[Discuss] Govt Source Code Policy

[me at mattgillen.net (Matthew Gillen)]

On 4/4/2016 4:54 PM, Rich Pieri wrote:
> Every or nearly every version of iOS, including the version on Farook's
> employer's iPhone, has vulnerabilities that can be exploited in order to
> run unsigned versions of the operating system. GPL Part 3 prohibits
> using laws like WIPO as protection which means the dissemination of
> exploits cannot be prevented or suppressed by those laws. In this case
> the FBI would legally have the information necessary to circumvent the
> DRM and thus still would not need Apple to sign their custom GovtOS in
> order to avoid wiping the device.

Would they?  Most (all?) of those exploits involve you installing an app
that takes advantage of a bug in the OS to jailbreak the system, or
visiting a web site with a vulnerable browser, etc.  What all these have
in common is that you have to already have a phone where you've defeated
the screenlock.  Every thing I've seen about hacking an iPhone
screenlock involves using Siri, which I imagine you can turn off
completely (I don't participate in iCulture, so I am presuming).

> I have to admit: it's been entertaining watching you GPL adherents try
> to punch holes in your own favorite software license in order to prevent
> the FBI from hypothetically doing what it was carefully crafted to
> explicitly permit.

I can't really say that it's been entertaining watching you parade your
opinions around as facts (e.g. what constitutes 'interference'), but to
each his own.

What /is/ amusing is that your bait to start this whole thing was
misinformed to begin with.  The DCMA already specifically exempts law
enforcement (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/1201 ; Section
1201(e)):

> (e)Law Enforcement, Intelligence, and Other Government Activities.?
> This section does not prohibit any lawfully authorized investigative,
> protective, information security, or intelligence activity of an
> officer, agent, or employee of the United States, a State, or a
> political subdivision of a State, or a person acting pursuant to a
> contract with the United States, a State, or a political subdivision
> of a State.

So GPLv3 would have zero affect on what the FBI is allowed to do, since
they clearly already had a warrant to search that phone.

Matt