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Computer Undergroud Digest Vol. 07 Issue 53
Computer underground Digest Sun Jun 25, 1995 Volume 7 : Issue 53
ISSN 1004-042X
Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@MVS.CSO.NIU.EDU
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
Shadow Master: Stanton McCandlish
Field Agent Extraordinaire: David Smith
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
la Triviata: Which wine goes best with Unix?
CONTENTS, #7.53 (Sun, Jun 25, 1995)
File 1--Commentary and Background on CCC (Cincinatti) BBS Bust
File 2--Message From Bubba IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! (fwd)
File 3--german police only seizes computers with pgp
File 4--GovAccess.145: Newt opposes censors
File 5--GovAccess.143: Cybersex! What to do? What to do?
File 6--File 1--Against Intellectual Property
File 7-- FBI to search 30,000+ US homes/businesses
File 8--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 19 Apr, 1995)
CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN
THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 23:01:43 PDT
From: Paul J. Ste. Marie <pstemari@well.sf.ca.us>
Subject: File 1--Commentary and Background on CCC (Cincinatti) BBS Bust
((MODERATORS' NOTE: The follow post reports on a meeting of users of
the Cincinnati Computer Connection, and includes a comment by the CCC
Sysop, reprinted with permission)).
I attended the meeting held tonight by the users of the Cincinnati
Computer Connection. About 100 users were in attendance. Here's
what I found out:
On Friday 6/16/95 5 BBS's in the Cincinnati area were seized by the
"Regional Electronic Computer Intelligence" task force organized by
Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis (of Mapplethorpe fame). All
materials were seized and held under sealed search warrants, but no
charges have been filed so
far. Two of the BBS's are back on-line to a limited extent.
The BBS's involved are:
Cincinnati Computer Connection
Data: 513-752-1055
Sysop Bob Emerson, bob.emerson@cccbbs.cincinnati.oh.us
Up All Night
Sysop Steve Brown
Love Land
Data: 513-683-8814
Fox Palace
(no info)
Inner State BBS
(no info)
The only comment to date by Leis is that things other than computer porn are
being investigated. He declined to attend the meeting.
The Cincinnati Computer Connection is a large BBS, with about 25 nodes.
There is an adult area on the board, but access is quite limited and the
files are screened fairly carefully. (I previously mentioned in email
that I got the general impression that there were no adult areas on the
board, but that was not correct.) Sysop Bob Emerson has retained Lou
Serkin (spelling?) as his attorney, who has been trying to reach
<mnemonic>.
Many users expressed support for Emerson at the meeting, which was taped by
crews from all the major Cincinnati television stations. I'm still
researching to see what coverage I can find in the Cincinnati newspapers.
Ann Hartman from WNKU taped a few sound bites from me on the Exon bill, and
will air a show about this on WNKU (NPR affiliate in Northern Kentucky)
Thurs 6/29 @ 4 pm. Her number is (606)572-6564.
=============================
Here's the statement from the Sysop about what happened:
Date: 06-17-95 (09:03) Number: 27 of 1384 (Refer# NONE)
To: ALL
From: SYSOP
Subj: C.C.C. BBS
Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
Conf: Main Board (0) Read Type: GENERAL (+) HAS REPLIES
Well boys and girles it seems the GOD of Hamilton County has spoken!
On Friday at about 10:00am the Hamilton County Sheriff department
showed up at the C.C.C BBS and took all of our computers and related
items. Seems they where looking for X-Rated pictures. They had NO idea
what they where doing so some of the stuff may be worthless. The best
thing anyone can do right now is to let them know you have rights and
call, and or write everyone you can think of. Since they knew what they
where looking fo all they needed to take was the hard drive or the
server, no one they sent knew anything about computers other that the
very basics. They just took everything to show they could do it and to
make it hard on you and me. We have around 5000 people that use this
system (NOT all subscribers) and I think if we spread the word to other
systems and make a LOT of phone calls someone will have to start to hear
us. So please call the TV news stations the Papers and for sure the
Hamilton County Shefiff's offices and ask for Simon if you want but make
sure you let them know how you feel. Thats the only way there gonna know
how much your ticked off. Anyone that does this please leave a message
and let us know what there responce to you was.
The Cincinnati Computer Connection will be back on-line in a few days.
I'm gonna have to buy a ton of computer in the next few days so please
hang in there with me.
Thanks Bob...
