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Ask HN: Could you copyright the data of an IP packet?
In the 'Winning at Candy Crush' thread, I suggested modification of network proxies to give a group of users unlimited lives (thread here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6739711).
As a response, bmohlenhoff suggested it could be a copyright violation. While I disagree in that specific case, it made me wonder: Could an entity copyright the data field of an IP packet in an effort to thwart in-flight modifications?
I can't think of a reason I like the legal ramifications of such a thing. I'm just curious if it's possible (from a legal sense).
- wmf 13y agoThis has been litigated in the form of garage door openers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chamberlain_Group,_Inc._v._Skylink_Technologies,_Inc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chamberlain_Group,_Inc._v._.... In general, a network protocol is going to be viewed as functional not expressive and thus not copyrightable.