Law and Order

A 24-year-old Romanian man, accused of unleashing an Internet worm called "Blaster.F," has been charged with cybercrime offences carrying up to 15 years in prison, police said on Wednesday.

Police said Dan Dumitru Ciobanu, had admitted spreading the virus, a low-grade variant of the highly damaging Blaster worm, but had told investigators it was an accident.

Ciobanu's arrest last week followed that of an American teenager accused of creating another Blaster strain.

Barely 24 hours after suing alleged file swappers around the United States, the recording industry has settled its first, agreeing to drop its case against a 12-year-old New York girl in exchange for $2,000.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed 261 lawsuits Monday against computer users it said were exclusively "egregious" file swappers. One of the targets wound up being Brianna Lahara, who was identified by the New York Post as a 12-year-old honors student who lives in a New York City Housing Authority apartment.

Accused New York Times hacker Adrian Lamo is charged with two title 18 violations of U.S.C (United States Code). Specifically section 1030 (a) (5) (A) (ii) “intentionally accesses a protected computer without authorization, and as a result of such conduct, recklessly causes damage” and section 1029 (a) (2) “knowingly and with intent to defraud traffics in or uses one or more unauthorized access devices during any one-year period, and by such conduct obtains anything of value aggregating $1,000 or more during that period”.

Last month, a federal appeals court in California dramatically and unwarrantedly expanded the scope of the federal criminal law prohibiting "unauthorized access" to computers and electronic mail.

This ruling, reported on Security Focus, opens the door for civil lawyers and prosecutors alike to punish as computer "hacking" and "trespass" a whole host of activities that have virtually nothing to do with computer crime.

For prosecutors looking to build a forceful test case against predatory domain-name practices, John Zuccarini is probably the closest thing to a hole in one.

A US Federal Judge has rejected a claim under the DMCA to outlaw a
competing garage door opener. Judge Pallmeyer ruled against Chamberlain
Group's argument that Skylink's universal garage door opener was an
illegal circumvention device, stating that a homeowner has a legitimate
expectation that she will be able to open the garage door if her
Chamberlain transmitter is missing or malfunctions. The Court noted
amici briefs filed by CCIA and Consumers Union, which pointed out the
stifling effect the DMCA has on innovation and competition under

l33tdawg: Word to sait for the linkage.

A man who has admitted illegally distributing songs on the internet before they were released in shops faces up to five years in prison.

Federal prosecutors said Mark Shumaker, 21, of Florida, who headed the Apocalypse Crew group, has admitted infringing copyright laws.

The Apocalypse Crew obtained pre-release copies of CDs from music industry workers including DJs and magazine employees, according to the US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The case of an Oklahoma teen who was charged with a felony for writing a violent short story about attacking his school has been dismissed by a judge who ruled that prosecutors failed to prove the teen actually intended to commit the act.

A high school senior charged with modifying a version of the Internet worm that crippled computer networks worldwide said the government has exaggerated its case against him, and disputed media coverage that portrayed him as a computer-savvy loner.

"I have a very supportive, close group of friends. I'm not reckless, I don't do drugs, smoke or drink. This is the first time I have ever had a run-in with the law. It's hurtful to see the accounts of me. I'm not depressed, embarrassed about my weight, or a misfit," Jeffrey Parson said in a transcript posted on MSNBC's Web site.

The Recording Industry Association of America says it will not go after small violators when it sues people who illegally share songs on the Internet.

The assurance came in a written response to questions by Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs' Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Coleman plans to hold hearings on the RIAA's campaign, which he has labeled "excessive."