PS I'm realy bad at getting things like this rolling if anyone has
numbers and addresses they can post please do so and we can make a
difference.
=============================
Here's a letter from a user to Sheriff Simon Leis about this incident:
The Cincinnati Computer Connection Node 15 06-23-95 01:09
Name: PAUL STE.MARIE
Date: 06-20-95 (20:11) Number: 787 of 1391 (Refer# NONE)
To: ALL
From: BOB HEIGES
Subj: THURSDAY'S MEETING
Read: (N/A) Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
Conf: Main Board (0) Read Type: GENERAL (+) HAS REPLIES
This is a copy of a letter I sent AS YOUR SPOKESPERSON to Sheriff
Leis. The sheriff was on Channel 5 saying that he had not gotten his
invitation yet (no doubt true!), so I FAXed him a copy to back up the
one he will get in the mail. A copy went to Chs 5, 9, 12, 19.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sheriff Leis,
I am writing this letter as a spokesperson for the users of one of the
computer bulletin board systems (BBS) "raided" last Friday by the
Regional Electronics Computer Intelligence (RECI) task force. I do
not speak for or represent any BBS operator, nor do I operate a BBS
myself.
You and others from your department or RECI task force are invited to
attend a "town hall" meeting on Thursday, the 22nd of June. This
meeting will be held at the Tom A. Moore Building, 3457 Montgomery
Road, at 7:30 PM. There are two purposes for this meeting. First,
many of the people affected by the BBS shut down want to know what
happened. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the rumors are not
complimentary to either the Sheriff's Department or the task force,
but most of us understand that there may be two very different sides
to this issue. You and/or a spokesperson for you will be welcome to
speak to the group. We anticipate some media coverage, so both sides
of the issue will be on the record. If you require special
arrangements to attend, please let me know what they are.
Sheriff Leis, I look forward to meeting you Thursday evening. I hope,
if nothing else, you leave the meeting knowing that BBSers - both
operators and users - are not a bunch of dirty old men drooling over
porn. As a matter of fact, we anticipate that there will numerous
families at the meeting.
I am providing a copy of this invitation to a few media organizations.
If you cannot attend the meeting and choose instead to give us a
written statement, we will read that at the meeting and provide
complete, unedited copies to the media.
Sincerely,
s/bob heiges
<<<>>>
=============================
Here's another statement from a BBS user:
As many of you know, the Computer Task Force, or perhaps better named The
Smut Gestapo , raided Bob Emerson, sysop of Cincinnati Computer Connection
and removed over $100,000 in computer equipment.
This is one of the better BBS's in our area. Out of over 81,000 files only
40 could be classified, in their opinion, as adult and pornographic in
nature.
Note, we did say, "Their Opinion!" Without going into long comments about
all the Rights we are losing on what seems to be a daily basis, What's Next?
Are we going to be told on what side of the street we have to walk? If you
go to Church, are we going to be told, where we have to go?
Censorship, now there's a word for you to consider. Webster's New World
Dictionary, of the American Language, College Edition, defines it, in part,
as follows:
1. A censoring 2. A system of censoring 3. The work or position of a censor.
Now, if you look at Censor:
You'll find some of the following:
1. To supervise public morals
or better yet:
2. A person who tells people how to behave
or perhaps:
A person whose task is to examine literature, motion pictures, etc., and
remove or prohibit anything considered unsuitable.
Now here are just a few more thing to consider. Isn't Censorship illegal?
And, what in the world has happened to our Freedom of Choice, Speech and who
knows how many more? Are we going back in time? Perhaps we're all living in
Germany, second world war. The GESTAPO would come crashing through anyone's
door, for any reason, confiscate whatever, and perhaps drag you off to a
Concentration Camp!
Where are we now? In the U.S.A.? All this could make you really wonder?
Enough of the soap box. Bob is not the type of person, Thank GOD, who puts
his head in the sand or runs like a frightened child. His system, CCC, is
back on line!
THAT'S RIGHT! He bought NEW EQUIPMENT and is back! However, he could use you
help. ANYTHING, you can send, Dimes or Dollars. Just drop something in the
mail and send it to:
Bob Emerson
4466 Dogwood Drive
Batavia, Ohio 45103
Even if you don't call his system, you will be helping other sysops keep
their BBS's up and running and give yourself some place to call. Of course,
you can elect not to become involved and keep the money in your pocket.
However, in a short time you maybe trying to sell you modem, since there
will be NO local systems to call. What will to be worth? Not much, since it
will be a worthless piece of equipment.
#12 of 12: Paul J. Ste. Marie (pstemari) Thu Jun 22 '95 (23:04) 16 lines
In general, the users in Cincinnati are furious. There's about 5,000 users
on the CCC BBS (I have little info on the other boards raided). Aparently
Leis has harassed the sysop, Bob Emerson, in the past in regards to his
video store.
There are also some strange quirks in this. The BBS was operated out of
Clarement County, outside Leis's jurisdiction of Hamilton County, and Leis
did not brief the Clarement County representative on his RECI task force
about this raid in advance. Some of the other 4 boards are located in
Kentucky, not Cincinnati.
Finally, there is apparently some sort of FBI operation going on IRT AOL and
kiddie porn. Emerson's case is not involved in this, and both he and the
users of this BBS emphatically denied and denounced kiddie porn.
I'll post more news as it becomes available.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 1995 09:45:38 -0600
From: Gordon R. Meyer <grmeyer@mcs.com
Subject: File 2--Message From Bubba IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! (fwd)
((MODERATORS' NOTE: The following was forwarded by a user of
one of the raided BBSes in Cincinatti))
Because of events that occurred on June 16 in the Greater
Cincinnati area, where I live, I will no longer be posting binary
picture files to any Usenet group. No more "Bubba's Odds n' ends." I
know that doesn't break everyone's heart, but I did get some nice mail
from some interesting people.
On Friday, June 16, a Task Force of local law enforcement
authorities from two Ohio counties and one Northern Kentucky county
served five search warrants looking for pornography and other material
that could be transmitted in such a manner that it could be obtained
by minors. In other words, binary pictures and textual materials that
could and were posted to Usenet groups and to BBSs. No arrests were
made and no charges have been filed. The warrants were served without
indictments or charges having been previously made. It was a classic
fishing expedition. The stated purpose was to search for pornography.
The obvious true purpose was to chill the free exercise of First
Amendment rights. They want to make people scared to post material.
Legal? It is. Wrong? It certainly is in my book.
Have I been chilled? I certainly have. The warrants resulted
in the seizure of more than a million dollars worth of computers and
software. Frankly, I can't afford to have my computer confiscated and
kept by law enforcement and prosecutors while they search it for
information to present to a Grand Jury to try to get indictments so
they can prosecute people for peddling smut on the internet. Frankly,
they probably won't get much of value to them. They have been trying
to prosecute what they deem obscene for years now. I have lived in
this area for almost 20 years and I don't recall that the Hamilton
County Sheriff and the prosecutor have had one successful prosecution.
So, lately, they have been resorting to threats and fear tactics. It
works, sometimes.
It is working with me. The authorities can hold those seized
com-puters and the software and files until they no longer need them
for eviden-tiary purposes. That could be a year or more. Ask
yourself this. What condition do you think those computers are going
to be in when they are returned? Do you suppose some HDDs might
"accidentally" be erased? Do you think other components might get
crippled? Could a power surge suddenly occur while one of the
computers is plugged in? Another thing to think about is that the
computers can and probably would be kept by the authori-ties and sold
if and charges were successfully brought against an owner and a
conviction (including a plea bargain) obtained.
I understand that the First Amendment is local law as far as
the rest of the world is concerned. But, here it is just as
irrelevant to cer-tain prosecuters and cops as it is to someone living
in Italy.
I suggest that what happened where I live may seem to be an
isolated incident to most people. But, I also suggest that the
incident may be iso-lated, but the mind-set that brought it about is
not. This will occur in other parts of the US. It's a shame, but our
own local law enforcement authorities are a greater threat to our free
speech rights than are any of the politicians and bureaucrats in
Washington.
Later,
bubba
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 21:41:00 +0200
From: M.VIRTEL@BIONIC.ZER.DE(Martin Virtel)
Subject: File 3--german police only seizes computers with pgp
german police only seizes computers with pgp
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
on june 13th, the german police raided approx. 50 offices and private
homes in the whole country in search of evidence about a left-leaning
terrorist group, Antiimperialistische Zellen (AIZ).
from the northern town of Neum|nster, near Kiel, comes this report:
--quote--
police searched a building used among others by the left-wing information
bureau "Omega", and seized everything at sight. the list of the seized
material, which includes archives, computers equipment and files, is about
30 pages long. among other items, an "address list of foreign subscribers
of Radikal" [a left-wing publication] was seized.
every door in the building was opened (by brute force, in most cases).
only the presence of a lawyer prevented police from seizing the computer
equipment of "Notruf", a sexual abuse self-help group for women whose
office happened to be in the same building, but had no connections
whatsoever to "Omega".
interesting remarks were made by one of the policeman who inspected the
computer equipment at the sexual abuse self-help group "Notruf":
"If it had PGP installed, no lawyer would have prevented us from seizing
this computer", he said.
