Okay, I ned some help here to see through my wine induced haze.

Is a virus illegal only if it is released with malicous (or however you spell it?) intent

Because as far as I was aware, malice is defined as being without good reason.

Therefore (and bear with my drunken ramblings here), if a terrorist organisation released a virus, with the intention of bringing down Western Commerce, it would not be a malicous act, but a well reasoned one.

Would it therefore be excempt from most anti-virus laws?

SD