Bugtraq:

I know some of the recent issues surrounding certain laws (DMCA) and copyright
"enhancements" are a departure from certain pretenses of this list. However,
as you probably already have found they are very relevant to our field and
may even begin influencing our work.

There is a new draft Bill created by Senator Hollings (SC) which would require
"certified security technologies" approved by the federal government in all
new "interactive digital devices." Of course this is all being done under the
pretense of protecting companies from piracy, etc.

The draft Bill is being called The Security Systems Standards and Certification Act
(SSSCA)

Here are some quotes of the exact verbage (quoted under fair use):

SEC. 101. PROHIBITION OF CERTAIN DEVICES

(a) IN GENERAL.--It is unlawful to manufacture, import, offer to the public,
provide or otherwise traffic in any interactive digital device that does not
include and utilize certified security technologies that adhere to the security
systems standards adopted under section 104.

...

SEC. 102. PRESERVATION OF THE INTEGRITY OF SECURITY.

An interactive computer service shall store and transmit with integrity any
security measure associated with certified security technologies that is used
in connection with copyrighted material or other protected content such service
transmits or stores.

As a bugtraq reader I'm sure you can understand the implications of this
type of law. Your PC has become a copyright enforcement tool and these
provisions above may have implications for Open Source development activities.

The bill itself can be reviewed here:
http://cryptome.org/sssca.htm

More information can be found here:
http://216.110.42.179/docs/hollings.090701.html
http://www.anti-dmca.org

Thanks,
Jon

________________________________
Mathematicians speak in Symbols.
Deaf people speak with their Hands.
Programmers speak in Code.

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