Interview: Alex Halderman Upsets Copy Protection

Alex Halderman, a Princeton graduate student, was threatened with a lawsuit on Thursday after he published a paper detailing a way to bypass copyright protection software.

Halderman prevented SunnComm's MediaMax CD-3 software from loading a driver necessary to protect content when a CD plays by simply holding down the "Shift" key on his keyboard. This simple act blocked Windows from loading the driver automatically.

In response, SunnComm threatened litigation against Halderman, alleging that his disclosure of industry secrets violated criminal provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. To shore up its case against Halderman, SunnComm cited financial damages in excess of $10 million of its overall market value had resulted from his actions.

"SunnComm believes that by making erroneous assumptions in putting together his critical review of the MediaMax CD-3 technology, Halderman came to false conclusions concerning the robustness and efficacy of SunnComm's MediaMax technology," a spokesperson said in a statement.

SunnComm has since withdrawn its threat of litigation, which made international headlines, stating only that the damage has been done. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group opposed to the DCMA, vowed to defend Halderman from the charges and warn off any potential opposition to his research.

BetaNews sat down with Alex Halderman for his take on the events that unfolded over the past several days, which he found to be time consuming, but rewarding.

BetaNews: What led you to tinker with SunnComm's copyright protection system?

Alex Halderman: I saw articles about MediaMax in various newspapers in the weeks leading up to the new album's release. Having studied other copy protected CDs in the past, I was curious how SunnComm's new technique worked, especially because the press reports indicated that it was "secure" and that it was more compatible with legitimate playback devices than earlier schemes. I bought a copy from Amazon.com, and the rest is in the report.

BetaNews: When you published your findings, did you expect this groundswell of media attention on your work?

Alex Halderman: I expected some people might be interested, including the reporters who wrote about the copy protection before the CD was released, but I never expected it to be international news.

BN: Were you concerned that the DCMA would hinder your research, or the free and open exchange of ideas on campus?

AH: The DMCA casts a shadow over many areas of practical security research, but I wasn't particularly worried in this case. I don't think the paper violates the DMCA.

BN: What role do organizations such as the EFF play in ensuring your freedom to continue experimenting with aligned technologies?

AH: The EFF should be commended for their work in opposition to the DMCA.

BN: Do you feel that pressing the "Shift" key in this method could be considered a criminal act?

AH: Of course not.

BN: Do you believe DRM friendly services such as Napster 2.0 and the iTunes Music Store will truly clamp down on illicit file sharing?

AH: I think they have potential to convert many P2P users into paying customers, but only if they provide a better overall user experience than underground sources. If the Darknet idea is correct, tighter security will not accomplish this.

BN: Has the Compact Disc seen its heyday? Will electronic distribution render it obsolete?

AH: Devices that can play CDs outnumber PCs, probably by several fold. It will be a long time until the Compact Disc format goes away.

BN: Has the recording industry and its allies gone too far?

AH: I'm pleased to see that SunnComm has decided to drop their legal threats.

BN: Do you plan to continue looking into SunnComm's future product releases?

AH: I intend to research interesting practical applications of computer security.

BN: Thank you for your time, Alex.

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