Comment Some facts for a change (actual law text f.ex.) (Score 1) 299
Instead of getting all worked up and randomly speculating and inventing what law prohibits, how about actually reading the text of the law??
First, it's not about "sections 200 and following" (section 200 is followed by a break, and a new block, the one that concerns protection of privacy, begins with section 201). More specific, it's really only about changing 202a and adding 202b and 202c.
The proposal that now became law, together with detailed explanations, can be found on this official government site:
http://www.bmj.bund.de/files/-/1317/RegE%20Compute rkriminalit%E4t.pdf
The only controversial one of the additions is the second number under 202c:
(1) Wer eine Straftat nach 202a oder 202b vorbereitet, indem er
1. Passworte oder sonstige Sicherungscodes, die den Zugang zu Daten ( 202a Abs. 2) ermöglichen, oder
2. Computerprogramme, deren Zweck die Begehung einer solchen Tat ist,
[herstellt, sich oder einem anderen verschafft, verkauft, einem anderen überlässt, verbreitet oder sonst zugänglich macht,]
wird mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu einem Jahr oder mit Geldstrafe bestraft.
Translated:
(1) The person who prepares an offence according to 202a or 202b by
[creating, procuring for himself or someone else, selling, leaving to someone, disseminating or make accessible by other means,]
1. Passwords or other security codes, which allow the access to data ( 202a Abs. 2), or
2. Computer programs, whose purpose is the commiting of such an offence,
will be punished by a term of imprisonment of up to one year or a fine.
So what's said in the article ("Manufacturing, programming, installing, or spreading software that
can circumvent security measures is verboten) is wrong. Only "Computer programs, whose *purpose*
is the commiting of such an offence" are forbidden. Computer programs which may be use for circumventing
security (like packet sniffers, port scanners...) but whose purpose is not expressly mainly to illegally
gain access to other people's data are not prohibited. As an example of a program that would be, take
your common trojan whose main purpose is to hide on someone's computer and secrectly sniff data.
First, it's not about "sections 200 and following" (section 200 is followed by a break, and a new block, the one that concerns protection of privacy, begins with section 201). More specific, it's really only about changing 202a and adding 202b and 202c.
The proposal that now became law, together with detailed explanations, can be found on this official government site:
http://www.bmj.bund.de/files/-/1317/RegE%20Comput
The only controversial one of the additions is the second number under 202c:
(1) Wer eine Straftat nach 202a oder 202b vorbereitet, indem er
1. Passworte oder sonstige Sicherungscodes, die den Zugang zu Daten ( 202a Abs. 2) ermöglichen, oder
2. Computerprogramme, deren Zweck die Begehung einer solchen Tat ist,
[herstellt, sich oder einem anderen verschafft, verkauft, einem anderen überlässt, verbreitet oder sonst zugänglich macht,]
wird mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu einem Jahr oder mit Geldstrafe bestraft.
Translated:
(1) The person who prepares an offence according to 202a or 202b by
[creating, procuring for himself or someone else, selling, leaving to someone, disseminating or make accessible by other means,]
1. Passwords or other security codes, which allow the access to data ( 202a Abs. 2), or
2. Computer programs, whose purpose is the commiting of such an offence,
will be punished by a term of imprisonment of up to one year or a fine.
So what's said in the article ("Manufacturing, programming, installing, or spreading software that
can circumvent security measures is verboten) is wrong. Only "Computer programs, whose *purpose*
is the commiting of such an offence" are forbidden. Computer programs which may be use for circumventing
security (like packet sniffers, port scanners...) but whose purpose is not expressly mainly to illegally
gain access to other people's data are not prohibited. As an example of a program that would be, take
your common trojan whose main purpose is to hide on someone's computer and secrectly sniff data.
