapear" in the middle of the night.

*paints self in blood, forms a guerilla called "The Wolverines" and runs into the woods to start plotting against the government*

 

[Inkara1]

/me fires up KaZaA lite to search for Ice-T's "Cop Killer"

 

[Luis G]

someone PLEEEEASE tell me that they didn't base the whole copy protection on a program called from autorun

 

[Mirlyn]

someone PLEEEEASE tell me that they didn't base the whole copy protection on a program called from autorun

They did, and anyone trying to circumvent it is evidently a criminal.

Wonder if you had autorun turned off by default....would that be criminal?

 

[pc_builder]

They did, and anyone trying to circumvent it is evidently a criminal.

Wonder if you had autorun turned off by default....would that be criminal?

Yeah, what if I just used TweakUI to turn autorun off? Would Microsoft get sued?

 

[Gonz]

/me fires up KaZaA lite to search for Ice-T's "Cop Killer"

I own it-bought the disc long ago