Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

SunnComm Says Pointing to Shift Key 'Possible Felony'

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the same-shift-not-different-dmca dept.

The Importance of writes "A couple of weeks ago BMG released an audio CD with a new type of DRM. Earlier this week, a computer science graduate student at Princeton wrote a report showing the DRM was ineffective - it could easily be defeated by use of the 'shift' key. The stock of the DRM company (SunnComm) has since fallen by 20%. Now, SunnComm plans to sue the student under the DMCA and claim that SunnComm's reputation has been falsely damaged. According to SunnComm's CEO, 'No matter what their credentials or rationale, it is wrong to use one's knowledge and the cover of academia to facilitate piracy and theft of digital property.'"

16 of 1,217 comments (clear)

  1. SunnComm == ZomboCom ? by jamie · · Score: 5, Funny
    I think these two websites were separated at birth:

    http://www.sunncomm.com/index2.html

    http://www.zombo.com/

    1. Re:SunnComm == ZomboCom ? by tyroney · · Score: 3, Funny

      I was power-browsing, and went to open a few new windows... unfortunately I was in IE at the moment. And on my zombo.com window. So I wound up with multiple windows going at the same time... talk about some trippy echo effects. I'm going home now.

    2. Re:SunnComm == ZomboCom ? by oobar · · Score: 3, Funny

      Heh... that's hilarious. It almost sounds like they got MojoJojo to do the voice over. Now that would rock.

      And sunncomm's site? Holy jesus, that's ugly. It looks like one of those garish monstrosities from when the web was first blessed with the "<blink>" tag. How could anyone take that flashy garbage seriously?

      And I really want to know if there's like a class or something that everyone takes in design school, titled "How to use stock pictures of overenthusiastic women with fisheye distortion to sell your product." It seems to be a staple of crappy ad copy, the "hot chick" in a distorted picture that overemphasises the tired, fake facial expression.

  2. Ever get that by Mr+Guy · · Score: 5, Funny

    April fools in October feeling? Slashdot poll: Initial reaction to SunnComm's suit: 1) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 2) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 3) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 4) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 5) Cowbody Neal has got to be fucking kidding me?!

    --
    Never confuse volume with power.
    1. Re:Ever get that by Tackhead · · Score: 5, Funny
      > [Ever get that] April fools in October feeling? Slashdot poll: Initial reaction to SunnComm's suit: 1) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 2) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 3) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 4) You've got to be fucking kidding me? 5) Cowbody Neal has got to be fucking kidding me?!

      1) What the fuck?
      2) What the fucking fuck?
      3) What the fucking fuck fuck?
      4) Cowboy Neal doesn't even know what the fucking fuck fuck

      (I have no point, I just like banging my head against the desk, screaming "What the fucking fuck fuck?" at the top of my lungs)

  3. Dude, where's my question mark! by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny


    1. Market defective product
    2. Watch the news
    3. Sue the messenger
    4. Profit!

    This one seems to be a sure thing; no question marks required.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  4. Stolen Functionality by wembley · · Score: 4, Funny

    Everyone knows Apple was using the key to disable system extensions years before MS was.

    After all, how else could you defeat the Oscar the Grouch in the Trash can?

    --

    Share and Enjoy!

  5. Re:Perfect test case... by seanadams.com · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is so nutty its unbelievable.

    That's not coffee!!!

  6. SunnComm sues Linux users... by Bull999999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    SunComm sues Linux users because its software won't run on Linux based OSes.

    SunnComm CEO: They ought to recomplie the kernel with the support for our software because we all know that you are a pirate if you use any OSes that doesn't use DRM.

    On the other news, SCO sues SunnComm because SunnComm has letters S C O in it and also for violating SCO's patent on stupid lawsuits.

    --
    1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d
  7. Re:Perfect test case... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please contact compliance@sco.com

  8. Re:Perfect test case... by frodmann · · Score: 3, Funny

    My linux install doesn't have an autorun feature. Do I need to install extra software to enable their copy protection.

  9. Re:Perfect test case... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Expect to be sued tomorrow.

  10. Re:Cannot use stock market as evidence by BeBoxer · · Score: 5, Funny

    What they forget to mention in the press release, is that a 20% drop seems to represent a whopping 3 cents. From 15 cents to 12 cents. I'm sorry, if you're stock is that close to being worthless, I think an academic paper is the least of your problems.

  11. Option #6 by Genjurosan · · Score: 4, Funny

    6) Use the information provided in the article and call:

    SunnComm Technologies Inc., Phoenix
    Kimberly Faulkner, 602-267-7500

    and express... "You've got to be fucking kidding me?"

  12. Re:Perfect test case... by ConceptJunkie · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, that award would go either to "peronsalized" or "randomly hidden" menus, or even worse the Angry Fruit Salad that is the Windows XP default user interface (code name: Playskool)

    No, wait, the real winner is hiding file extensions by default. _That's_ the most useless innovation.

    New user: Gee, there's three icons called "setup". I don't know what these cryptic little icons mean.

    Microsoft: But file extensions are confusing, and at Microsoft we stole^h^h^h^h^h learned a trick from Apple: Anything that confuses the user should simply be hidden.

    New User: Then explain why you completely and arbitrarily rearrange Windows configuration every two years. And what about wireless setup on XP... it's cryptic _and_ useless. Why can't _that_ be easy?!

    Microsoft: Shut up, that's why!

    --
    You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all alike.
  13. Re:Did Jacobs just say something really stupid? by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Funny

    Copyright is a temporary loan from the public domain, not property.

    That is such an excellent summary of copyright. I'm going to register it.

    --
    When information is power, privacy is freedom.