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DOWNLOAD - Lexis/Nexis record session file containing three recent articles
related to the WIPO treaty. The first two are from the entertainment industry,
the third article is from InfoWorld and analyzes the computer security
implications of the WIPO treaty, it also provides links to the full text of
the treaty, etc. [Thanks to Joseph Boyle]
June 23rd, 1998 - The World Intellectual Property Organization treaty has already passed the US
Senate and is close to passing in the House. The treaty (H.R. 2281) would make it illegal, with extremely
stiff penalties, to break security schemes without the permission of the company that makes the product.
Programs like Pandora would be made illegal. People could not publish vulnerabilities in products
and encryption schemes, as done by NMRC in the Hack FAQs. We would go back to the days of
security vulnerabilities only circulating in the underground as mailing lists like Bugtraq, NTBugtraq,
and Netware Hack are made illegal.
Even products such as Net Nanny and CyberPatrol, which "bypass technology" by reverse
engineering how various products work would become illegal. Technically you could not refuse a
cookie from a web site, so web sites would be allowed to write files directly to your hard drive and
you couldn't do a damn thing about it.
This is plain and simple security through obscurity. Intellectual property owners are using the legal
system to protect their products instead of the tried and true method of open systems and public review.
It has serious freedom of speech implications. It also gives companies a license to produce shoddy,
inadequate systems without fear of exposure.
How will we know if anything is secure if all the "white papers" and reports on a system's security are
paid for by the manufacturers only? Unbiased, "Consumer Reports-like" groups will be outlawed.
Say goodbye to NMRC, L0pht, Counterpane, and any consulting firm that does security assessment
of commercial software.
Call your House Representative today and voice your concerns.
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