Convergence indeed: Picking cotton for
Convergence indeed: Picking cotton for Bill
Imagine that suddenly, all distributions of GNU/Linux were illegal in the United States. As well as Zope, Python, Perl, Apache, and all other open source software products. While that arguably may not be the goal of the Security Systems Standard & Certification Act (SSSCA), it would surely be a result. The SSSCA would outlaw any digital device—including personal computers—that did not include a copy protection mechanism. Right now the only thing keeping it from happening are the events surrounding 11 September.
My favorite tidbit: MIT professor and RSA Data Security co-founder Ron Rivest has referred to the proposed legislation as the “Digital Rectal Thermometer Security Act.”