[wizzler]

I'm sorry if I implied you advocated stealing. That certainly wasn't my intention.

I also realize the Linux situation is not so much a copyright conflict as it is a battle about reverse engineering and the legal protection of trade secrets, which is what the DVD industry considers its encryption scheme to be.

In that sense I would say that the jury's still out (maybe even literally?) on what's right and wrong. Is anybody actually being threatened with jail time, though? Isn't this all civil court stuff?

[Karsus]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/28504.html

"
The trial of a Norwegian teen accused of developing a utility that enables people to illegally copy DVD movies opened in Oslo yesterday.

Jon Johansen has pleaded not guilty to charges that carry a maximum sentence of up to two years in jail or huge fines and compensation for his role in creating and distributing the "DVD cracking" DeCSS utility. "

[steve-b]

I also realize the Linux situation is not so much a copyright conflict as it is a battle about reverse engineering and the legal protection of trade secrets, which is what the DVD industry considers its encryption scheme to be.

If one of the MPAA's lawyers called DeCSS a "trade secret" in open court, then I would expect that he's now a lawyer looking for a job.

A "trade secret", by its nature, depends on successful concealment. If somebody else figures out your trade secret by reverse engineering or independent research, then you're SOL. (On the other hand, if someone outright steals your trade secret through a black-bag job or subornation of one of the secret keepers, then you have cause for legal action.)