Suncomm set off a big press storm late yesterday about wanting to sue Alex Halderman for publishing a critique of SunnComm’s CD anti-copying technology. Halderman found that turning off the Windows AutoPlay feature (or holding down the Shirft key) would circumvent their software.
Freedom To Tinker has the details about Suncomm backing down. The condemnation of their idea to sue via the DCMA was quick and loud.
Now the issue may fade away, but Suncomm bears serious watching. In an ominious section of the MSNBC article Suncomm claims:
Future versions of the SunnComm software would include ways that the copy-protecting files would change their name on different computers, making them harder to find, Jacobs said. Moreover, the company will distribute the technology along with third-party software, so that it doesn
I’m in complete agreement with you. I feel that any software that gets installed on my computer without my express knowledge is a form of trespassing. It is unethical. I wonder if we could sue some software company for trespassing if they installed software on our computer without our express permission?