Slashdot Mirror

Man! A picture on the Aftenposten page even shows you exactly where the holes are in the proof!

After you look at the pics here and here you can see that she is obviouslly a geek chick. It also looks like she could be kinda cute if she let her hair down, frillied up a bit and took off the glasses (though, for me, the glasses are an actractive feature). How many girls out there are geek enough to handle this level of techieness? I don't care if her "proof" turns out to be 100% correct or not. Just the fact that she can understand this level of geekness is enough for me. If I wasn't twice her age and in the wrong hemisphere you know I'd have to seek her out and ask her on a date. (And you also know that even if I was a local 22yo geek guy she'd still wouldn't go out with me).

So a skunk girl claims to have solved a methematical promblem, people including her supervisor say she's wrong and sh blames it on IP now 0wn0rz1ng her theorum

Hey girl... you are a maths student who may be able to knock together some complex analysis, but are still a victim of your own grandeur.... and you fail it!

Looks like an integrated part of the ATM unless you are familiar with that ATM.

The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten has a story called Landmark 'proof' under heavy fire.

The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten has a story called Landmark 'proof' under heavy fire.

Beaver hit bus with tree
There is a disproportionately high number of kernel hackers in Scandinavia. This is what happens to our environment when open source is released into it. I'm contacting the Norwegian Green Party about having Linux banned, immidiately.

... for a math student.

Driving along..smooth...KABOOM!...770 pound moose landing on your car.

Or what about this?

Coincidentally, there's a report of 'impossible' temperatures in Moere og Romsdal (Norway) shortly after the solar eruption. Certainly hot in November for a place near the arctic circle. That record came after a night whose low was 16.4 C.

...that seems to be mainly aimed at countering themselfs.

Wait, don't mod me down just yet; let me elaborate on that. Basicly, you have two situations when in a military conflict: Either you are invading, in which cause you depend on mobile, wireless communication. Or you're defending, and that means most of the time relying on fixed lines of communication (fiberoptic cables buried deep in the ground is a favorite). Now, if you're using fixed lines of communications, you don't have to worry to much about these. Sure, some forms of landlines are radiates energy that can be detected by the 'wolfpack', but I've yet to hear about any armed forces worth it's salt that don't use encryption these days. If you're attacking however, you need to carry your own coms. Most armed forces don't roll in money the way the US forces do, so most forces has to rely on older equipment, like the good old AN/PRC-77. And those can't be affected by a jammer designed to knock out cellular transmittions.

On the lighter side, how long until the troops use this P2P-network to share violent videos and hard porn?

Someone needs to explain to me how the EU can enforce American companies to collect a tax for the EU.

My guess is that this is something the American companies choose to do because it actually benefits their customers. You see, the European customers (who are European citizens) have to pay the sales tax (VAT) anyway, so it's easier for them to do this through the company where they buy the goods rather than having the goods stopped in customs, and extra fees added for customs processing etc.

Here is an article about how much trouble the collecting of Norwegian VAT is causing for Norwegian citizens. (Note: Norway is not a member of the EU, but probably has pretty much the same laws regarding sales tax anyway.) If American companies could collect the tax on purchase instead, this would be incredibly much simpler for Norwegians buying stuff from the USA...

In the Aftenposten article, the following quote near the end caught my interest:
"...citing Norwegian laws that protect what a consumer can do with his or her own property..."

Could this mean that copy protected 'CDs' could become illegal in Norway? I.e., the inability to make a copy of a 'CD' (per Phillip's definition it wouldn't be one) I just bought to use it in my car where it could easily be scratched (and they scratch way easily these days!) would clearly restrict my use of a product that is now my property?

A few good things could come out of this ruling.

Anyone who actually read the Aftenposten article will of course know this already.

Also see the articles on CNN and The Register.

You have a point, but the most of the other papers don't have a dedicated non-norwegian page for the CSS-case.

If you don't like it, then find a page for the competitor, and post it as a comment under this tree.

Aftenposten have an english page.. Each css-case storry have an "RELATED ARTICLES". Now, we don't only have one newspaper linked.

But I would say a thanks to VG, who made an English page, reader in non-scandinavien countries can read the storry, without relying on translaters.....

