US Copyright Office Expands Security Researchers’ Ability to Hack Without Going to Jail

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US Copyright Office Expands Security Researchers’ Ability to Hack Without Going to Jail

By CircleID Reporter
October 30, 2018, 8:52 pm PDT Views: 8,010 Add Comment

The Librarian of Congress and US Copyright Office has updated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act extending some essential exemptions ensuring that computer security researchers won’t be treated like nefarious criminals for their contributions to society. Karl Bode reporting in Motherboard writes: “We’ve long noted how security researchers are frequently treated like criminals by companies that don’t appreciate having security flaws and vulnerabilities in their products exposed or discussed. That’s often not helped by the vague language of the DMCA, which critics argue has been an overreaching mess with near-endless potential for collateral damage.” Some caveats: According to Blake Reid, Associate Clinical Professor at Colorado Law, new ruling only applies to “use exemptions,” not “tools exemptions” and security researchers still can’t release things like pen-testing tools that bypass DRM, or even publish technical papers.

By CircleID Reporter — CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.
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