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First IA64 Windows Virus Released
NinjaPablo writes "W64.RugRat.3344 has been released as a proof of concept virus. It is the first virus which will only run on Windows on the IA64 platform, and uses APIs from 3 native DLLs to avoid crashing applications. It infects files that are in the same folder as the virus and in all subfolders. The author of the virus has also written other concept virii in the past."
roy g biv is the author of the worm, and is a member of the 29A VX group. The group has been responsible for Donut (first .NET virus), Winux (the first virus to infect both Linux ELF binaries and Windows executables), as well as a few others of notoriety.
29A is probably the most elite malware group out there.
To all those saying that a proof-of-concept virus is still a virus and that this guy is doing a disservice to the world by writing one, I'd like to give an alternate way of viewing it. Writing proof of concepts that aren't spread in the wild (like the other viruses mentioned in the second link) help anti-virus groups in advancing knowledge on current/new techniques that may not have been known about or considered in the past.
IANAVWOAVG, though (I Am Not A Virus Writer Or Anti-Virus Guy)
Umm... the DMCA doesn't really have anything to do with this; no copy-protection procedures have been circumvented, so no copyright violations have occurred here. In point of fact, the virus author hasn't broken any laws by writing and releasing this virus, assuming he hasn't been using it to damage any systems out there (besides his own).
Of course, if he actually were to try and damage someone's box with this virus he might have a hard time of it, since all it does is spread itself throughout the system... you get a minor to major slowdown and increase in file sizes, which can cause other things to break, but it's not very likely.