Author Topic: free Dmitry!!!!!! (Read 3400 times)

Dmitry · « **on:** July 23, 2001, 01:15:00 AM »

quote from some news media:

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Dmitry Sklyarov is a Russian cryptographer. In order to expose the childishly simple encryption used on a e-book reader made by the Adobe Corporation (not much more difficult than pig latin), he wrote a program used to decrypt e-books encrypted with Adobe's program. A company he works for then sold it over the Internet. All this programming was done in Russia, where the DMCA does not apply. Mr. Sklyarov then came to the U.S., to discuss his work at a convention in Las Vegas. Adobe, aware he would be coming to the U.S., ordered the FBI to arrest him. He is now being held in an undisclosed location, awaiting arraignment.

some more info i bumped into:
by Ilya V. Vasilyev

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Hi, All!

First of all, excuse my bad English. As for now, we have no professional interpreters. AFAIK, no professional interpreter can work as much, as I had to do the last three days. And I'm just a Russian citizen. Its lucky for everyone, that I know a little bit English (because of computer study) -- we can communicate.

There were 10 people on press-conference: the owners of the hall, four activists, three "free journalists" and two people, who said, that also can help in oranizing action. The place of the conference was symbolic -- "round table" in the bookstore.

The majority of people get known about press-conference a day before or today morning, but postpone their deeds and came. It was hard to separate whats happening to press-conference and meeting of activists, because journalists came asyncronious. The owners of the hall also have their deeds, we meet with them at the beginning and at the end of the conference.

American journalist interested in Adobe, but, when we declared that Adobe position is unknown until their negotiation with EFF, the topic was unjust arrest of Dmitry Sklyarov and DMCA law.

One of the activists made suggestion, that Adobe is just playing "the second hand" of FBI, that is benifit from creation of DMCA precedent. He noted not good situation, that Adobe have found itself and expressed the opinion, that Adobe was specially selected, because Adobe problems aren't a problems of industry -- if protest actions will be against Microsoft or IBM, this will make a significant strike to the States themselves.

DMCA law, factually, ban exploreing of protected programs, given to U.S. secret service to put impunity "holes", "trojans" and make "backdoors". If we permit Dmitry case to make precedent, the computer, you bought, is on FBI service, not your. Moreover, FBI will put into prison everyone, who will dare to publish the prove of "hole" presence, no matter of his citizenship or from what country he is.

I told, that FBI words that Advanced eBook Processor copyright belongs to Dmitry mustn't be taken on trust. Willing people can download AEBPR from the site:
www.elcomsoft.com/aebpr.html

and assure, that copyright, both in documentation and in the program, belongs to ElcomSoft company. Only those programs were "distributed", more accurate -- were put on ElcomSoft web site, during Dmitry visit in US.

This fact was first time published on the described press-conference in Moscow.

Dmitry is pursued by criminal article, because he got "financial gain" from selling the program. Ah! And here FBI makes unpardonable inaccuracy. The profit from sales took ElcomSoft company, Dmitry is her ordinary employer, on salary.

If FBI willn't discontinue the case, it for sure must convert it into civil, non-criminal. May be, even not against Dmitry, but against ElcomSoft. The company against company, whose activity the first company count illegal.

Charges, that Dmitry imported in US ElcomSoft product with primary use to take protection off from protected products, is false twice. Programs, that were "imported" by Dmitry, were for the only aim -- demonstration that all, that is told about eBook "protection", differs from reality. He flyed to the conference only because of that -- to make computer security speach, not for taken protection from God know what books. Charge him with this one can no more, that detective story designer in murder.

Dmitry commit no crime on the US territory neighter by US law, nor by Russian. In Russia he behave himself lawfully. One can arrest him in US no more, than arrest foregner in Moscow, who smoke marijuana sigarette in Amsterdam (where it is legal) a year before. Even USSR don't put into jail americans, that said bad words about communists in US -- that is illegal by Soviet laws.

There are too many such inaccuracies and stiffnesses in the case against Dmitry. Factually, Americans must chose now -- to live in police state, when every toaster, bought on your money will execute secret FBI instructions, or help to free Dmitry.

The most sad for us is that DMCA law begin its terror from citizens of other countries, becoming the problem of worldwide scale.

About protest actions in Moscow.

Being listening to EFF opinion, that advice to postpone street actions of protest until Adobe position will be clear on negotiating with EFF on Monday, 23 of June, we desided.

