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Elcomsoft emerges winner in high profile copyright trial
San Jose (California), Dec 18: A federal jury has acquitted a Russian software firm that was charged with digital copyright violation for creating a program that cracks the security features of Adobe Systems` electronic book software.
San Jose (California), Dec 18: A federal jury has acquitted a Russian software firm that was charged with digital copyright violation for creating a program that cracks the security features of Adobe Systems' electronic book software.
The case against Elcomsoft Ltd. was the most high-profile under the 1998 digital millennium copyright act, which many in the technology industry consider unduly restrictive. If it had been convicted, Elcomsoft could have been fined $2 million, with additional penalties if intent was determined.
The young Elcomsoft programmer who developed the software, Dmitry Sklyarov, became a lightning rod for hacker rights after his arrest last year after attending a hacker convention in Las Vegas.
Sklyarov, an assistant professor at Moscow Technical University, spent several weeks in jail before the government agreed to drop charges against him in exchange for his testimony at Elcomsoft's trial.
Prosecutors had tried to prove that the Elcomsoft software was illegal because it permitted owners to print, copy or otherwise distribute copyright material, encouraging piracy.
Prosecutor Scott H Frewing told jurors that the Russians "were selling a burglar tool for software to make a profit." He quickly left the courtroom after the verdict and had no immediate comment.
The defense argued that the program merely enabled owners of Adobe ebook Reader software to make copies of e-books for personal use. If an owner makes a backup copy of an e-book or transfers it to another device he owns, they argued, that is permitted under the "fair use" concept of copyright law.
The case against Elcomsoft Ltd. was the most high-profile under the 1998 digital millennium copyright act, which many in the technology industry consider unduly restrictive. If it had been convicted, Elcomsoft could have been fined $2 million, with additional penalties if intent was determined.
The young Elcomsoft programmer who developed the software, Dmitry Sklyarov, became a lightning rod for hacker rights after his arrest last year after attending a hacker convention in Las Vegas.
Sklyarov, an assistant professor at Moscow Technical University, spent several weeks in jail before the government agreed to drop charges against him in exchange for his testimony at Elcomsoft's trial.
Prosecutors had tried to prove that the Elcomsoft software was illegal because it permitted owners to print, copy or otherwise distribute copyright material, encouraging piracy.
Prosecutor Scott H Frewing told jurors that the Russians "were selling a burglar tool for software to make a profit." He quickly left the courtroom after the verdict and had no immediate comment.
The defense argued that the program merely enabled owners of Adobe ebook Reader software to make copies of e-books for personal use. If an owner makes a backup copy of an e-book or transfers it to another device he owns, they argued, that is permitted under the "fair use" concept of copyright law.
Bureau Report