Let's say the IRS wants to be able to confiscate bitcoins from tax evaders. So they go to the US courts to get this. A judge ends up ordering the bitcoin.org dev team to include a government backdoor so the IRS can take funds away from those who don't pay taxes.
The devs would be forced to comply right?
Pieter and Wladimir are not US citizens, so a US judge can't order them to do anything.
If I was ordered to insert a backdoor, I'd just resign as lead developer and find something else to work on.
But this whole scenario sounds like a paranoid delusion; has there EVER been a case where a judge has ordered a software developer to do anything other than stop distributing their software (because of some copyright or patent issue) ?
Not so sure you need to be US citizen, extradition is the favored tool theses days, even by other means, eg Assange.
Also I think that various protocols, and programs have been ordered modified by Judges, though mainly in patent suits, though this prism thing is perhaps a more pertinent example. If a program was somehow effect on national security I think Judges may order the programer change it, or face contempt. Sorta like journalist who elect to not give up their sources. They don't get to go, oh well I'm not a journalist any more, or working for this paper/story. I disagree with all of this by the way, but never underestimate how flexible the law is against the individual in the hands of the Government.