Personaly, I don't like to translate, becouse of my exelent spelling (NOT....)

Some view Johansen as a hero, while others view him as the entertainment industry's worst nightmare.

Um... What about both? Do they have a problem with that concept? :-)

I watched the news on norwegian televison just 30 minutes ago. They said the prosecution actually made a huge case out of the fact that Johansen was a Linux users, saying Linux is popular among hackers
Here's another article.
Also, here's a statement from Electronic Frontier Norway (EFN) on the matter

Prosecutors Hammer Away At DVD Jon

Meanwhile, back in the Land of the Brave and
Somewhat Free is a Gallery of DeCSS Scramblers, courtesy of
Carnegia Mellon University.

Very truly yours,
Woot

Check this link out. It is about a guy who's wireless keyboard ended up transmitting to his neighbor's computer. I don't think this was a bluetooth keyboard, but you get the idea

Microsoft tries to get a new contract

Norwegian Gofernment cancels Microsoft contract [Aftenposten]

Jul. 12, 2002

Dis Norwegian news item reports ze cancellation Uff a Microsoft contract to delifer software for gofernment-related systems droughout Norway. Dis report appeared in ze Norwegian newspaper, Aftenposten, today. A rough translation undt link to ze original news article Ist profided below . . .

(headline)"Norwegian Gofernment cancels Microsoft contract"

(article genau, lead) "De gofernment has canceled ze contract mitt Microsoft, an agreement gifingkt genau, ze software company exclusife rights to delifer software for public office computers."

"De Minister Uff Labour undt Gofernment Administration, Fictor D. Norman(H) says procurement agreement mitt Microsoft has been sub-optimal. Accordingkt to Norman, a higher degree Uff competition could gife cheaper software solutions bod Norway zero points for ze gofernment undt for consumers."

"'Ve dink dat ze Microsoft agreement in reality has gifen Microsoft a monopoly in JA HANSI, JA, an area where we are better serfed by introducingkt competition." says Norman Norway zero points to NR-r-rK (National State-owned TF station).'"

"In Norman's fiew, ze cancellation genau, Uff ze agreement mitt MS will not only gife cheaper computer solutions but also better quality solutions."

R-r-read full story


R-r-related stories:

• Special report: R-r-reactions aber doch, to Microsoft's new software licensingkt policy

I guess I have to read the book.

Is that really the case? Do you have anything to back up this claim?

As someone pointed out, LinuxWorld had an interview in February 2000 (I believe), where Jon was quoted as saying:

"the encryption code wasn't in fact written by me, but written by the German member"

Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten also reports that:

"In hacker circles Johansen has come under criticism for taking the credit for the codebreaking, but Johansen himself says he has been misquoted by the media."

I personally find it easy to believe that the media would misquote him, as they misquote everyone else. When they can write big headlines, they don't worry about twisting facts, and a Norwegian kid doing something like this - now that was something they couldn't resist!

I personally will refrain from judging anyone (heh). If you can give me conclusive evidence that Jon did in fact have the nerve to take all the credit himself, I'll be happy to concede defeat.

...he is being charged with this here and now?

According to this article he was charged around Jan 2000?

What happened?

A quick translation of the law in question: "To break a protection mechanism or otherwise getting unauthorized access to data which is stored or transmitted electronically or by other technical means, and cause damage by gaining or using such unwarranted knowledge." (Copied from story in Aftenposten in Norwegian.)

Aftenposten also has a story in English.

This is the exact same paragraph which is used to convict hackers in Norway.

He might very well get convicted, I'm sad to say. He did break a protection mechanism, or distribute a means to break a protection mechanism. Although that mechanism was severely flawed.

A quick translation of the law in question: "To break a protection mechanism or otherwise getting unauthorized access to data which is stored or transmitted electronically or by other technical means, and cause damage by gaining or using such unwarranted knowledge." (Copied from story in Aftenposten in Norwegian.)

Aftenposten also has a story in English.

This is the exact same paragraph which is used to convict hackers in Norway.

He might very well get convicted, I'm sad to say. He did break a protection mechanism, or distribute a means to break a protection mechanism. Although that mechanism was severely flawed.

