Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Trespassing charges for spyware?

Spyware may as well be called fryware: It burns up computers, wearing them out before their time should be up.

This morning, it took 40 minutes to shut off my machine, and I suspect it's because of spyware. When spyware programs slow down a computer to the point where it takes that long to turn off, they become viruses - not just clutter.

But since viruses seem to be legal now, judging by the Bush regime's inaction on the Swen virus, that may be moot from a legal standpoint.

What may not be moot is whether spyware is trespassing. In 2006, an Illinois lawyer quite rightly argued that spyware makers were committing trespassing: By polluting computers, they were using others' property without their consent - and putting unnecessary wear on said property.

In fact, I thought of charging spyware producers with trespassing even before I read that story.

If using a file sharing program is "stealing", then why isn't spyware trespassing?

If I can be arrested for "trespassing" for using a PUBLIC university library, why can't the inflictors of spyware be arrested for trespassing for using my PRIVATE computer without my permission?

Is it because corporations suddenly have "rights" now?

If spyware is harming my computer, I expect to be able to file trespassing charges. Corporate "rights" be damned.

1 comment:

  1. Wild Bill (Bandit's former next-door neighbor)March 10, 2010 at 3:39 PM

    It's awesome that you got banned from a public university library. Man, you are a LEGEND!

    ReplyDelete