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May 15, 2001
Issue # 34
IN THIS ISSUE
* NOTES ON COMPUTER CODE AS SPEECH with Timothy Walton, Esq.
* NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
Gracenote Sues Aptec Spinoff Under DMCA
Korea Plans To Block "Anti-Social" Sites
Assassination Politics In Cincinnati
* SPAM LAW
At Least Everybody Agrees
* SCRIPT KIDDIES
Recent Web "War" Has Made China Take Notice
Chinese Crackers Declare Truce
* CASE SUMMARIES
Extraordinary Course Of Business
Everything's Possible In Cyberspace
* FEEDBACK
* SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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NOTES ON COMPUTER CODE AS SPEECH -- with Timothy Walton, Esq.
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The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that a journalist who "lawfully obtains
truthful information about a matter of public significance" is not to be
punished for publishing the information. Florida Star v. B.J.F., 491
U.S. 524, 533 (1989). When it comes to publication of code, however,
some courts balk at applying this rule. The Second Circuit Court of
Appeals, in reviewing Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Corley (AKA the
"DeCSS case"), has zeroed in on whether computer code is speech
deserving of First Amendment protection. After hearing oral arguments in
the matter, the court has issued an order asking the parties to answer
eleven questions directed at this Constitutional issue.
The plaintiffs contend that publication of the decryption code is
"conduct" rather than speech. 17 USC 1201(a)(2) prohibits "trafficking"
in encryption circumvention devices, and the plaintiffs argue that
publication of prohibited speech is not itself speech. Now, they are
careful to point out that they are not suggesting that computer code can
never be speech - only that the code in question is not itself speech.
The basis for this argument is the idea that DeCSS is a set of
instructions to a machine, "as inexpressive as the numeric combination
to the locks of a bank vault." MPAA Post Trial Brief at 16.
Of course, this ignores the fact that some computer scientists have
devised expressions of the DeCSS code that can never be used to actually
defeat the Content Scramble System, but are merely comments on the DeCSS
case and/or the DMCA prohibition in general. One programmer has even
found a prime number that, when displayed in hexidecimal (base 16)
format, forms a gzip file of source code that decrypts CSS. But, there
is no room in plaintiffs' arguments for discussion about the means of
decrypting CSS because such discussions would involve impermissible
trafficking in illegal code. "Congress's determination that the DMCA
serves a substantial governmental interest in carrying out the
objectives of the Copyright Clause of the Constitution in the Internet
age is beyond dispute." MPAA Post Trial Brief at 17.
Umm, if you say so...
2600 Court Asks For Further Briefing on First Amendment
Source: Electronic Freedom Foundation
http://eff.org/Cases/MPAA_DVD_cases/20010508_ny_augment_order.html
Code Is Free Speech
Computer scientists claim protection under First Amendment.
http://www.business2.com/technology/2001/01/25195.htm
Judge Seeks Answers On Computer Code As Free Speech
Source: The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/11/technology/11CODE.html
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan's Final Judgment [PDF]
http://www.2600.com/dvd/docs/2000/0817-order.pdf
MPAA Post Trial Brief Brief
http://www.mpaa.org/Press/DeCSS2.htm
Prime Curios!
http://www.utm.edu/research/primes//curios/48565...29443.html
THE FLORIDA STAR v. B.J.F., 491 US 524 (1989)
http://laws.findlaw.com/us/491/524.html
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NEW AND NOTEWORTHY http://news.findlaw.com
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GRACENOTE SUES APTEC SPINOFF UNDER DMCA
The digital music recognition company alleges that Roxio sent users to a
competitor after its license with Gracenote expired. Dave Marglin,
general counsel for the company hoping to profit from the efforts of its
volunteers, says, "Roxio is trying to get for free what other people pay
for. It's our valuable intellectual property that's underlying all
this."
Source: The Industry Standard
http://thestandard.com/article/0,1902,24386,00.html
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KOREA PLANS TO BLOCK "ANTI-SOCIAL" SITES
A regulatory group under the Korean Ministry of Information and
Communication has been testing technology to block access to more than
120,000 web sites. The government says that only filtering companies
will have access to the list of sites.
Source: hankooki.com
http://www.hankooki.com/kt_tech/200105/t2001050217201245110.htm
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ASSASSINATION POLITICS IN CINCINNATI
An Oio prosecutor has issued a subpoena to a Kentucky organization
asking for logs relating to a post made by an Australian Internet user.
The reason? A purported death threat against the Cincinnati police
officer whose killing of an African-American sparked riots and worldwide
controversy.
Source: Wired News
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,43771,00.html
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SPAM LAW
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AT LEAST EVERYBODY AGREES
Business leaders lined up to tell the House Judiciary Committee what a
bad piece of law the proposed anti-spam bill would be. While their
reasons for opposing the bill differ from those of anti-spam advocates,
they were nearly unanimous in agreeing to oppose the current bill. Some
went even further: "I don't know that language could be drafted that
might be satisfactory," said Rick Lane of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Source: Associated Press
http://news.findlaw.com/ap/a/w/1153/5-10-2001/20010510173009830.html
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SCRIPT KIDDIES
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RECENT WEB "WAR" HAS MADE CHINA TAKE NOTICE
The recent defacements of Chinese web sites, purportedly in response to
the controversial capture of a U.S. spy plane, has resulted in 24 hour
monitoring of Internet activity, as well as an attempt to collect data
on cracker activities.
Source: Nikkei BP
http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/moren/129790
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CHINESE CRACKERS DECLARE TRUCE
Claiming to have defaced more than 1,000 American web sites, the Honker
Union declared victory and exited the field.
Source: Associated Press
http://news.findlaw.com/news/s/20010509/internetchinahackersdc.html
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CASE SUMMARIES
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EXTRAORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS
Under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, a police department may
not tap a police officer's pager without notice to the officer, and
governmental entities may be held liable for violations of the
prohibition.
ADAMS v. CITY OF BATTLE CREEK, No. 99-1543 (6th Cir. May 11, 2001)
http://laws.lp.findlaw.com/6th/01a0157p.html
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EVERYTHING'S POSSIBLE IN CYBERSPACE
Where defendant intended to entice a minor to engage in sexual acts, the
fact that he was corresponding with an adult FBI agent posing as a minor
does not make the crime legally impossible, but only factually
impossible.
US v. FARNER, No. 00-20424 (5th Cir. May 14, 2001)
http://laws.findlaw.com/5th/0020424cr0.html
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