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Ritz Disposable Digital Camera Hacked

Posted by simoniker on from the click-click-boom dept.

morgue-ann writes "The $10.99 Dakota reusable digital camera announced in July was usefully hacked on November 6. First attempts to extract picture data took 10 hours to read out 16MB, but new code for Linux and Mac and Windows lets you get pictures quickly over USB and view or print them without Ritz's help (and with fewer of your $$)."

2 of 542 comments (clear)

  1. Funny by msgmonkey · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That would truely be funny, using the DMCA to stop you from transfering pictures that you have taken and hence own the copyright to.

    1. Re:Funny by ewhac · · Score: 5, Interesting

      No, the copyrighted work being "violated" here is the camera firmware.

      Lawyers will argue that, in order to use the copyrighted firmware in the camera, you must be licensed to do so. (This is false, but that hasn't stopped them so far.) Thus, by cracking open the camera and pulling the data out, you have made use of the camera firmware in an unlicensed manner. This constitutes copyright infringement.

      Also, since the protection racket... er, mechanism in place to keep you from yanking the photos out is probably also the same mechanism that protects the firmware itself. Thus, by circumventing the method that "protects" your photos, you have also circumvented the method that protects the firmware. This is illegal under the DMCA.

      Note that it is in no way whatsoever immoral, unethical, harmful, or wrong. It's merely illegal.

      Schwab

      --
      Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions