Legally Defining "Unauthorized" Computer Access
SDuane writes "Orin S. Kerr, Associate Professor at George Washington University Law School, has written an article trying to answer the question "what does it mean to 'access' a computer? And when is access 'unauthorized'?" It's long, but interesting and he's looking for feedback."
irc.chris.thesmartone.net #Solosoft
Every year the US FBI, is asked to investigate over 36,000 serious crimes including Murder/Homicides. Every year the Homicide Investigatons Unit puts out its "Top 20 Homicides of the Year".
20. Alex Mijtus, 36 years old, is killed by his wife, armed with a 20" long vibrator. Mrs Mijtus had had enough of her husbands strange sex practices, and one night during a prolonged being of "fun" she snapped, pushing all 20" of the vibrator into Alex's anus until it ruptured several internal organs and caused severe bleeding.
19. Debby Mills-Newbroughton, 99 years old, was killed as she crossed the road. She was to turn 100 the next day, but crossing the road with her daughter to go to her own birthday party her wheel chair was hit by the truck delivering her birthday cake.
18. Peter Stone, 42 years old, is murdered by his 8 year old daughter, who he had just sent to her room with no dinner. Young Samantha Stone felt that if she couldn't have dinner no one should, and she promptly inserted 72 rat poison tablets into her fathers coffee as he prepared dinner. The victim took one sip and promptly collapsed. (Samantha Stone was given a suspended sentence as the judge felt she didn't realise what she was doing, until she tried to poison her mother using the same method one month later.
17. David Danil, 17 years old, was killed by his girl friend after he attempted to "have his way with her" his unwelcome advance was met with a prompt kick in the chest and then 4 shots from a doubled barrelled shot gun Charla's (the girlfriends') father had given to her an hour before the date started, just in case.
16. Javier Halos, 27 years old, was killed by his landlord for failing to pay his rent for 8 years (yes 8 years). The landlord, Kirk Weston, clubbed the victim to death with a toilet seat after he realised just how long it had been since Mr Halos paid his rent.
15. Mary-Lee Cooper, 11 years old, was killed by her 1 year old sister who climbed on top of her while she was sleeping, suffocating her.
14. Meegan Fri, 44 years old, is killed by 14 state troopers after she wandered onto a live firing, fake town simulation. Seeing the troopers all walking slow down the street Meegan Fri has jumped out in front of them and yelled. "Boo!" The troopers, thinking she was a pop up target fired 67 shots between them, over 40 of them hitting their target. "She just looked like a very real looking target." One of the troopers stated in his report.
13. Fiona Given, 17 years old, was killed by a "Hit Man" hired by her ex boyfriend after she broke off their relationship. The "Hit Man" was promised to be paid $500,000 for the task. The "Hit Man" killed the boyfriend after he found out that a 16 year old high school student, whose father was in jail for rape, and mother worked as an ironing lady didn't have access to $500,000.
12. Louis Zaragoza, 68 years old, was killed as he prepared to drive to work. Lee Zaragoza, had been plotting to kill him for over a year, and had cut the brakes on his car 4 times previously. On this attempt Lee was just about to cut the brakes again when Louis snuck up behind her, he grabbed her and spun her around, as he did she lost her footing and stumbled into him, stabbing him in the lower ventrical of the heart, killing him instantly.
11. Mummod Foli, 22 years old, was killed by an unknown member of the Russian Mafia, after he accidentally took away the gangsters drink too soon at the nightclub he worked in. The gangster was so upset he forced the waiter to drink over 27 litres of 'coca cola' (the drink he had taken away) until Mummod drowned.
10. Julia Smeeth, 20 years old, was killed by her brother Micheal because she talked on the phone too long, Michael clubbed his sister to death with a cordless phone, then stabbed her several times with the broken aerial.
9. Helena Simms, Wife to the famous American Nuclear Scientist Harold Simms was killed by her husband after she had an affair with the neighbour. Over a period of 3 months Harold s
to have some "unauthorised access" to Kathleen Fent's asshole...
"This Abstract has been viewed 415 times"
Hope they didn't use a short int for that counter variable.
occultae nullus est respectus musicae - originally a Greek proverb
Stelios Haji-Ioannou has backed down in his Napoleonic crusade against owners of "easy" domains, telling legitimate print-selling business Easyart.com that he is too busy suing other people to bother it - just weeks before court action was due to start.
However, while the self-titled man of the people has threatened to renew his "passing off" claim against Easyart when he has more time, under the law he would now have to apply to a judge for permission to do so. He would also have to produce further evidence that Easyart was in fact trading on the back of his name, which means highly dubious vox-pops are out the window.
Easyart CEO Simon Matthews is delighted and relieved. "Stelios has surrendered and we
have won." Mr Matthews had vowed to fight Stelios all the way in order to protect his business, something that he was warned would cost him £50,000. "This was a David and Goliath fight. It is a good day for smaller companies who stand up to bullying tactics from large corporations," he said.
Mr Matthews also hopes this his victory will see others prepare to stand up to EasyGroup's universal claim on the word "easy". "We hope that this gives hope to the many other companies out there who are trading legitimately under the 'easy' name who have been threatened by this man," he said.
Over the past few years, EasyGroup has threatened a large number of "easy" domain owners, claiming that by even registering their domain, they are hoping to trade off the series of companies that have made him rich and famous - EasyJet, EasyCar, EasyInternetCafe. After the company failed to win an "easy" domain at arbitrator WIPO, it then threatened owners will immediate and expensive legal action.
Only two cases have even gone to court, one was settled and the other EasyGroup lost, but the sheer cost of the action has seen many domain name owners hand over their property.
When Mr Matthews became the object of the group's attentions, he vowed to fight all the way to the High Court to protect his business, which, he happily tells us, turned a profit for the first time at the end of 2002.
Whether Mr Haji-Ioannou will return to bullying domains out of hapless owners after his current legal problems with the OFT and British Phonographic Industry, we don't know, but for anyone willing to stand up to the multi-millionaire, Easyart's case adds another level of defence against hostile intentions.
I just heard some sad news on talk radio - Matrix rebel fighter writer Trinity was found dead in her Maine home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss her - even if you didn't enjoy her work, there's no denying her contributions to anti-alien submission culture. Truly an Matrix icon.
holy shit.
the next time i have something insightful to write, i'll fscking spell check and grammar and english check it.
sorry about that... i'm at work, and i got pulled away to do something, and i just hit submit without reviewing it.
my apologies. Hell, i'll rewrite it in my response to the lawyer who wrote the article. And, i'll actually cut and past from the RFCs to prove my point.
guns kill people like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.