Police Raid Home of Linux Coder
From
Ian Lowry <lowry_ian@hotmail.com>
Date
Tue, 01 Feb 2000 23:34:58 GMT
[: hacktivism :]
----Original Message Follows----
From: MichaelP <papadop@peak.org>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: [EMMAS] MPAA Intimidation Campaign; Police Raid Home of Linux Coder
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 12:32:19 -0600 (CST)
This story mixes two threads - one is about the Motion Picture industry
to preserve internet copyrights on their product. and the other is about
the place of Linux as an open, unowned language avalaible for the
development of open-source software
Michael
==========================
EFFector Vol. 13, No. 1 Jan. 25, 2000 editor@eff.org
A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424
IN THE 149th ISSUE OF EFFECTOR (now with over 21,000 subscribers!):
* MPAA Continues Intimidation Campaign Against Open Source Software
Community
+ Police Raid Home of Norwegian Linux Coder
+ WHAT YOU CAN DO
+ Links to More Information
* Administrivia
For more information on EFF activities & alerts: http://www.eff.org
_________________________________________________________________
MPAA Continues Intimidation Campaign Against Open Source Software Community
Police Raid Home of Norwegian Linux Coder
The home of sixteen-year-old Jon Johansen, who was among the first to
post the DeCSS program that allows users to view DVDs on computers
using non-Windows or Macintosh operating systems, was raided yesterday
in Larvik, Norway and his computer and cellular telephone seized by
police.
The police were acting at the behest of the motion picture industry as
part of the industry's attempt to suppress discussion and distribution
of DVD-viewing software developed outside of the industry's licensing
regime to prevent the free availability of such software.
Both Johansen and his father, who operated the website on which the
teen posted the code, were questioned at length by the police and have
been threatened with indictment for posting the code, which the motion
picture industry dubiously claims was created illegally and promotes
piracy. Legal analysis of Norwegian copyright and computer crime laws
suggests the charges would not stick; the action appears intended to
harass and frighten.
This action is in addition to three lawsuits filed by the Motion
Picture Association of America and the DVD Content Control Association
and their overlapping membership, in California, New York and
Connecticut against numerous individuals and organizations including
coders, journalists and an ISP. EFF's legal staff, aided by some of
the nation's top attorneys in copyright law, are vigorously defending
those named in the suits, to support the rights of individuals to
legally develop, post, and discuss software.
"The motion picture industry is using its substantial resources to
intimidate the technical community into surrendering their rights of
free expression and fair use of information", said Tara Lemmey,
President of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "These actions are a
wake-up call for the open-source software community. The process of
reverse-engineering and public posting and commenting of code that the
MPAA is attempting to suppress is fundamental to the development of
open source software as well as being constitutionally-protected
speech."
EFF plans to assist the Johansen family and has already contacted
several experts in European copyright law to involve them in the case.
For more information and background material on the MPAA/DVDCCA
crusade to censor free speech and innovation under the smokescreen of
preventing piracy, visit EFF's Campaign for Audiovisual Free
Expression ( http://www.eff.org/cafe ) or follow some of the links
below.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Support EFF by making a special donation. The movie industry is
clearly trying to spread us thin and make us expend all our resources.
They've filed three lawsuits, generated one bogus criminal
investigation, and will almost certainly do more -- hoping to spend us
out of the way. Please don't let that happen. EFF is the only
organization fighting this legal battle against big money and
corporate arrogance. We need your help! You can make a donation via
our secure Web site (just fill in the donation section of our
membership form, and please become a member, too!) You can also send a
check, or even donate stock. Membership/donation form (Visa, MC,
AmEx):
https://www.eff.org/join
Contact info for postal or telephoned donations, and stock donations:
Electronic Frontier Foundation
attn: Kathleen Guneratne, Membership Coordinator
1550 Bryant St., Suite 275
San Francisco CA 94103-4832 USA
+1 415 436 9333 x0
PGP Key for encrypted donations via e-mail (send to
membership@eff.org):
http://www.eff.org/pub/EFF/effkey.pgp
Were working on other ways for members and supporters to get involved
-- we'll send out another edition of EFFector and feature it on our
website as well.
Thanks for your help and support.
Links to More Information
EFF's Campaign for Audiovisual Free Expression (CAFE)
http://www.eff.org/cafe
Coverage in Norwegian Press (in English):
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/d121152.htm
EFF press release regarding related NY, CT cases:
http://www.eff.org/ip/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20000120_eff_press_release.html
CNN coverage of injunction granted in NY case:
http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/ptech/01/21/dvd.hacking.reut/index.html
Wired News coverage of NY case:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,33816,00.html
General info on the open source community and DVD:
http://www.opendvd.org/
EFF's archives on the DVD cases:
http://www.eff.org/IP/Video
Full text of injunction order granted in related CA case:
http://www.eff.org/ip/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20000120_pi_order.html
San Jose Mercury News coverage of denial of industry request for
temporary restraining order in CA case:
http://weblog.mercurycenter.com/ejournal/1999/12/29
NY Times coverage of CA case being filed:
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/cyber/cyberlaw/07law.html
_________________________________________________________________
Administrivia
EFFector is published by:
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