September 2000 - cypherpunks-legacy

CDR: Re: CueCat tells tales...
by Declan McCullagh 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

Peter, this deal was inked by Wired magazine's marketing folks, and I have precisely zero contact with them. In other words, I have no clue, but can probably forward you in the right direction. --Declan At 12:15 9/20/2000 -0400, Peter Trei wrote: >Well, well well, this is interesting.... > >Along with my most recent issue of Wired (yes, >I subscribe) I got a a little box containing >a 'CueCat'. This is a barcode scanner shaped >like a stylized kittycat, made by >Digital Convergence. > >See: >www.digitalconvergence.com, >www.crq.com, and >www.cuecat.com > > >The idea is that I hook this up to my computer, >install Digital Convergence's software, register >with DC online (through, I note, a completely >unsecured web form), and then, if I see an >interesting ad, I can swipe the barcode in the >ad instead of laboriously typing in a URL (at >least some of the ads in this issue of Wired >have only a barcode - no URL). > >Well, it turns out that it does a little more >than just point my browser at an advertiser's >site. It apparently also sends a per-device >serial number (bound to my registration, >including the usual sacrifice of personal data) >along with the barcode data, back to Digital >Convergence. This functionality is not spelled >out on their web page, which talks of taking >users 'directly' to vendor websites. > >DC thus gets to build a profile of my interests, >bound to the name, address, etc I provided at >registration. > >DC does have a moderately good privacy policy >stated on their web page, and claims they >will never voluntarily release per-person >data to third parties. > >[It's a good thing that they say 'voluntarily', >since the biggest item on their home page is a >confession that they were successfully hacked >and all the personal data may already have been >copied! To their credit, they are up front about >this.] > >A lot of people have been looking at this >device for purposes not sanctioned by DC. >I'll leave it to the intelligent reader to >find pages which tell you how to: > >* read the barcodes with your own software, > which need not bother telling DC what you're > doing. > >* generate your own barcodes - this is the neat > application, because the CueCat becomes a > general purpose BC reader. > >* disable the serial number with a stroke of an > Xacto knife. > >or > >* re-prog the EEPROM with a new serial number. > >DC has been sending out Bigfoot letters to some >of the amateur developers, and appears to think >that these have actually had a significant >effect. > >----- > >A question for Declan: Has Wired supplied DC with >serial number <-> subscriber binding data? > >FWIW, I have decided NOT to install this device. > >Peter Trei

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CDR: Canada outlaws anonymous remailers (was Re: GigaLaw.com Daily
by Adam Shostack 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

I don't think it does anything to us. I think the title of the email is more interesting than the article, which is about a company being forced to hand over information that they have. We've always believed that this was the case under Canadian law, and are unsuprised. We designed our systems so that this isn't a worry, and are comfortable that thats a fine stance under Canadian law. Adam | I wonder what this does to Zero Knowledge Systems? | | Cheers, | RAH | | At 3:52 AM -0700 on 9/15/00, GigaLaw.com wrote: | | | > Canadian Ruling Could Unmask Anonymous E-mailers | > Canadian e-mailers can no longer hide behind a cloak of anonymity if | > reasonable grounds exist to show they've distributed defamatory statements | > over the Internet. The change in Canadian law came after a landmark court | > ruling this week when an Ontario Superior Court Justice ordered Internet | > service provider iPRIMUS Inc. of Toronto to reveal the identity of an | > anonymous e-mailer. | > Read the article: Wired News @ | > http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38734,00.html -- "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -Hume

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CDR: Californians Must Report
by No User 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

