It is important that Felton win his case. What I wonder is even if he does will the courts create only a very narrow exception for credentialed scientists working at recognized institutions? As far as I'm concerned anyone who is curious, learns something and wants to publish should have the same rights as a prof at any university. So even if he wins the battle is far from over.
http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,44344,00.html
Code-Breakers Go to Court By Declan McCullagh (declan@wired.com) 6:22 a.m. June 6, 2001 PDT
WASHINGTON -- After a team of academics who broke a music-watermarking scheme bowed to legal threats from the recording industry and chose not to publish their research in April, they vowed to "fight another day, in another way."
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Mike