ElcomSoft acquitted: DMCA not quite as effective as planned
“NYT” story.

“Dec. 17 [~] In the first criminal court test of a law intended to prevent digital piracy, a federal jury today acquitted a Russian company accused of illegally selling software that permitted users to circumvent security features in an electronic book.

The case, which was tried in San Jose, centered on the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, a technology-era update to copyright law. The act has engendered deep criticism from some legal experts who say it goes too far in protecting copyrights and, in turn, stifles innovation. Today, some of those critics hailed the jury’s decision as a sign that the government must choose its cases more judiciously…”