GuNgA-DiN writes "Jon Lech Johansen, the 21-year-old Norwegian media hacker nicknamed DVD Jon, is moving to San Diego to work for maverick tech entrepreneur Michael Robertson in what can only be described as the most portentous team-up since Butch met Sundance. "I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I know it will be reverse engineering, and I'm sure it will be interesting," Johansen told Wired News during a Friday stopover in San Francisco. Robertson's website reveals that they are working on a new project and all he said was: "Oboe is the code name for a significant new project we have underway that will launch before the end of the year. It's as momentous as anything I've ever done in my technical career, but I won't say more since I despise vaporware. I know this project will be even better with Jon on board."" DVD Jon to work for Michael Robertson Log in/Create an Account | Top | 255 comments | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 255 comments 0: 248 comments 1: 188 comments 2: 128 comments 3: 34 comments 4: 21 comments 5: 16 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog (Score:5, Informative) by Hulkster (722642) on Wednesday October 19, @09:20AM (#13825832) (http://www.komar.org/hulk/) The WSJ storycan be read here [post-gazette.com] and has some interesting insights as Jon as a person.Also check outJon's Blog [nanocrew.net] that is appopriately (?)titled "So sue me"Hulk'inHalloween Display/Webcam is up [komar.org] [ Reply to ThisRe:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog by ion_ (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:47AMRe:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog by mpathetiq (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:56AMRe:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog by KronicD (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:14AMRe:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog by mpathetiq (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:24AM Re:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog (Score:5, Funny) by Itchy Rich (818896) on Wednesday October 19, @10:39AM (#13826470) Perhaps I shouldn't be posting while doing wireless surveying in the car. Don't worry, I'm not driving... my boss is. Right, and you were just down there looking for your keys. Heard it all before... [ Reply to This | ParentRe:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog by mpathetiq (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:52AMRe:More info at WSJ Story and Jon's Blog by MindStalker (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:53AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Stay out! (Score:5, Insightful) by CyricZ (887944) on Wednesday October 19, @09:20AM (#13825833) He should stay out of the US. We don't need him becoming another Dmitry Sklyarov. [ Reply to This Agreed (Score:5, Interesting) by Tibor the Hun (143056) on Wednesday October 19, @09:23AM (#13825860) now he won't be able to reverse engineer anynthing that circumvents the copy protection on Blu-Ray. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Agreed by slavemowgli (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:03AMRe:Agreed by Tibor the Hun (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:24AMRe:Stay out! by zzqzzq_zzq (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:29AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Seconded! Don't do it! (Score:5, Insightful) by Weaselmancer (533834) on Wednesday October 19, @09:40AM (#13825997) Dmitry was the first person I thought of too - seriously Jon, stay out! I'm not kidding. You'll wind up in jail. Doesn't matter if what you did was legal in your own country or not. The Media Mafia does NOT care. They'll have you locked up. These guys own Senators and they make the rules.No offer they've made could possibly be worth the risk. Don't do it. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Seconded! Don't do it! by BJZQ8 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @09:49AMRe:Seconded! Don't do it! by killjoe (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @03:49PMRe:Stay out! by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:42AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Let's get ahead of the game (Score:5, Funny) by Lifewish (724999) on Wednesday October 19, @09:48AM (#13826051) (http://www.srcf.ucam.org/~ajl59/ | Last Journal: Monday February 16, @02:08PM) Why don't we just set up the "Free Jon Lech Johansen" fund now? Will save time later. [ Reply to This | ParentThere already is a website ? by thrill12 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @01:18PM Doesn't really matter anymore (Score:5, Interesting) by CheeseTroll (696413) on Wednesday October 19, @09:51AM (#13826068) According to the Wired article... "In Norway, you have the same laws (as in the United States) now," he says, "so it makes no difference if I'm doing my work here or there." [ Reply to This | ParentDanger Will Robinson! Danger! by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:16AMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by 6*7 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:51AMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by OverlordQ (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @01:09PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by 6*7 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @01:29PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by OverlordQ (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @03:53PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by 6*7 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @04:55PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by Kjella (Score:3) Wednesday October 19, @10:59AMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by murukusu (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @12:56PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by halltk1983 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @01:33PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by murukusu (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @02:17PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by Grishnakh (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @02:00PMRe:Danger Will Robinson! Danger! by WhiteWolf666 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:23AMNot really by andersh (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @04:26PMRe:Not really by Pentavirate (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @06:15PMRe:Absolutely stay out of the 'States. by ultranova (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:08AM2 replies beneath your current threshold.Re:Doesn't really matter anymore by Nimey (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:20AMNot broken at all by andersh (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @04:34PMRe:Stay out! by 91degrees (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:34AMRe:Stay out! by Cyno01 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:48AMRe:Stay out! by 91degrees (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:19AMRe:Stay out! by mycall (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @12:53PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Stay out! by Carnildo (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @02:17PMNope by Hrothgar The Great (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @04:45PMButch and Sundance by Descalzo (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:03AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. It's a trap! (Score:5, Funny) by parasonic (699907) on Wednesday October 19, @09:23AM (#13825857) Moving to the US... Officer: Welcome to America, sir Jon: It's a trap! [Brief pause] Officer: You are under arrest for crimes against the DMCA. [ Reply to ThisRe:It's a trap! by Rude Turnip (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:57AMRe:It's a trap! by -kertrats- (Score:3) Wednesday October 19, @09:59AMTwo by Two, Hand of Blue by sadler121 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:49AM No, wait! (Score:4, Funny) by solomonrex (848655) on Wednesday October 19, @11:18AM (#13826842) Read the article, he's not going to the U.S., guys. He's going to California. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:No, wait! by eraserewind (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @08:59PMRe:It's a trap! by HawkingMattress (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:16AMRe:It's a trap! by ergo98 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:26AMdialogue continued... by SethJohnson (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @12:07PMAnd what if it is? by Spy der Mann (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @12:31PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:It's a trap! by 6*7 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:54AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. All I know (Score:5, Insightful) by Kawahee (901497) on Wednesday October 19, @09:26AM (#13825873) (http://ensim.bkshosting.com/~admin83/lanlocked/) "All I know is it will involve reverse engineering" Despite the fact that reverse engineering is legal for plenty of abstract instances, there's only a few cases where it's legal (in the US) to reverse engineer to compete/modify/upgrade (with) a product. I'm guessing this 'Oboe' thing is doomed to fail, regardless of how 'legit' it is, it's going to be blockaded by legal barrierers and appeals and whatnot. That's assuming they're using the reverse engineering to enter a market and compete with another services, if it's something completely new and doesn't compete with other services (at least directly), I'll change my tune. [ Reply to This Re:All I know (Score:4, Insightful) by hador_nyc (903322) on Wednesday October 19, @09:34AM (#13825943) (http://myworld10950.blogspot.com/) As far as I know, it's legal to reverse engineer. Then you build something significantly different, but performing the same function, and sell it. I know people at P&G that do that with pratically every consumer product on the market. Is there a patent issue I'm missing? I though that was the whole point of patent laws and the like. You can reverse engineer if you like, but can't build something significantly similiar during the life of the patent. You can build something to perform the same function though. All that aside, I'm curious what they're up to. I'm a fan of competition and innovation. Isn't that the reason we all attack Microsoft so much? [ Reply to This | ParentRe:All I know by LesPaul75 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @02:34PMRe:All I know by hador_nyc (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @02:45PMRe:All I know by chgros (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @05:18PM How about a VPN then? (Score:4, Insightful) by Weaselmancer (533834) on Wednesday October 19, @09:46AM (#13826031) If he's going to be doing "reverse engineering", why on earth would he come to the place on planet Earth where he is most likely to wind up in jail for doing so?Why not hook him up with a VPN and have him work out of his current home? You know, some place far far away where he can't wind up in jail for DCMA violations?You don't need your physical body to be in the US to work for a US company, you know. Keep your body somewhere where it can't get thrown in jail. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:How about a VPN then? by DaveJay (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @03:28PMYou're forgetting by idontneedanickname (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @03:45PMPerfectly legal by shadowj (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @09:56AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:All I know by mwvdlee (Score:3) Wednesday October 19, @10:13AMRe:All I know by sadler121 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @12:48PMRe:All I know by commbat (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @01:11PMRe:All I know by bsytko (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @12:27PMRe:All I know by Grishnakh (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @04:31PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. What's the difference (Score:1, Offtopic) by mmkkbb (816035) <mkbluvsfreezepop AT gmail DOT com> on Wednesday October 19, @09:27AM (#13825885) (http://hydrogenproject.com/ | Last Journal: Tuesday September 20, @08:47AM) What's the difference between an oboe and an onion? Nobody cries when you chop up an oboe. [ Reply to ThisRe:What's the difference by Golias (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @09:57AMRe:What's the difference by slavemowgli (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:04AMRe:What's the difference by Golias (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:07AMRe:What's the difference by thesnarky1 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:58AM6 replies beneath your current threshold. a million voices just cried out (Score:2) by klang (27062) on Wednesday October 19, @09:27AM (#13825891) and fell silent..Who is going to break the DRM on pretty much anything and everything now?Why can somebody that smart be so stupid? (as to move to The Land of The DMCA) [ Reply to ThisRe:a million voices just cried out by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:37AMRe:a million voices just cried out by Patrik_AKA_RedX (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @09:43AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:a million voices just cried out by BobSutan (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:02AMRe:a million voices just cried out by lbrt (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:16AMRe:a million voices just cried out by 6*7 (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:00AMRe:a million voices just cried out by 808140 (Score:3) Wednesday October 19, @10:25AMRe:a million voices just cried out by BobSutan (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @01:27PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:a million voices just cried out by HTH NE1 (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @12:24PMRe:a million voices just cried out by Jussi K. Kojootti (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:09AMRe:a million voices just cried out by thebdj (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:12AMRe:a million voices just cried out by Grishnakh (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @04:34PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. But now there's a company behind him... (Score:2, Insightful) by airjrdn (681898) on Wednesday October 19, @09:28AM (#13825896) (http://www.themintonfamily.com/) Doesn't that just give the big boys someone to sue that has more money? [ Reply to This does not compute (Score:2) by moviepig.com (745183) on Wednesday October 19, @09:29AM (#13825912) (http://www.moviepig.com/) How do you get "reverse engineering" and "momentous" into one paragraph? [ Reply to ThisRe:does not compute by PhilHibbs (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @09:35AMRe:does not compute by NormalVisual (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:13AMRe:does not compute by PhilHibbs (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:43AMRe:does not compute by adtifyj (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:41PM Wired Story (Score:5, Informative) by hojna (914510) on Wednesday October 19, @09:30AM (#13825920) The WIRED [wired.com] story is here. It is more indepth then the WSJ article. [ Reply to Thiswired article has more insight by enjahova (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:01AMRe:Wired Story by Geek Dash Boy (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:14AM Bad Idea (Score:3, Insightful) by dismentor (592590) on Wednesday October 19, @09:31AM (#13825922) He's just going to get arrested isn't he? He's clearly comitted crimes under the DMCA; more so than Dmitry Skylarov, and look what happened to him. I think this is a really bad idea. [ Reply to This sorry guys.. (Score:5, Funny) by jkind (922585) on Wednesday October 19, @09:36AM (#13825961) (http://www.milliondollarsweethearts.com/) But there is already something called an Oboe. A doublereed, soprano range instrument with a conical bore (slightly expanding diameter from reed to bell). It has a nasal, but mellow and poignant, tone. Honestly though I don't see how Lindows + DVD + reverse engineering = profit?! [ Reply to ThisMaybe oboe is... by cryptoguy (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:24AMOr to the younger /.ers... by TheStonepedo (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @10:06PM2 replies beneath your current threshold. TMM? (Score:2) by MyLongNickName (822545) on Wednesday October 19, @09:40AM (#13825992) (Last Journal: Thursday June 16, @04:00PM) I, for one, miss TripMaster Monkey's insights. What have you done with him? [ Reply to This Re:TMM? (Score:5, Funny) by gstoddart (321705) on Wednesday October 19, @10:21AM (#13826310) (http://slashdot.org/) I, for one, miss TripMaster Monkey's insights. What have you done with him?He is taking a well-deserved rest.He'll be back as a higly-moderated first-post in a duplicate story near you real soon. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:TMM? by jcostantino (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:15AM2 replies beneath your current threshold. Origin of product? (Score:1) by Tominva1045 (587712) on Wednesday October 19, @09:41AM (#13826002) (http://www.thntech.com/) He might not be reverse engineering an American-made or otherwise legally protected in America product. It might be a hydrogen-powered, transparent aluminum encased, Linux box- with full support for word, excel, powerpoint, etc. oooh baby! [ Reply to ThisRe:Origin of product? by hotdiggitydawg (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @11:08AM This has a familiar ring to it (Score:1, Offtopic) by totallygeek (263191) on Wednesday October 19, @09:41AM (#13826004) (http://www.totallygeek.com/) Reminds me of the hype surrounding the Segway. [ Reply to ThisRe:This has a familiar ring to it by HermanAB (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:14AM An oboe by any other name (Score:3, Funny) by FishandChips (695645) on Wednesday October 19, @09:46AM (#13826032) Ah yes, a code word.Prosecuting counsel: "Moreover he is, Your Honor, a player of the pink oboe."(Judge faints, courtroom erupts in uproar) [ Reply to This3 replies beneath your current threshold. Dear Jon (Score:1) by hode (771261) on Wednesday October 19, @09:46AM (#13826033) You're moving from Norway to San Diego? I hope you packed your sunglasses and sunscreen. Enjoy! [ Reply to ThisRe:Dear Jon by hfarberg (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @02:54PMRe:Dear Jon by gg3po (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @05:09PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. All we know about Oboe (Score:5, Funny) by Xarius (691264) <xarius@gmail. c o m> on Wednesday October 19, @09:49AM (#13826063) Is that it will blow. [ Reply to ThisRe:All we know about Oboe by dpilot (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @11:33AMRe:All we know about Oboe by CerealFan (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @01:08PMRe:All we know about Oboe by CapnGrunge (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @02:36PMRe:All we know about Oboe by kin_korn_karn (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:49AMRe:All we know about Oboe by tomstdenis (Score:2) Wednesday October 19, @10:59AMRe:All we know about Oboe by Trepalium (Score:1) Wednesday October 19, @12:54PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.1 reply beneath your current threshold. For crying out loud (Score:2) by nanojath (265940) on Wednesday October 19, @09:51AM (#13826073) (http://itsromebaby.blogspot.com/ | Last Journal: Saturday August 06, @09:59PM) Absolutely true story: my novel in progress (don't tease) is about a young man going to San Diego to work for a wealthy maverick technology guru on a project involving reverse engineering. Is this a good omen or some kind of cosmic goof on me? [ Reply to This