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TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2004 RIAA Ends Amnesty Program Flaw Discovered in Internet Architecture Microsoft Extends Concessions RIAA ENDS AMNESTY PROGRAM The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has terminated an amnesty program it had offered to computer users who illegally shared music online. Under the Clean Slate program, users who admitted in writing to having violated copyright by trading music online, and who removed the files from their computers, could not be targeted by the recording industry's copyright lawsuits. More than 1,000 people signed up for the program, but the RIAA said "the program is no longer necessary or appropriate." A California man had sued the RIAA over the program, saying the RIAA was guilty of fraudulent business practices. Now that the program has been halted, the RIAA has asked that the case be dismissed. Critics of the program said it was misleading because the RIAA could not guarantee that copyright owners would not prosecute file traders. The RIAA said the program is no longer useful because consumer awareness of copyright issues has been raised sufficiently. San Jose Mercury News, 19 April 2004 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8469523.htm FLAW DISCOVERED IN INTERNET ARCHITECTURE A significant flaw with the Internet's transmission control protocol (TCP) was announced this week. Computer researcher Paul Watson discovered the flaw late last year, and security experts have been privately working since then on fixes for the vulnerability. Although the flaw affects personal computers, of greater concern is its impact on routers, which direct global electronic traffic using TCP. Watson discovered a method to quickly guess a password that would allow resetting a router remotely. Using this technique, hackers could cause routers to go into standby mode, crippling traffic across the Internet. Security experts had believed that guessing the passwords would take years, but Watson's method is able to discover passwords in as few as four guesses. Watson will present full details of his research Thursday at a conference in British Columbia. New York Times, 21 April 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Internet-Threat.html MICROSOFT EXTENDS CONCESSIONS In a surprise announcement, Microsoft said it will allow competing software companies to license its technology beyond the term required by Microsoft's antitrust settlement with the government. One of the major requirements of the settlement was that Microsoft allow competitors access to its technology so that those other firms could develop software that would work properly with the Windows operating system, thereby spurring competition in the software market. Only 14 companies, however, have bought licenses to use Microsoft technology in developing their own applications. Responding to comments from the judge in the case that the settlement has not shown the results anticipated, Microsoft said it will continue the licensing program until November 2009, two years longer than the settlement requires. Microsoft also said it will allow access to some portions of its next-generation operating system, known as Longhorn. Washington Post, 21 April 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30713-2004Apr21.html ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. For information on EDUCAUSE publications see http://www.educause.edu/pub/ ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/conference/ ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
