

An open letter from bunnie, author of Hacking the Xbox (2013) - bootload
http://www.nostarch.com/xboxfree

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forrestthewoods
If you've never been involved in a serious lawsuit there are no words that can
sufficiently describe how soul crushing it is. To feebly defend yourself
against the mighty US government is unbearable. When the Feds tell lies in
court what are you supposed to do, sue them? I'd laugh but all I can muster is
a frail cry.

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currywurst
What an admirable stand by the AI Lab, in spite of the typical shenanigans of
legal. I hope we have the same fortitude to stand up to defend those we are
responsible for.

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jdonaldson
The worst part about universities is their tendency to claim IP rights on any
ideas produced by a student, but deny responsibility for any ideas that might
cause them any sort of inconvenience.

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ljf
Can we get (2013) added to the title?

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nate_meurer
Hacking the Xbox should be required reading for CS students. It is a seminal
work -- splendidly written, dense and accessible, and perhaps more
enlightening of the work of computer "systems engineering" than any other book
I've ever read.

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neindanke
> I started rebuilding my life overseas

Doesn't Bunnie now live in Singapore, not exactly a place known for freedom
and empathy for the common man? What does he mean rebuilding his life?

~~~
omilu
Parent is getting downvoted, but he/she makes a legitimate point. As someone
who spent some time in Singapore, it is an awesome place, great food and
people and completely beautiful. But they will hang your ass for an ounce of
weed, cops can search you without a warrent
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misuse_of_Drugs_Act_(Singapore...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misuse_of_Drugs_Act_\(Singapore\)),
and cane you for graffitti.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_P._Fay](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_P._Fay)

Parent was just pointing out the irony.

~~~
balls2you
Yes, but Singapore doesn't prosecute you for reverse engineering. That's why
he is there. Your point of irony is directed towards other acts that are not
relevant to Bunnie's situation.

~~~
omilu
According to wikipedia the US is fairly permissive regarding reverse
engineering hardware [1]: _In the United States even if an artifact or process
is protected by trade secrets, reverse-engineering the artifact or process is
often lawful as long as it has been legitimately obtained._

Bunnies protest is about what happened to Aaron which was a case about data
theft, copyright and the draconian way the us government intended to prosecute
and punish.

Singapore has similar copyright and antipiracy laws, and an even more
authoritarian and unfair legal process. [2] _Human rights activists, foreign
scholars and opposition party members have pointed out that members of the
opposition parties often suffer "misfortunes" of various kinds, including
arrest, sued into bankruptcy especially in defamatory lawsuits, and
imprisonment, with the convictions and bankruptcy in turn barring the
opposition candidates from standing in elections._

For the record, I love Bunnie, Singapore and the USA

[1].
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_engineering#United_Sta...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_engineering#United_States)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Singapore#Criticis...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Singapore#Criticism)

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plow
I'm beginning to think that mentioning a university is the same as mentioning
race irrelevantly.

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Quequau
It's interesting how one popular post about nearly anything, will prompt
people dredge up all sorts of things from past.

I suppose today's it's all things Bunnie.

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harwoodleon
"Might is right" pretty much sums up the global legal infrastructure
everywhere. USA is not party to some special case here, I think all hacking
activity should be high risk for the individual(because all hacking is not
ethical) and it is right that the law protect citizens from the unethical
hackers that are able to affect us all in bad ways. For every Robin Hood there
are many more who just don't care. I do think that hacking is required, simply
as a check and balance against large institutions - but as an established
practice like journalism, which is subject to special legal cases.

As with drug misuse, the penalty for me is the issue here. It's a lack of
understanding about the causes or reasons behind the crime, a blunt response.
Rethink or reduce the penalties and the practice becomes more attractive to
people prepared to take the risk, for the right reasons.

This is a moral issue that will only become more complex, but embattling the
issue into camps of the individual against the corporation will only serve the
legal industry, not society at large.

