RIAA & "Legal" Hacking

October 15, 2001 1:21 PM

RIAA Wants to Hack Your PC is a Wired.com article about a hacking-authorization amendment that the Recording Industry Association of America tried to tag on an anti-terrorism bill that Congress approved last week. Basically this would've allowed movie and music copyright holders to break into your PC and not be responsible for the loss of data. Even though the RIAA changed its stance on this point somewhat knowing it would not be approved, it's still looking for something similar to be approved.

"We might try and block somebody," Glazier said. "If we know someone is operating a server, a pirated music facility, we could try to take measures to try and prevent them from uploading or transmitting pirated documents."
The RIAA believes that this kind of technological "self-help" against online pirates, if done carefully, is legal under current federal law. But the RIAA is worried about the USA Act banning that practice -- and neither the Senate nor the House versions of that bill include the RIAA's suggested changes.