Californians Must Report Attacks on Children New Law Inspired by Killing in Casino Restroom Sept. 19, 2000 By Randy Dotinga SACRAMENTO, Calif. (APBnews.com) -- Being a good Samaritan isnt voluntary anymore in the Golden State. A new law requires Californians to seek help if they see a young child being sexually attacked. If they dont, they risk spending time in jail themselves. The law, signed by Gov. Gray Davis during the weekend, was inspired by the 1997 killing of 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson in the restroom of a Nevada casino. David Cash, the best friend of killer Jeremy Strohmeyer, allegedly watched the assault but did not bother to contact police or help the victim. Cashs inaction and cavalier attitude about it sparked an outcry at the University of California at Berkeley, where he attended school. He was dubbed the "bad Samaritan." Do the right thing Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, a Democrat who represents a Bay Area district, heard about the Iversons death and wanted to find a way to prevent future incidents, said spokesman Robert Oakes. "He was struck personally not only by the tragedy but that the person who knew about it didnt say anything," Oakes said. "Thats just wrong." The law is an attempt to "encourage people to do the right thing," he said. Jail, fine possible Under the law, citizens must notify police if they witness a violent or sexual assault on a child under 14. Anyone who fails to do so faces a misdemeanor charge punishable by a maximum of six months in a county jail and a $1,500 fine. Witnesses do not have to report a crime if they feel they are themselves in danger. California already has a law that requires teachers, health-care providers, members of the clergy and others to report suspected child abuse. Opposition from defense attorneys According to Torlaksons office, the law was modeled after a similar statute in the state of Washington, which was enacted after a group of friends ignored the plight of a 21-year-old man who drowned in a drainage ditch after he was beaten. The new California law did encounter some opposition. Defense attorneys opposed it. So did an association of prosecutors who worried it might prevent some witnesses from testifying for fear that they may be prosecuted, Oakes said. The American Civil Liberties Union was worried about the bills scope at first but is happy with the final version, said ACLU state legislative director Francisco Lobaco. When they draft such bills, legislators need to make sure they do not target "people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Lobaco said. "There should always be a sensitivity to making things criminal when there is no wrongful intent."

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None
by MIKE SESSIONS 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

Put your computer in to Safemod in startup, drag FoolProof to the Trash

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CDR: Altivore -- an alternative to Carnivore
by Phaedrus 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

http://www.networkice.com/altivore/default.htm It will be interesting to see what the FBI's response is. Ph.

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CDR: Washington, DC RSA patent expiration party TONIGHT
by Declan McCullagh 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

We may not be sponsored by a half-dozen dot coms, but we're going to have even more fun. :) If you're in the DC area, join us to toast the official end of the patent at midnight tonight. --Declan Peter Wayner and Declan McCullagh present The End of Patent 4,405,829 Party Wednesday, September 20, 2000 7 pm 'til the official end at midnight in Adams Morgan, Washington, DC Why: Some say that US Patent 4,405,829 suppressed a wonderful technology by giving one company a monopoly on an algorithm. Others say that the patent ensured that there was sufficient financial backing that helped develop the technology. RSA did use its legal rights under the patent to pressure Phil Zimmermann when he developed PGP. In any case, the debate is now over. Come celebrate the algorithm developed by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir and Len Adleman that gave us privacy and authentication for the web. To RSVP and for directions, email declan(a)well.com or pcw(a)flyzone.com

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CDR: RIAA seizures
by A. Melon 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

Funny, the article doesnt say how the pirates subverted the encryption in order to make copies. Oh, you dont have to. Listening, Kaplan? RIAA Behind More "CD-Pirate" Busts 09-18-00 GARLAND, TEXAS, U.S.A., 2000 SEP 18 (NB) -- By Steven Bonisteel, Newsbytes. The music industry announced what it called more successful raids on businesses alleged to be counterfeiting music compact discs using personal computers and CD-R technology. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said today that it pointed authorities in Texas to two businesses in Garland where CD-R equipment for burning CDs was found along with piles of allegedly completed counterfeits. The RIAA said searches at both locations were executed Sept. 14. A month ago, the RIAA announced similar raids on the home of a New York man and at a residence and a business in Phoenix. In those raids, thousands of apparently copied music CDs were found. This month, the RIAA said, members of the Texas Department of Public Safety, tipped off by the RIAAs anti-piracy unit in Texas, executed a search warrant at Garland retail store Kode Red and seized three CD-R towers containing a total of 12 eight-speed CD-R burners 898 allegedly pirated labels and 373 allegedly pirated CDs. The RIAA said the 12 CD-R burners had the capability to produce up to 720 CD-Rs every eight hours. At that rate, it said, the value of the output would be some $4 million a year. <snip> http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/technology/article.html?s=singapore…

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CDR: Re: CueCat tells tales...
by A. Melon 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

"Anyone who used DCs CueCat software has had their information stolen from the DC servers! This comes from an e-mail being sent in by zillions of people warning them (and also apologizing by giving a $10 gift certificate)." http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/09/18/1129226mode=nested

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CDR: pc image-doctoring
by A. Melon 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

University Inserts Black Student Among Whites in Photo The Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Hoping to illustrate its diverse enrollment, the University of Wisconsin at Madison says it doctored a photo on a brochure cover by inserting a black student in a crowd of white football fans. "We did it in this one instance, and it really was an error in judgment," University publications director Al Friedman said Tuesday. ..snip.. http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAZQFNWCDC.html

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CDR: READRITE FORMS FIBER OPTICS COMPANY!!!!!!!
by LISTMEMBER--＠yahoo.com 20 Sep '00

20 Sep '00

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