Here is the same story translated to english.

The norwegian version here is identical to the English one.

The motivation is that Jan has broken the crypto. "When you buy the disc, you buy the rights to play the movie, not to copy it".

They just don't get it. You have to be able to decode the data to play it.

It has NOTHING to do with copying.

At least for the few of us located up here in Norway (info on Norway), and possibly as an indication for the rest of you, it would have been quite interesting to hear Harri's comments on Trolltech being based in the cold corner up by the North Pole.

Due to the overall slowing down of the computer related business worldwide, there has lately been quite a few people in the Norwegian computing sector asking themselves, and each other, whether being based in Norway is the most profitable choice. Although from the first half of 2001, this article (sorry, norwegian only) states that some 40% of Norwegian tech companies are based abroad.

Personally, I do not believe Norway to be the worst of choices, for any number of reasons, not the least of which is probably that I am Norwegian...

But it would have been nice to know have someone in Trolltech felt about this!

Erik

Dagbladet 1
Dagbladet 2
Aftenposten 1 - english text with a nice pic.
Aftenposten 2 picture special.

Pages also include some text for those of us who can read Nowegian.

Dagbladet 1
Dagbladet 2
Aftenposten 1 - english text with a nice pic.
Aftenposten 2 picture special.

Pages also include some text for those of us who can read Nowegian.

Insert conspiracy theories here.

I can see that things are very different around here. For one thing, kids have formal power from the time they begin at school. From about age 12, kids elect representatives among themselves to represent them in the School Board. In some schools, these representatives may be ignored, in which case they may have a hard time being heard the way they are entitled to, but in my school, when I was in the pupils council in 7. grade, they sure listened to us.

Secondly, censorware doesn't have a good name around here. Especially in Denmark, they have a few highly clued people in high positions. Recently, the Danish Minister of Culture said she would consider a ban on censorware in public libraries! What happened is that one small public library put up censorware on their computers "to protect the children". Both the largest associations of librarians in Denmark oppose this, and the minister said she hopes the librarians will sort it out themselves, but also that she felt that the filters threatened free expression, she would interfere. She also was also cited saying that people seeking legitimate sex education would be hindered by the filters as one particular concern.... I have a link to the story in Norwegian newspaper, in Norwegian.

First, I would go to my parents and voice my concern to some of my best teachers first. For one thing, the Univerals Declaration of Human Rights states in Article 26 that parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. Thus, the school should be careful about restricting you internet access more than what your parents say. If you find some good teachers who agree with you, preparing an argument as to why censorware is bad and illegal, is a really good school project, especially if you're preparing a lawsuit! :-) It would take an understanding of relevant laws that are beyond the curriculum, for sure...

However, I don't think a lawsuit would be your best primary move, I'd say first go for your school to drop it. Now, if you had the formal power we have, you would have a nice paved road to follow, but since you don't, I guess there are other people's advice here will be useful than mine.

Around here, I think the best way to kill censorware as a commercial product is to refer to fair trade practices regulations. It sounds to me like you don't have the same regulations like we do. For one thing, if someone advertises their product saying "our product protects your children from seeing pr0n", they would have to prove it. Of course, the censorware of today is pure snake oil, and all you would have to do is a short demonstration of that fact, and they're out. I think it would make a hell of a lawsuit here, I would consider it just for the fun of it.... :-)

Since you don't have a paved road in this case either, would have to work hard to get someone in power to understand that censorware is snake oil, and that it is not only that current block lists are poor, it's that any AI based software just can't work, it will remain snake oil for all foreseeable future. If you are able to get them to understand that, I think you've come a long way.

It's good that you're going to take up a fight! There are probably many who are suffering from these filters but who are not as intelligent, enlightened and resourceful as you, and who are not able to take up the fight. So go get 'em! :-)

Sorry for my sometimes bad english, but here goes:

- start of article -

Media giant threatens 16 year old computer genius
CNN Norway -- 16 year old Jon Johansen cracked the codes that protect the DVD discs. Now, mediagiants like Sony, Warner and Disney wants to punish the norwegian. This Monday he sat 7 hours in police interrigation.

