The Register is running an article about a very interesting court case. Two companies are involved, Company A and Company B. A user of Company A lent a password to someone in Company B. Company B then logged into Company A's system and read and / or downloaded copyrighted materials.

Now here's the fun part. Company A sues under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. They win. They win because of the vague language used in the act's definition, and the definition of damages. So yeah, there you have it.

But here's the thing. If there was no privacy statement upon login, that's actually legal. Furthermore, charge them with fraud, with espionage even. But not this. Its not the right law! It just sets a stupid standard and causes more problems in the long run. Its just going to end badly.

I can see it now. Don't share your passwords, or the terrorists win.