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This is really cool, and certainly a solid example of why the legislation is moronic. However, isn't this a violation of DMCA's (and similar legislation worldwide) "software lock" circumvention laws? > It's not pretty, but this is probably the first time anyone's been able to use Plasma at all in the better part of a decade. It seems that Wollay removed a critical UI file (for the sheet which artwork exists on) from Plasma, and made it so that the server would provide an obfuscated version of it to the client. That way, no amount of tampering could get an unauthorized copy of Plasma to work. Unfortunately, without the authentication server, authorized copies of Plasma cannot work anyway. Around this time, I started looking at what the picroma.de domain used to point to. I didn't find much of interest on archive.org, but... The domain was now available after all these years, and I bought it. To clarify, none of the reverse engineering stuff is the issue. However, when your start reimplementing or circumventing "authorization", then you're potentially in some trouble. Worse, it's not civil, like copyright infringement, whereby the IP owner has to go after you. It's criminal, so technically law enforcement themselves can go after you. In this case it seems unlikely, still though, be careful, folks. |
The DMCA provides a singularly annoying exemption process. Every three years, the Librarian of Congress makes a determination of valid exemptions to the DMCA. These exemptions are complicated to apply for, and having been previously granted theoretically has no impact on whether it is granted the next time, so anyone who wants to maintain an exemption needs to reapply and make their case every three years.
From 2018 and until 2021, there are 14 DMCA exemptions in effect. One of them is "Computer programs, except videos games, no longer reasonably available in commercial marketplace, for preservation by eligible libraries, archives, and museums." Unfortunately, while this software is not a video game, nor is it reasonably available, it is not covered by this clause, as "the work cannot be made available or distributed outside the physical premises of the eligible institution."
Not to worry, though! There is one other possible exemption. Number 11: "Computer programs, for purposes of good-faith security research." Is this good-faith security research? Well, one of the tests there is whether the "information is used primarily to promote security of devices on which the program operates." This probably does the opposite, being an effective argument and tutorial AGAINST security, so it probably doesn't work, either.
So yes, this is probably illegal. It could maybe even be a felony, technically. You could probably get years in prison for it. You wouldn't, but that won't stop a fed from convincing you of that in order to get you to sign a confession.