--unquote--
(bitter irony on) which leads us to the astonishing conclusion that there
*are* policemen who know what PGP is (bitter irony off), and further
Philip Zimmermann's case that widespread use of pgp is a matter of
solidarity - even solidarity whith people supposedly supporting awful
things such as bombings.
background information:
the *AIZ - Antiimperialistische Zellen* (who triggered the raid) are
thought to be the follow-up of Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), a violent left-
wing german terrorist group that was active above all in the 1970ies. So
far, AIZ have claimed to be the authors of two bombings against government
representatives. inidentally, nobody was injured or killed at these
bombings, but anonymous press releases thought to be written by AIZ
members forsee further attacks on "german elite persons".
cryptography is not illegal in germany.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 08:15:22 -0700
From: jwarren@WELL.COM(Jim Warren)
Subject: File 4--GovAccess.145: Newt opposes censors
Gingrich Advocates Adult Responsibility to Control Sex-Crazed Children
in Senate
[Folks, this looks *great* and all that - the Newt's stood up for
freedom - but as someone noted long ago, "No [wo]man's freedom is safe
while the legislature sits." It ain't over 'til it's over. Eternal
vigilence, and all that. --jim]
PRESS RELEASE -- For Immediate Release
June 21, 1995
Contact: the Center for Democracy and Technology at +1.202.637.9800
CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY PRAISES SPEAKER GINGRICH'S
OPPOSITION TO EXON/COATS INTERNET CENSORSHIP BILL.
In a move that is a boon for freedom of speech rights for Internet users,
Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has condemned the Exon/Coats
"Communications Decency Act" as a "clear violation of free speech and ... a
violation of the right of adults to communicate with each other."
"Speaker Gingrich has demonstrated that he understands the unique nature of
interactive media such as the Internet," said CDT Executive Director Jerry
Berman. "Gingrich's leadship on this issue will assure that new interactive
media will be free to grow without unproductive government intrusion, and
that the First Amendment rights of users will be protected."
The statement from the Republican leader came on the same day that Rep.
Chris Cox (R-CA) and Rep. Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced that they are
developing a different approach to the problem of children's access to
controversial material on the Internet. Cox and Wyden say that they seek to
encourage the development of blocking and filtering technologies that
empower parents to screen the material to which their children have access.
At the same time, they hope to keep the growing Internet free from
intrusive and ineffective regulation by the Federal Communications
Commission.
"Along with the Speaker, Congessmen Cox and Wyden know that federal content
censorship such as has existed in radio and television mass media will not
be effective at protecting children," said Daniel Weitzner, CDT Deputy
Director. "In the decentralized, global Internet environment, we must rely
on user control technology to enable users and parents to determine for
themselves the information that they and their children receive."
The Exon Internet censorship bill was strongly opposed in the Senate by
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI). The
Exon/Coats bill was approved, however, by the Senate last week and is still
awaiting House action.
Gingrich made his remarks (attached below) last night on a national
television show, the Progress Report carried on National Empowerment
Television during a discussion with Rep. Bob Walker (R-PA) and Progress and
Freedom Foundation Chairman Jay Keyworth.
Gingrich said:
"I think that the Amendment you referred to by Senator Exon in the Senate
will have no real meaning and have no real impact and in fact I don't think
will survive. It is clearly a violation of free speech and it's a violation
of the right of adults to communicate with each other. I don't agree with
it and I don't think it is a serious way to discuss a serious issue, which
is, how do you maintain the right of free speech for adults while also
protecting children in a medium which is available to both? That's also
frankly a problem with television and radio, and it's something that we
have to wrestle with in a calm and mature way as a society. I think by
offering a very badly thought out and not very productive amendment, if
anything, that put the debate back a step."
