/* R FRINGE COMMENTARY- The North Carolina Computer Crimes Law

follows, General Statutes of North Carolina, Section 14-453,

adopted 1979*/

SECTION 14-453 Definitions

As used in this section, unless the context clearly requires

otherwise, the following terms have the meanings specified:

(1) "Access" means to approach, instruct, communicate with,

cause input, cause output, or otherwise make use of any of

the resources of a computer, computer system or computer

network.

(2) "Computer" means an internally programmed, automatic device

that performs data processing.

(3) "Computer network" means the interconnection of

communication systems with a computer through remote

terminals, or a complex consisting of two or more

interconnected computers.

(4) "Computer program" means an ordered set of data that are

coded instructions or statements that when executed by a

computer causes the computer to process data.

(5) "Computer software" a set of computer programs, procedures

and associated documentation concerned with the operation of

a computer system.

(6) "Computer system" means a set of related, connected or

unconnected computer equipment and devices.

(7) "Financial statement" /*sic*/ incudes but is not limited to

any check, draft, money order, certificate of deposit, letter

of credit, bill of exchange, credit card of [or] marketable

security, or any electronic data processing representation

thereof.

/* This section is full of typos (done by them, not by R FRINGE!)

First of all, they must mean "financial instrument", and the

editors of the version of the North Carolina General Statutes I

used tried to clean up the credit card section.*/

(8) "Property" includes but is not limited to, financial

instruments, information, including electronically processed

or produced data, and computer software and programs, in

either machine human readable form, and any other tangible or

intangible item of value.

(9) "Services" includes, but is not limited to, computer time,

data processing and storage functions.

SECTION 16-9-93 Accessing of computers, etc., for fraudulent

purposes; authorized access, alteration, destruction, etc., of

computers, etc.

(a) A person is guilty of a Class H felony if he willfully,

directly or indirectly, accesses or causes to be accessed or

attempts to access any computer, computer system, computer

network, or any part thereof for the purpose of:

(1) Devising or executing any scheme or artifice to defraud

unless the object of the scheme or artifice is to obtain

educational testing material, a false educational testing

score, or a false academic or vocational grade; or,

(2) Obtaining property or services other than educational

testing material, a false educational testing score, or a

false academic or vocational grade for himself or another, by

means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or

promises.

(b) Any person who willfully and without authorization,

directly or indirectly, accesses or causes to be accessed any

computer, computer system, computer network, or any part thereof,

for any purpose other than those set forth in subsection (a)

above, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

SECTION 14-455 Damaging computers and related materials

(a) A person is guilty of a Class H felony if he willfully

and without authorization, alters, damages, destroys a computer,

computer system, computer network, or any part thereof.

of this article shall be considered to have been committed:

(b) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor if he willfully and

without authorization alters, damages, or destroys any computer

software, program or data residing or existing internal or

external to a computer, computer system or computer network.

SECTION 14-456 Denial of computer services to an authorized user

Any person who willfully and without authorization denies or

causes the denial of computer system services to an authorized

user of such computer system services, is guilty of a

misdemeanor.

SECTION 14-457 Extortion

Any person who verbally or by a written or printed

communication, maliciously threatens to commit an act described in

G.S. 14-455 with the intent to extort money or any pecuniary

advantage, or with the intent to compel any person to do or

refrain from doing any act against his will, is guilty of a Class

H felony.