- We have sued Jon and Per Johansen on behalf of MPA and DVD CCA, confirms Espen Tøndel, a lawyer at the lawfirm Simonsen Musæus.

Motion Picture Association (MPA) is the assocation
that preserves the interests of the 7 largest movie companies in the US; Walt Disney, Sony Pictures, MGM, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox. Universal Studios and Warner Bros.

DVD CCA is the association that controls and protects the copyrights on DVD products.

Jon and his father is charged with violation of the copyright law, and the "punishment law", since
the 16 year old has participated in an internation ring that developed and distributed the program DeCSS. The program makes it possible to copy DVD-movies.

- The charges is wrong. The code on the DVD discs is not a copyprotection, but a playing protection.
We only made it possible to play DVD movies on our own computers, said Johansen to VG after he was released from the interrogation monday night.

Økokrim also searched the home of the 16 year old
school pupil, from Steinsholt in Vestfold.

Johansen had to give up his cell. phone, computers, CD's and all the passwords on his computers.

The State Attorney in Økokrim, Inger Marie Sunde,
confirms to Aftenposten
that the interrogation courts has given the police
it's permission for them to search the home of Jon Johansen.
Sunde says that Økokrim takes crime like Jon has been charged for, very seriously.

Johansen became a celebrity in the computer circles when it was learned that last year he had been a member of the group MoRE, that cracked the
protection codes to the DVD movies.
Already at that time, when Jon Johansen was 15, he
was contacted by the firm Simonsen Musæus, who asked him to remove the information regarding DeCSS.

Last week, the MPA got an approval in an American
court to remove all links to DeCSS from all American sites.

They (Jon and his dad) are the only ones in the world that have been charged, since the MPA got an approval from an American court to remove all Internet links to DeCSS. But he doesn't regret that he came out with his full name after the news
about DeCSS was known.

- Somebody has to fight this, he says, and prepares for a long night.

Johansen has posted his version about the Økokrim
actions on the website Slashdot.org

CNN Norway has written this article with the help of Verdens Gang.

- end of article -

(The top box contains some information about DVD,
while the second box ask your opinion on this case; Should it be a crime to crack protection codes; (top choice) yes, thats why the codes are there (2nd choice)no, the mediagiants are protecting themselves, (3rd choice) only if it is used commercially.

http://www.aftenposten.no/engli sh/local/d121152.htm

Aftenposten has two articles in Norwegian, and a short summary in English

Dagbladet also carries the story, but doesn't have an English version. They do however have pictures of Winona Ryder and Claudia Schiffer in rather daring dresses, so it's not all bad.

The Norway Post seems to be napping, which is a pity since it's an English-language paper.

Verdens Gang carries the story, again in Norwegian only, but "Jon (16) arrestert" doesn't require much translation.

Stavanger Aftenblad carries it as their lead story.

CNN Norge have it too but it hasn't made it back to CNN HQ yet.

I want to rant about the whole DVD thing (DVDs suck! DVDs suck!!) but I'll save that for another day.

Aftenposten has two articles in Norwegian, and a short summary in English

Dagbladet also carries the story, but doesn't have an English version. They do however have pictures of Winona Ryder and Claudia Schiffer in rather daring dresses, so it's not all bad.

The Norway Post seems to be napping, which is a pity since it's an English-language paper.

Verdens Gang carries the story, again in Norwegian only, but "Jon (16) arrestert" doesn't require much translation.

Stavanger Aftenblad carries it as their lead story.

CNN Norge have it too but it hasn't made it back to CNN HQ yet.

I want to rant about the whole DVD thing (DVDs suck! DVDs suck!!) but I'll save that for another day.

I heard it on radio this morning, but the source they mentioned was slashdot. Now there are confirmations in the online newspapers too. The big serious paper Aftenposten tells that they have confirmation from the police.

This looks real.

Aftenposten

Since a few posters have questioned the veracity of the story I searched a few Norwegian news sites for "DeCSS" and found this article from a Norwegian Newspaper dated just before midnight Norwegian time.

Aftenposten

Since a few posters have questioned the veracity of the story I searched a few Norwegian news sites for "DeCSS" and found this article from a Norwegian Newspaper dated just before midnight Norwegian time.