Wasn't there some articles some time ago about Microsoft doing research into Tempest/Van Eck (sp) radiation ? It was speculated at the time that they were going include software to "broadcast" their serial numbers so that illegal copies could be detected. I wonder how the Supreme is going to rule on that case where the police used an infrared camera to determine they had probable cause to go after a marijuana grower based on the heat radiating from his house ? Neil M. Johnson njohnson@interl.net http://www.interl.net/~njohnson PGP Key Finger Print: 93C0 793F B66E A0C7 CEEA 3E92 6B99 2DCC ----- Original Message ----- From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah@shipwright.com> To: <cryptography@c2.net>; <cypherpunks@cyberpass.net> Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 7:05 AM Subject: CDR: BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans
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Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2000 10:13:26 +0000 To: usual@espace.net From: Fearghas McKay <fm@st-kilda.org> Subject: BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans Reply-To: "Usual People List" <usual@espace.net> Sender: <usual@espace.net> List-Subscribe: <mailto:usual-on@espace.net>
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/14562.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BSA deploys imaginary pirate software detector vans By: Kieren McCarthy Posted: 08/11/2000 at 10:57 GMT
The Business Software Alliance aka The Pirate Busters is growing so frustrated in its hopeless efforts to cut down on software piracy that it has decided propaganda and misinformation is the way forward.
Visitors to Glasgow Central Station yesterday were surprised to be confronted by a Ford Transit van with a small radar and rusty Sky satellite dish mounted on top. What was this apparition? Why, the BSA's latest weapon in the war against software-stealing scum.
A wise reader asked one of the "consultants" what exactly the dishes were able to do and was informed they could detect PCs running illegal software. When pushed a little further, she admitted the van was "just a dummy" but the BSA still had a fleet of the real things rushing around Scotland detecting and nabbing unsuspecting criminals.
Expressing incredulity, things turned nasty and our loyal reader was threatened. He'd "better watch out" because the BSA with its new super software-finding equipment will "get him easily". He quickly ran off and slid into the shadows before he was photographed and his face wired to Interpol and the CIA.
Can you believe this? This has to be one of the most insane things we've heard in years. The BSA needs to take a valium and lay down for a bit. ®
Related Stories BSA offers £10K bounty to catch software thieves
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-- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'