Silicon.com: Digital copyright clampdown to jump the Atlantic

[Owen Blacker]

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> > > > > > Simon Stokes, head of IP and digital media at law firm Tarlo
> > > > > > Lyons, said: "Encryption research tends to be quite close to
> > > > > > the line of what is legal. But this could well pose a problem 
> > > >
> > > > Am I the only person who finds this quote offensive?
> > > > I would have to say that in my opinion and awareness of
> > > > encryption research and computer security, that the
> > > > vast majority of it is clearly legal. The only "border line"
> > >
> > > Hmmm ... what about mitm attacks on SSL and SSH, for example?
> > 
> > As far as I am aware, no academic research was conducted
> > by mounting a MITM attacks against unwilling and non-consenting
> > "victims."
> 
> Why is demonstrating copy protection weaknesses different, then?

Because people are likely to test SSH / SSL weaknesses against their
(consenting) colleagues' machines -- the crime would be against the
Computer Misuse Act, presumably.

Breaking a copy protection scheme (or providing information to help others
do so) is itself an infraction under DMCA-alike legislation (by my
non-lawyer understanding), thus trying to show it can be done would, by
definition, break the law.

I would guess...


O x
- -- 
Owen Blacker
Senior Software Developer / InfoSec Consultant    Wheel: Clerkenwell
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