We'll continue preparation the protest action in the capital of Russia, but hold it until EFF desision.

and that after i can download about anything that Adobe makes, all hacks, cracks.... u name it... from 1000 of locations.. Intelegent person who showed right into their faces that their security is crap gets arrested? Meanwhile i am typing this about 100-200 ppl across palnet downloading all those Prremier 6, Photoshop 7, PageMaker and such....

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: Dmitry ]

StSanta · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2001, 06:09:00 AM »

This is what big software companies does when their stupidity is exposed :/

Hope the guy gets released.

Gadfly · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2001, 07:15:00 AM »

Hey, Boroda, Why don't you and your pals come over for a visit.

Boroda · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2001, 08:14:00 AM »

Simply because if iEN will lose the case (and they will) - it will be probably the worst precedent for online gaming industry.

Some more interesting reading about FBI in action:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134287977_hacker23m0.html http://www.msnbc.com/news/563379.asp http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/internet/04/24/russia.hacking.ap/index.html?s=8 http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20010423/tc/fbi_nabs_russian_hackers_1.html

I don't know why US is called a democratic country, even our militia never dares to use open entrapment like that.

I don't support criminal activities, and maybe that guys deserve prison. But entrapment like that is too much.

About Adobe/Elcomsoft case: I expect Russian officials to state a request for immediate release of Dmitry and all legal issues to be passed to Russian embassy in Washington.

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: Boroda ]

Animal · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2001, 08:32:00 AM »

What is Borodas relation to iEN?

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2001, 11:26:00 AM »

Dmitry (or the company he worked for) sold a program that cracked Adobe's encryption enabling people to read on-line books for free. That is a far cry from "exposing childishly simple encryption".

Quit trying to make crooks look like saints.

And Baroda... you really need to get a clue. You may notice that the only two things these hackers are even remotely able to argue is the way the evidence was siezed. Their guilt is not in question.

Nice to see the victimizers become the victims once in a while.

AKDejaVu

jihad · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2001, 11:47:00 AM »

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134287977_hacker23m0.html

Ain't payback a squeak? <snicker>

Fatty · « **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2001, 12:34:00 PM »

Similar to the burgler who is only demonstrating the security flaws in your front door lock, these poor, misunderstood, exploited guys were only trying to make the world a better place.

Yoj · « **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2001, 01:09:00 PM »

Actually, exposing flaws in computer program security by writing programs to take advantage of them and putting them on the net has become a commonplace way of alerting them to the problems. It seems it has become incredibly difficult to get the attention of the software companies any other way. The only difference here is that such programs are usually done as shareware or freeware, not sold commercially.

- Yoj

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2001, 01:55:00 PM »

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The only difference here is that such programs are usually done as shareware or freeware, not sold commercially.

This alone merits the response. The rest is somewhat debatable.

AKDejaVu

leonid · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2001, 02:23:00 PM »

Sorry to hear about that Dmitry

I suspect he will be released before too long.

Please ignore the US propaganda here. It's deplorable really. But thankfully, it's not the norm in America, just the one with the loudest mouth

funkedup · « **Reply #11 on:** July 23, 2001, 03:05:00 PM »

What's deplorable about the just punishment of someone who makes his living from ripping off US software companies?

Fury · « **Reply #12 on:** July 23, 2001, 03:11:00 PM »

My understanding was that the e-book code was cracked at the request of the people who created the security. They basically asked people to try to crack the code.

When the code was cracked, the e-book people did not respond to Dimitry and the company that cracked it. So, the company decided to sell the product to get the company's attention.

I heard this on NPR last Friday, so I apologize for not remembering it very well (and if I've remembered wrong), but that was the gist of it.

He should not get into trouble for cracking it (it was a dare), but selling it is a different story. imho

(edit: http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=07%2F19%2F2001&PrgID=3 "Copyrite Arrest", I'll listen to the RealAudio when I get home and see if I remember correctly or not)

[ 07-23-2001: Message edited by: Fury ]

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2001, 03:52:00 PM »

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When the code was cracked, the e-book people did not respond to Dimitry and the company that cracked it. So, the company decided to sell the product to get the company's attention.

LOL! I guess they did just that. Of course, it was completely illegal.

AKDejaVu

Yoj · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2001, 04:16:00 PM »

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Originally posted by AKDejaVu:

LOL! I guess they did just that. Of course, it was completely illegal.

AKDejaVu

Yes it was - but, as I mentioned, it is really hard to get the attention of the big software houses, even when its to their benefit. Here we have a case where someone tried to provide valuable information and figured they needed to hit the company with a pie in the face to get them to accept the information. I agree the program should not have been sold, but beyond that I don't see a crime here. At worst they should have to give up any profits made on it and pay a fine. Having the FBI holding someone is ridiculous.