The silicon rock scene has escaped the attention of those who document the music business but those who work in the computer industry are increasingly documenting their loves, fears and anxieties in song. Last year the dispute between Sun Microsystems Inc and Microsoft Corp brought the Java song from Sun attorney ‘Loose Bruce’ Kerr. Now the row over government attempts to read encrypted messages on the internet has brought a powerful musical protest from fading 70’s rappers The Sugar Hill Gang. Performing at the RSA Data Security conference last week in San Francisco their rap concludes:
They’d like to read your stuff
Whenever they can
It gives a whole new meaning
To Backdoor Man
I want to encrypt
My Internet mail
And I should be allowed to do it
Without goin’ to jail!
