Newsgroups: sci.crypt,misc.int-proprty
Path: msuinfo!caen!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wupost!m.cs.uiuc.edu!kadie
From: kadie@m.cs.uiuc.edu (Carl M. Kadie)
Subject: Re: VCR+ code question: Was it cracked and legal action taken?
Message-ID: <1992Jan13.224535.14332@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
References: <1992Jan7.033234.27832@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>   <1992Jan07.064325.5742rcain@netcom.COM> <a_rubin.694801477@dsg4.dse.beckman.com> <1992Jan7.200314.455@tfs.com> <a_rubin.694825694@dsg4.dse.beckman.com> <root.695329170@jimbo>
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1992 22:45:35 GMT

The default in the U.S. is freedom of speech. Calling something a
secret is not enough on its own to prohibit others from expression
that something.

root@jimbo.ne1300.ingr.com (0000-Admin(0000)) writes:

[...]
>This is not true.  Secrets ARE legally protected, especially in the 
>Federal Government.  Industrial Secrets are Also protected by Law.

Can you support your assertion with references to laws?

[...]
>There most certainly IS moral protection, but it's a question of self-
>regulation.  You should MORALLY be opposed to stealing someone else's 
>work by ANY means, reverse engineering inclusive,
[...]
>I agree with this statement to the extent the reverse-engineering is
>strickly anacedemic exercise, and has not MONETARY repurcussions.

"Reverse engineering" covers a broad range of actions. The most mild
reverse engineering is just using a product and seeing how it
functions. Are you going to outlaw this? Where will your draw the
line? I prefer explicit (and time-limited) patent and copyright
protection to a vague and radical prohibition against reverse
engineering.

[...]
>Anything can be patented, as long as you can prove no one HOLDS a patent.
>OR prove that your idea is sufficiently unique as to warrent federal
>protection from infringement.

Ideas can not be patented or copyrighted at all, only their
instantiation into things like machines and books.

[...]
>By listing the ingredients on a bottle of coke, can you decypher the
>recipe?  Thousands have tried, but the SECRET remains.
[...]

For the Coca Cola formula see the book:

   2. TITLE:  Big secrets :the uncensored truth about all sorts of stuff you
               are never supposed to know /                               1983
     AUTHOR:  Poundstone, William.

[...]
>>>                           Copyright protection protects the poet 
>>>from having his work read aloud by another in a cafe, but not in
>>>a classroom.
>
>How can you say this?  Copyright protection ONLY Prevents the other person
>in the cafe from claiming that HE HAS WRITTEN the poem.  
>There is no law to prevent him from reading aloud AS LONG AS HE MAKES NO
>PROFIT OR MAKES NO CLAIMS TO OWN THE WORK.

A copyright protects the holder from unauthorized public performances.
Damages can be based on the potential profit of an authorized
performace rather than the actual profit of an unauthorized
performance.

- Carl
-- 
Carl Kadie -- kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
