You might have thought you were downloading DeCSS so you could
play DVD’s on your Linux machine, but the US Attorneys arguing over
the 2600/DeCSS case know that’s just the first step to “programs
that shut down navigational programs in airplanes or smoke
detectors in hotels.”
The US DoJ has weighed in on the side of the Motion Picture
Association of America on this particular case.
According to this report from the court room, arguments like
that may have the geeks in the back row snickering, but the issue
has far-reaching consequences as attorneys for the MPAA maintain
that far from picking on 2600, they’d consider suits against the
New York Times and others for linking to software they
believe violates their copyrights.