A US programmer claims to have written software that cracks the
encryption used to protect the copyrights in e-books compatible
with the popular Microsoft Reader software. So far, his program has
not been publicly released.03 Sep 2001
The anti-encryption software removes the restrictions that come with an e-book, such as preventing re-distribution or amendment. If publicly released, the author faces the risk of criminal charges under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which is currently being used in a trial against Russian programmer Dmitry Skylarov over software which breaks Adobe e-book security.
The programmer’s claim was published anonymously last Thursday on the web site of MIT Technology Review.