>In a recent case, the book, Hit Man was used as a manual to commit a
> >multiple murder. The family of the victims of this murder sued the
> >publisher and author of this book. Based on my reading of the decision
> >in that case (which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court), this case
> >could be brought to trial because the book, Hit Man: taught criminal
>behavior, exhorted the reader to engage >in criminal behavior, and then
>taught the reader to develop a blatant >disregard for human life.
Boy, I'm glad this caveat was in the story:
>For children who get the right training at home and who have the >ability
>to distinguish between real and unreal consequences, they're >still games.
Otherwise more of this kind of BS might be going on:
>Other game designers were champing at the bit. Prominent among them >was
>the Mentor, a gentleman who, like most of his friends in the >Legion of
>Doom, was quite the cyberpunk devotee. Mentor reasoned that >the time had
>come for a *real* cyberpunk gaming-book -- one that the >princes of
>computer-mischief in the Legion of Doom could play without >laughing
>themselves sick. This book, *GURPS Cyberpunk,* would reek of >culturally
>on- line authenticity.
>Mentor was particularly well-qualified for this task. Naturally, he >knew
>far more about computer-intrusion and digital skullduggery than >any
>previously published cyberpunk author. Not only that, but he was >good at
>his work. A vivid imagination, combined with an instinctive >feeling for
>the working of systems and, especially, the loopholes >within them, are
>excellent qualities for a professional game designer.
>By March 1st, *GURPS Cyberpunk* was almost complete, ready to print >and
>ship. Steve Jackson expected vigorous sales for this item, which, >he
>hoped, would keep the company financially afloat for several >months.
>*GURPS Cyberpunk,* like the other GURPS "modules," was not >a "game" like a
>Monopoly set, but a *book:* a bound paperback book the >size of a glossy
>magazine, with a slick color cover, and pages full of >text, illustrations,
>tables and footnotes. It was advertised as a >game, and was used as an aid
>to game-playing, but it was a book, with >an ISBN number, published in
>Texas, copyrighted, and sold in >bookstores.
>And now, that book, stored on a computer, had gone out the door in the
> >custody of the Secret Service.
>The day after the raid, Steve Jackson visited the local Secret Service
> >headquarters with a lawyer in tow. There he confronted Tim Foley(still
> >in Austin at that time) and demanded his book back. But there was
> >trouble. *GURPS Cyberpunk,* alleged a Secret Service agent to >astonished
>businessman Steve Jackson, was "a manual for computer >crime."
http://www.chriswaltrip.com/sterling/crack2n.html
Also see Bruce Sterling's The Hacker Crackdown
Todd
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