[OSM-talk] Cracking the Secret Codes of Europe's Galileo Satellite

[martin dodge]

Hi, I found this story interesting, particularly as I've not kept up to
date on how the Galileo system is designed to operate.

Cracking the Secret Codes of Europe's Galileo Satellite
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/521790/?sc=rsla

I particularly liked these comments at the end of the article:

"Afraid that cracking the code might have been copyright infringement,
Psiaki's group consulted with Cornell's university counsel. "We were told
that cracking the encryption of creative content, like music or a movie,
is illegal, but the encryption used by a navigation signal is fair game,"
said Psiaki. The upshot: The Europeans cannot copyright basic data about
the physical world, even if the data are coming from a satellite that they
built.

"Imagine someone builds a lighthouse," argued Psiaki. "And I've gone by
and see how often the light flashes and measured where the coordinates
are. Can the owner charge me a licensing fee for looking at the light? .
No. How is looking at the Galileo satellite any different?"


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cheers
martin