> Saying "but I only gave him a small piece of data - what he does with it is his own business" doesn't stand up because clearly your intent was to give him part of the file so he could construct the file (this argument has been used for centuries to try and get out of things and almost always fails :P)
You're right. More specifically, programmers have argued that complex schemes involving encryption and similar technologies will protect them in court[1] from lawsuits. The essay "What Colour are your bits?" at http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23 explains in detail why this won't work.
1: as opposed to keeping people out of court in the first place, which crypto technologies can plausibly do.
You're right. More specifically, programmers have argued that complex schemes involving encryption and similar technologies will protect them in court[1] from lawsuits. The essay "What Colour are your bits?" at http://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23 explains in detail why this won't work.
1: as opposed to keeping people out of court in the first place, which crypto technologies can plausibly do.