nanog mailing list archives
Re: Compromised machines liable for damage?
From: Owen DeLong <owen () delong com>
Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 13:12:32 -0800
--On December 28, 2005 9:38:11 AM -0500 Jason Frisvold <xenophage0 () gmail com> wrote:
On 12/27/05, Owen DeLong <owen () delong com> wrote:Look at it another way... If the software is open source, then, there is no requirement for the author to maintain it as any end user has all the tools necessary to develop and deploy a fix. In the case of closed software, liability may be the only tool society has to protect itself from the negligence of the author(s). What is the liability situation for, say, a Model T car if it runs over someone? Can Ford still be held liable if he accident turns out to be caused by a known design flaw in the car? (I don't know the answer, but, I suspect that it would be the same for "old" software).But can't something similar be said for closed source? You know there's a vulnerability, stop using it... (I'm aware that this is much harder in practice)
One other thing I forgot to say here... With closed software, you don't have the option of fixing it yourself. With open source, that claim cannot be made. As such, since there are some cases in which the damage done by stopping use must be weighed against the damage done by continued use, it's a harder question WRT closed software, especially when it is an operating system. Owen -- If it wasn't crypto-signed, it probably didn't come from me.
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Current thread:
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage?, (continued)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Jason Frisvold (Dec 27)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? JC Dill (Dec 27)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 27)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Per Heldal (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Barry Shein (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Richard A Steenbergen (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 27)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Jason Frisvold (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Joseph S D Yao (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Douglas Otis (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 28)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Valdis . Kletnieks (Dec 29)
- Re: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 29)
- RE: Compromised machines liable for damage? David Schwartz (Dec 28)
- RE: Compromised machines liable for damage? Owen DeLong (Dec 26)