RetroCoder Threatens Security Vendors 157
john83 writes "RetroCoder the company that brings you SpyMon, a commercial keylogger is trying to stop vendors of security software from looking at their software. RetroCoder uses a EULA that prohibits anti-spyware publishers / software houses from downloading, running or examining the software in any way. Essentially, they're trying to hide a key logger behind copyright law." While they are certainly not the first to do so, it is interesting that companies still take this approach.
As a VA Software Corp stockholder... (Score:2, Insightful)
Your new strategy of having a continuing thread (the Intelligent Design flood), is even better! You just throw up 1 new piece of news and there is a whole new rehash of the same posts. It's the same crap over and over again, without any new ideas or originality but it's a guaranteed 1,000 posts and multiple thousand pageviews.
Keep up the good work whoring out your site!
Slashdot is owned by the OSTG which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of VA Software Corporation (NASDAQ: LNUX)
By the way, the last few stories had a low number of posts. Consider Intelligent Design for your next topic.
Commercial as in installed on your work computer? (Score:2, Insightful)
Or commercial as in installed by a dodgy person at work who gains access to the boss' or sysadmin's workstation for a few minutes?
Or commercial as in bundled with shitty software and then sends out what you type to criminals?
First one - legal, if unethical.
Second one - this type of installation should be removed by Spyware removers.
Third one - the writers of the software should be castrated.
Summary is a wee bit off.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Copyright law doesn't have provisions for EULAs. They are using faulty contract law logic to harass security vendors. I honestly think people only think an unsigned, after-the-fact EULA means anything because they've been conditioned throughout their lives to blindingly accept authority, whether real or perceived.
Re:Again? Only happened 4 days ago... (Score:3, Insightful)
Meta-moderate that as "unfair", like I do.
Re:Summary is a wee bit off.... (Score:4, Insightful)
The doctine of fair use. If, in order to use a product which you've purchased you need to make a temporary or permanent copy of it, then that use must by definition be fair.
Security Vendors (Score:3, Insightful)
It's up to the consumer to decide what goes on their computer, and if an anti-spyware maker wants to warn users of the threats, they have every right to. Otherwise, they're not doing the service THEY are promissing the customer, by identifying those things that spy on them. It really does perplex me how much people try and push with flawed licenses and poor IP laws. If there's any sign it needs to be revamped, this is it.
-M
Re:Sorry! (Score:0, Insightful)
Why? (Score:3, Insightful)
Otherwise, we would be building law on a number of bad laws.