Xref: utzoo rec.music.synth:17183 comp.sys.apple2:8550 comp.sys.amiga:71799 comp.sys.mac.misc:5816 comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc:3735 misc.legal:22653 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!microsoft!donc From: donc@microsoft.UUCP (Don CORBITT) Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,comp.sys.apple2,comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc,misc.legal Subject: Re: Your Rights under the 1976 Copyright Act Message-ID: <59113@microsoft.UUCP> Date: 15 Nov 90 21:11:51 GMT References: <2653@ttardis.UUCP> <1990Nov9.210351.23551@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Reply-To: donc@microsoft.UUCP (Don CORBITT) Followup-To: misc.legal Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA Lines: 51 [Real interesting discussion about Copyright Law, software piracy, copy protection, rights, free speech, apple pie, and motherhood.] Someone warned the world to not reveal information about breaking copy protection schemes. Every 10th grader on the net flamed back with "I can say and do anything I want to. This is America, d*mn it!" Assuming you are in America, land of constitutionally protected free speech, (and I know many of you are not, but oh, well...), you probably have the right to say some things. But, try saying any of these: 1) "To make an atom bomb, take 8 kilos of U235..." or 2) "Joe has a loathsome communicable disease that he got from Jane ..." or 3) "Big Software Company is working on a new product that will ...." or 4) "FIRE!" in a crowded theatre or 5) Getting a newspaper to publish an article that the editor doesn't like. There are all kinds of things you can say where _if_someone_cares_ you can get in trouble for it. However, this isn't even an issue of Libel, National Security, etc. The issue here is InterNet. Much of Usenet depends on the Internet. Much of Internet is funded by the Government. Currently the government is looking for ways to save money. If Congress decides that a major purpose of the Internet is to aid and abet the illegal copying of software, they may stop paying the bills. This isn't the end of the world, just a major expense and hassle. There has already been some bad publicity in newspapers (Texas?) about the number of x-rated gif files being passed around. So, mellow out. I'd recommend if you want to pass info on cracking programs, you do it on private BBSs, so that only those who want the information are exposed to it, or have to pay for it. -- Don Corbitt donc@microsoft.com Mail flames, post apologies. Support short .signatures, 4 lines max. "Bill Gates says to say that I'm not a spokesperson for Microsoft." "Did I say it right, Bill?"