DMCA Protects Computer Exploit
McAfee didn’t add detection code until Nov. 9, and as of Nov. 15 it doesn’t remove the rootkit, only the cloaking device.
Wired News: Real Story of the Rogue Rootkit
As much as this sounds like an article about Star-Trek, it’s actually an enlightening article about the spread of the Sony CD copy protection software that opened up gaping vulnerabilities in any computer had a “protected” SONY CD in it’s drive. The story broke at the end of October. This is exactly what the anti-DRM crowd has been warning of from the beginning. And no surprise, the reaction from the big corporations who provide computer software to protect your computer against these vulnerabilites responded with an underwhelming reaction.
This Wired article fails to cover one very important aspect though. The computer anti-virus companies cannot legally remove the vulnerability from your computer because that would violate the terms of the DMCA, specifically section 1201. This law prevents the circumvention or removal of any copyright protection scheme, even if that scheme harms the computer it is run on. So, really the McAfee and Semantec have their hands tied in this regard. The much criticized DMCA opens up yet another weak spot in the rights of consumers.
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