10 ways you might be breaking the law with your computer: UPDATED

“For many years, the Internet was the “final frontier,”
operating largely unregulated — in part because of the
jurisdictional nightmare involved in trying to enforce laws when
communications crossed not just state lines but also national
boundaries. That was then; this is now. Legislation that affects
the use of Internet-connected computers is springing up everywhere
at the local, state and federal levels. You might be violating one
of them without even knowing.

“In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the existing laws
and some of the pending legislation that can influence how we use
our computers and the Internet. Nothing in this article should be
construed as legal advice; this is merely an overview of some of
the legislation that’s out there, how it has been interpreted by
the courts (if applicable), and possible implications for computer
users.

“1: Digital Millennium Copyright (DMCA) Act

“Most computer users have heard of this law, signed in 1998 by
President Clinton, implementing two World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) treaties. The DMCA makes it a criminal offense
to circumvent any kind of technological copy protection —
even if you don’t violate anyone’s copyright in doing so. In other
words, simply disabling the copy protection is a federal
crime.”

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