House To Enact Anti-Spyware Law

Stephen Samuel wrote to mention that the U.S. House of Representatives has readied the aptly acronymed Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPY ACT) for law. MS-BS has an article claiming that the bill allows a loophole for the makers of proprietary software. The issue at hand concerns Section 5, paragraph b, subsection 2, under the heading of limitations. The law does not apply to: "(2) a discrete interaction with a protected computer by a provider of computer software solely to determine whether the user of the computer is authorized to use such software, that occurs upon (A) initialization of the software; or (B) an affirmative request by the owner or authorized user for an update of, addition to, or technical service for, the software." The law, then, would disallow Gator and their ilk but would not hamper Microsoft's Genuine Advantage Program. More complete commentary is available at TechReview and About.com.

Comments

Who named this?

[Anonymous Coward]

Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPY ACT)

So wouldn't this be the SPY ACT Act?

Are these the same people who scream about having their PIN Numbers stolen at the ATM Machines?

Cut It Out

[Doesn't_Comment_Code]

I would like to see a bill that prohibits congress from awkwardly wording bill names to create acronyms.

Re:Cut It Out

[OECD]

I would like to see a bill that prohibits congress from awkwardly wording bill names to create acronyms.

I agree. We can call it the No Acronyms May Exist act.

Wait...