IP: re Pennsylvania makes spreading computer viruses criminal

[fast <dfarber () fast net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <nrichards () mindspring com>
To: <farber () cis upenn edu>
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2000 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: IP: Pennsylvania makes spreading computer viruses criminal


> > The bill, which passed the House and Senate unanimously, makes computer
> > hacking - including denial of service attacks - and the willful spread
of
> a
> > computer virus a crime. It also defines a computer virus for the first
> time.
>
> That should be fascinating -- lawmakers defining what is a computer virus.
I wonder if the language used was loose enough for Microsoft Windows to fall
under the definition?  After all, if you are, say, a Linux user, and you
want to buy a Gateway laptop on which to run Linux, you will find:
> * Someone has put widely distributed software on it that you neither want
nor need (i.e. the Windows OS).
> * This unwanted software that is being propagated at the manufacturer's
site is proving costly to you (it takes time to remove, and costs you
money).
> * This unwanted software is hard to remove, spreading it's tentacles
throughout the computer.
> * The writer of this software (i.e. Microsoft) tries to get it on as many
PC's as possible.
> Given a loose enough definition, I'd say let's sic these Pennsylvania
lawmakers on Microsoft for writing this 'virus'!
> Nick