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bluesky - Re: Developer liability

bluesky AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Global-Scale Distributed Storage Systems

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  • From: Ted Anderson <ota AT transarc.com>
  • To: bluesky AT franklin.oit.unc.edu, "Global-Scale Distributed Storage Systems" <bluesky AT ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: hal AT finney.org
  • Subject: Re: Developer liability
  • Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 00:13:40 -0500 (EST)


On 14 Feb 2001 15:06:00 PST hal AT finney.org wrote:
> The concern is that even if the P2P system is decentralized and
> doesn't have a core target like Napster.com, the authors of the
> software could be exposed to liability. The motivation on the part of
> content owners would be to discourage the development of new P2P
> software by scaring people away from working on those programs.

Centralized file systems have servers that can be be subpoenaed or
seized when it stores objectional content. The idea that this
architecture is necessary for the software to be legal to write is very
hard to accept.

It seems a bit like the key escrow business. The only encryption
software legal (to export) needed a method of recording keys so they
could later be recovered by court order. It is my impression that the
publication of the powerful "The Risks of Key Recovery..." paper[1] by
Abelson et al, put these ridiculous schemes to rest.

On the face of it, the idea that certain types of file system software
would be illegal to *write*, seems far more ridiculous than that
unescrowed encryption would be illegal to export. Perhaps a strong
paper outlining the advantages of P2P storage systems would have the
same effect.

On 15 Feb 2001 14:32:14 PST hal AT finney.org wrote:
> Or do readers see P2P as being primarily about improving the
> efficiency of data sharing beyond what is possible today?

Indeed I do. The sort of system I envision is mostly motivated by the
desire to have users protect their own privacy and make the best use of
their storage resources: servers are just a bottleneck limiting overall
system throughput. Swapping copyrighted music is just an incidental,
though outlandishly popular, application.

Ted

[1] http://www.cdt.org/crypto/risks98/




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