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July 16, 2008, 02:30 PM ET
Dutch Researchers Face Lawsuit From Semiconductor Company
A Dutch-based semiconductor company has sued Radboud University Nijmegen, also in the Netherlands, in an effort to stop researchers from publishing a paper exposing security flaws in the company’s transit smart-cards, according to a blog post Tuesday from Edward Felten, a Princeton University computer scientist.
The company NXP, based in Eindhoven, makes the card using radio-frequency identification, or RFID technology, to automatically admit people into, for example, London’s underground transit system.
A spokesperson for Radboud University is quoted telling ZDNet that NXP wants to stifle publication of the paper for “safety reasons.” Still the researchers plan to present their findings at the ESORICS security conference in October.
The case brings to mind Mr. Felten’s own struggles several years ago to disseminate his research about security flaws in a technology known as digital watermarking that limits access to digital music. Recording-industry groups threatened to sue Mr. Felten if he discussed the technology’s weaknesses.
“As usual in these cases of censorship-by-lawsuit, it’s hard to see what NXP is trying to achieve with the suit. The research is already done and peer-reviewed. The suit will only broaden the paper’s readership. NXP’s approach will alienate the research community,” writes Mr. Felten.—Andrea L. Foster
Categories: Research
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