[OT] Apple calls Real "a hacker"

[Sunder]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/07/29/technology/apple_real/

Interesting non-cypherpunkish stuff.  

So Real goes off and does some reverse engineering so it can use Apple's
DRM to publish its own stuff for iPod's.  Interestingly, Apple wants to
sue using the DMCA, *BUT* where it gets interesting is that IMHO, Real
didn't provide a crack to Apple's DRM, rather it used it for its own
benefit.  So will the DMCA even apply?

Even more interesting, Real used "publically available documents" so they 
didn't do the reverse engineering themselves, so they're not likely to be 
sued on that aspect - though quite likely this is based on the fair play 
stuff which was based on reverse engineering...

This might also have ramifications concerning things like X-Box and
modchips.  i.e. if Apple loses, then it will be legal for someone to build
a modchip to allow X-Box's to run Linux (but not play copied games.)

It will be an interesting fight, and if we, the consumers, are lucky, 
then perhaps some of the evil provisions in the DMCA will go away so we 
can get some more interoperability instead of vendor lock-in.

----------------------Kaos-Keraunos-Kybernetos---------------------------
 + ^ + :"I find it ironic that, on an amendment designed to protect  /|\
  \|/  :American democracy and our constitutional rights, the       /\|/\
<--*-->:Republican leadership in the House had to rig the vote and  \/|\/
  /|\  :subvert the democratic process in order to prevail"          \|/
 + v + :      -- Rep. Sanders re vote to ammend the US PATRIOT ACT. 
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