Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!jarthur!polyslo!vlsi3b15!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: attcan!ram@uunet.UU.NET (Richard Meesters) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Copyright restrictions Message-ID: <0005.9002231213.AA10580@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 22 Feb 90 14:48:20 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 34 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu IA88@PACE.BITNET (IA88000) writes: - - 3) Does the fact that a program appears to be and may be capable - - of damaging a disk allow give anyone the right to violate a - - copyright? - - - - If you feel that statement three allows someone to violate a - - copyright, consider this for a moment. - - - - One of the major copy protection companies uses a scheme which - - encrypts one or more tracks of a hard disk drive when someone - - installs a copy protected program. - - - - Until such time as the copy protected program is removed the - - encrypted tracks are useless,(in fact some people may even call - - them damaged) to any program other than the copy protected - - program which was installed. You are correct in that the ability to use space on the disk allows the program the right to encrypt part of the data IT stores. They are useless as far as you and other programs are concerned, but accessable by the creating package itself. This is not, however, the same as encrypting ALL the data on your disk, as was the case with the AIDS trojan. This rendered the entire disk useless for all programs concerned. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Richard A Meesters | Technical Support Specialist | Insert std.logo here AT&T Canada | | "Waste is a terrible thing ATTMAIL: ....attmail!rmeesters | to mind...clean up your act" UUCP: ...att!attcan!ram | - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------