::: dahlbergcentral.com ::: i don't need to pee pee, i just need to rock

Three days after a Princeton graduate student posted a paper on his website 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 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.

... then wouldn't he just be wrong? What's the point of suing?

SunnComm alleged Halderman violated criminal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in disclosing the existence of those driver files.

HAHAHAHA. I'm pretty sure that's not the point of the DCMA's provisions -- wouldn't that permit a software company to put some sort of hidden data mining code in their product without fear of reprisal? Doubtful at best. (Though I will admit I haven't read the specific provisions of the DCMA which might deal with this point, but only because I suspect they're not in there. It was a dumbass bill, but it wasn't that shortsighted.)

posted by Gus at 9:38 AM | |