If it's copyrighted, I may not sell it, or charge admission to view it; as that is theft. However, the activity of looking at encrypted material is not wrong. Illictly selling the encrypted material is. For example, listening to a MP3 file is not a crime. Selling them is (unless you are the artist or copyright holder).
Sure it is -- didn't you read the original article?
Six of the defendants were charged with violating the anti-encryption provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The other charges involved conspiracy or manufacturing a device for the purpose of stealing satellite signals. All three counts carry a maximum prison sentence of five years.It's inarguably illegal.
And don't try to weasel about it not being "wrong" in a moral sense either -- picking the lock on your sister's diary and reading it is wrong too, even though it's not illegal.