[NTLUG:Discuss] Government Sanctioned Hacking - Full Disclosure

[MadHat]

Please do not cross post to the list and try to keep on the subject of
Linux.  there are a lot of lists out there, this one, like most of the
others, has a specific focus, and this ain't it.

Thanks

On Tue, 2002-08-27 at 08:42, Merlin wrote:
> And in the interest of all fairness and full disclosure, here is the 
> counterpoint to the article I just posted.  I don't want to be accused of being 
> reactionary, even though that accusation might be accurate *grin*
> 
> ============
> **Counterpoint: Then Come up with Something Better
> By Keith Ward
> 
> Let’s say you’ve just formed a new band. You’re sure you’ve got what it
> takes to set the world on fire; you’re confident your band, the Jelly
> Donuts, is going to be the next U2. One problem: You don’t have the
> cash to go to Los Angeles, secure that big record contract and get a
> label to publish your CD. So you go the homebrew method and record the
> album in your basement, then publish it on your Web site.
> 
> And you’re right! Your music is a hit with the college crowd, and
> you’re afraid that all the downloads will crash your Web server.
> 
> But success doesn’t last. The download flood soon slows to a trickle,
> as those fresh-faced college kids start copying your rockin’ debut to
> each others’ computers. They want the music, but don’t want to pay for
> it. After six months, you call your old boss at the car wash back and
> tell him that, fortunately, you saved your squeegee.
> 
> That’s what Rep. Berman’s bill is about. It’s about making sure you get
> paid for the hard work you put into an album, book or movie. And if
> you’re on the other end, it’s about responsibility, the moral
> responsibility to pay for entertainment you use.
> 
> Do I think the bill’s ready to go right now? Certainly not. Many of the
> issues Roberta raises are legitimate, if a bit paranoid. For instance,
> the “designated, central computer” is, in my opinion, clearly a
> Napster-like server that holds all the data, and not an opening for a
> government server that will hold your personal information. But
> Roberta’s correct in that the bill has the potential of being abused
> and infringing on personal rights. That’s why the final form of the
> bill needs to be explicit about what can and can’t be done to protect
> copyright holders.
> 
> But at least it’s a starting point. The stealing—-and that’s plain and
> simple what it is—-of copyrighted works needs to be stopped. Sure,
> there are laws on the books right now, but they’ve proven to be
> pitifully inadequate for the Internet age. Maybe the threat that their
> own systems could be vulnerable if they continue to rip off others will
> make the infringers think twice.
> 
> It’s also worth mentioning that in interviews Berman has indicated he’s
> aware of the potential dangers. He’s said that "A copyright owner
> should not be allowed to damage the property of a P2P file trader or
> any intermediaries, including ISPs", and that "(I) wouldn't want to let
> a particularly incensed copyright owner introduce a virus that would
> disable the computer from which copyrighted works are made available."
> That leads me to believe that he’s willing to listen to others and
> refine the bill to take into account privacy concerns.
> 
> And so now I lay down the challenge to Roberta: Come up with something
> better. You’ve identified a problem; tell us what recommendations you’d
> make to Berman. As a consultant, you’ve often had to come up with
> creative fixes. Tell us what you’d do. (Fortunately, I’m just a dumb
> editor; I don’t have to—-nor could I--solve problems like this. I just
> report what other folks are doing.)
> 
> If any readers have their own solutions to the problem, I’d be happy to
> take them and publish the best ones in upcoming issues of Security
> Watch. Make your submission to me and put “P2P file-swapping solution”
> in the subject line.
> 
> --
> Keith Ward, mailto:keith.ward at mcpmag.com, is editor of Security Watch
> and senior editor of Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine.
> ============
> 
> -- 
> Merlin
> 
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> 
-- 
MadHat at Unspecific.com
"Anyone who understands Linux/Unix, really understands the universe.
 Anyone who understands Windows, really understands Windows."
          - Richard Thieme, DefCon 10, 2002