Some sensible insights from Barbara Simons of the ACM in this article. The problem with this kind of legal protection is that it prohibits researchers and security professionals from being able to explore and publish/raise awareness about weaknesses. The cryptographic community has benefitted for a long time from independent researchers who try to crack published algorithms and expose ones which are flawed.
The people who are trying to crack copy protection software illegally are generally in stealth mode and rarely caught. There should be a strong definition of what consitutes acceptable use and research while still allowing for prosecution in cases of truly illegal activity.
Posted by Diana at May 14, 2003 10:17 AM