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The article goes on: > The law does not define a computer, but defines data storage devices as a “thing containing, or designed to contain, data for use by a c
by DougBTX 7y ago
The article goes on:
> The law does not define a computer, but defines data storage devices as a “thing containing, or designed to contain, data for use by a computer”.
Regardless of whether the phone is a computer, how could it be argued that the data on the phone is not for use by a computer?
- rickycook 7y agobecause the data on the phone is containing or designed to contain data for use by a phone because a phone isn’t a computer...?
- klodolph 7y agoI think this kind of comments illustrate a difference in thinking between engineering and law. Engineers need specs, but the law is not a spec in the sense that engineers use it.
- rahimnathwani 7y agoSo is a piece of paper with a QR code a 'data storage device'? What about a book with a 2D barcode on the back? What about a price sticker that goes on a banana, that can be scanned by a cash register? Is that sticker a 'data storage device'?
- cr0sh 7y agoI'd argue "yes" to all those examples. Books, especially, have always been "data storage devices"; I don't see why a portion of a book couldn't be by reduction. Back in the 1980s, some magazines had a scannable page of barcode-like print that were programs to load into your computer (I think it was for the Mac, using a handheld scanner). It didn't work as well as hoped, and didn't last long. Some magazines also came with small plastic floppy records, that if you knew what you were doing, you could load programs from as audio (just like from a cassette tape). From what I understand, these were more common in the UK and Europe than in the United States. Then you have things like punch cards and punched paper tape (and the plastic variants). Where do you draw the line?
- cascom 7y agomy reading of that snippet of text would seem to be that the law was referencing external hard drives, USB drives, etc.
- mewse 7y agoI haven't plugged my phone into a computer in years (apart from very occasionally just to charge it, when away from a wall wart). Do people commonly still use their phones to hold or transfer files for use on a computer? I figured that use case must be well and truly dead by now.