From the EFF:

We've just updated our Unintended Consequences report (also available as a print-friendly PDF), which collects reported cases of the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA being used not against pirates, but against consumers, scientists, and legitimate competitors. In the seven years since the DMCA was enacted, this has grown into quite a list:

* Blackboard Threatens Security Researchers

Billy and Virgil are both noted in the report thanks to Blackboard:

In April 2003, educational software company Blackboard Inc. used a DMCA threat to stop the presentation of research on security vulnerabilities in its products at the InterzOne II conference in Atlanta. Students Billy Hoffman and Virgil Griffith were scheduled to present their research on security flaws in the Blackboard ID card system used by university campus security systems but were blocked shortly before the talk by a cease-and-desist letter invoking the DMCA.

Blackboard obtained a temporary restraining order against the students and the conference organizers at a secret "ex parte" hearing the day before the conference began, giving the students and conference organizer no opportunity to appear in court or challenge the order before the scheduled presentation. Despite the rhetoric in its initial cease and desist letter, Blackboard's lawsuit did not mention the DMCA. The invocation in the original cease-and-desist letter, however, underscores the way the statute has been used to chill security research.

Unintended Consequences: Seven Years Under the DMCA

bucy wrote:
] ]
] ] Novell said Wednesday that NetWare 6.5 will include
] ] features for business continuity, open source, Web
] ] application services and "virtual office" capabilities to
] ] reduce network costs and complexity while giving users
] ] around-the-clock access.
]
] I guess I knew that they hadn't folded but I didn't realize
] that they were still doing active development. Up until NT4
] or so, Netware was king ... who uses it now?
]
] And it still seems to be their same, old, expensive licensing
] scheme...

I enjoying bursting this type of bubble. Since the release of Netware 6, Novell has changed to a new licensing scheme that is far far better than their old one. Their previous scheme is what Microsoft currently uses. Each user must have a license for each server, so if you have 200 users and three servers you will have to have 600 licenses to function. Novell now uses 1 license per connection no matter how many servers. So using the same model we would only need 200 licenses.

I actually got to see the virtual office product in action this past weekend. Many people will see it like the online class system inside of the Blackboard web application. It holds a forum for the members of the virtual team, a java chat application similar to IRC, access to your email, a shared calendar and shared bookmarks.

Also they have revamped a product called "Branch Office" server. It uses rsync and a few other open source utilities to maintain a remote office server. Holding a copy of the files on the remote server on the main network server. There is a good deal more information on the Novell web site.

RE: Internet Week : NetWare : Novell Preps NetWare For Linux Future : July 24, 2003

] We weren't really worried about security of the system.
] We were worried about the reputation of the system,"
] Baker said.

These people are morons

Blackboard Gets Gag Order Against Smart-Card Hackers (TechNews.com)

It doesn't say specifically whether or not the college that was defrauded (I'm not arguing that nothing illegal took place there) was using a Blackboard variant or not, but I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that it was.

Anyone with access to a magstripe writer (common enough at any technical school) could easily have done what this student did. These systems are simply _not_ secure. Not just "a little insecure", not just "a few minor flaws", but entirely _not_ secure.
Just about any technique one would care to name can be used to defraud these things, and Blackboard is trying to use lawyers and spin doctors to cover it up, and everyone loses. The colleges lose money when students beat the system. The students lose money when the colleges won't believe there's a problem. ...and hopefully Blackboard loses money now that word is getting out their system is ancient garbage.

CNN.com - Campus hacker gets probation - Apr. 18, 2003

] All funds WILL be used to provide counsel to those in
] need of it (where interz0ne may be involved).
]
] Mail funds to:
] Legal Defense Fund
] c/o Interz0ne
] PO Box 420754
] Atlanta, GA 30342
]
] Please make your checks payable to "Interz0ne Legal
] Defense Fund". Any and all amounts will be greatly
] appreciated, and properly used!

If you have some spare liquid capitol, support these folks. I know all the senior Interz0ne staff, they are trustworthy, and this will be used to protect the speech freedoms of those who are associated with the convention.. Currently, its going to be focused on the Blackboard case involving Billy Hoffman and Virgil Griffith.

I'm assuming a Paypal method of donating to the fund will be setup soon. I will inform you all when that time comes..

Interz0ne Legal Defense Fund Started

] The preliminary
]
] injunction is here:
]
] http://www.interz0ne.com/events/Blackboard_Restr_Order.pd
] f

politechbot.com: Judge orders researchers, conference not to reveal security flaws