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization. The Center's mission is to develop and advocate public
policies that advance constitutional civil liberties and democratic values
in new computer and communications technologies. [For info, info@cdt.org
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Jun 1995 06:54:06 -0700
From: jwarren@WELL.COM(Jim Warren)
Subject: File 5--GovAccess.143: Cybersex! What to do? What to do?
This is my "ACCESS" column in the July, 1995, issue of Government
Technology. It circulates to more than 60,000 state and local
government officials, elected, appointed, administrative and staff. I
wrote it almost two months ago.
Cybersex! What to do? What to do?
by Jim Warren
It's not bad enough that provincial, net-naive federal senators have
threatened every citizen and sysop with a $100,000 fine and two years in
prison or both for using or knowingly permitting the use of any
"telecommunications device" for any "comment, request, suggestion,
proposal, image, or other communication which is obscene, lascivious,
filthy, or indecent" [see April, 1995, column].
Now some equally naive state politicians are leaping aboard the pandering
platform - with unrealistic legislative language to regulate things about
which they know nothing. Like many frightened and naive parents, they have
made the mistake of believing the foolishness aired during ratings races in
evening teevee news - sex is even better than blood in grabbing viewers.
These proposals are akin to ordinances, a century ago, that required
someone to walk fifty paces ahead of a horseless carriage, ringing a bell
or swinging a lantern. Dumb! Embarrassing!
But those legislative committees and rule-making bodies that conduct
reasoned, responsible deliberations on proposed cyber-censorship
legislation will find that there are substantive issues and alternatives
worth considering:
Technology as excuse
What most people do online on the global computer networks is
speak. The only difference is that their speech uses electronic waves
rather than sound waves. Or they may be chatting in private electronic
rooms, assembling in electronic Hyde Parks or publishing paperless
periodicals using fully-recyclable digital ink.
Contrary what one sees in the ratings-race of television
exploitation, sexual content is a tiny, tiny fraction of the information
available on and shared across the global computer networks. Sex stories
available on the net are often far less erotic than Danielle Steel novels.
Provocatively titled graphics files well may be originated by a proud
husband, picturing a dowdy housewife in a two-piece bathing suit. And
certainly most of the electronic chat and commentary is less outrageous
than what can be heard over phone lines or at bars and cocktail parties.
Successful precedents concerning sexual expression could threaten
the fundamental freedom of expression regarding other subjects. E.g., the
legal arm of the Church of Scientology is vigorously litigating to force a
bulletin-board operator to entirely prohibit all access to a COS critic
whom COS contends has distributed pages of its copyrighted works, and is
also demanding that a major network services provider monitor all public
transmissions that pass through its facilities and censor them of
copyrighted COS text.
Legislative and regulatory bodies should consider carefully, the
implications of attempting to use technology as an excuse for attacking
First Amendment freedoms.
Baby's bath water
Ill-phrased legislation targeted only for technology-aided speech,
press or assembly could inadvertently prohibit electronic exchange of text
or images in medical records, legal briefs, court evidence, suicide
intervention, child-safety information, law enforcement details, sex
counseling, AIDS awareness, art history, gallery photography, and so on -
especially recognizing that computer networks are global in scope.
Sexual content forms a continuum, from essential to outrageous.
Furthermore, what may be inappropriate for one group is crucial for another
group.
Technological solutions
There are problems with cybersex - most of them related to children.
But, perhaps the greatest reason for responsible policy-makers to
go slowly in mandating cyber-censorship is that there are often computer
solutions to the problems that computer networks have created regarding
offensive content:
Filters. Computer programs can allow users to self-censor offensive text.
"Bozo filters" automatically reject messages from offensive senders.
Programs can scan all incoming text and 'X'-out words and phrases that the
user specifies as being objectionable. Filter lists can be passworded for
adult control.
Blockers. Similar software could allow parents, teachers and librarians to
limit the computer sites and/or addressees to which their children,
students or patrons can have access. Such limits could be inclusive or
exclusive - allowing the supervising person to specify what is accessible,
or what is blocked.
Tracers. Parents and teachers wishing to monitor where their children are
going and who they are playing with could require that they use software
that records all user-ids, site-names and file-names accessed by each
child. Those who are offended by such parental or teacher oversight need
not use them.
For people who are being harassed, reader software could be
designed and warranted to retain a certified copy of all such transactions,
for use as evidence in criminal prosecution or civil litigation.
User-ids and computer site-names. Most sysops that offer adult content - at
least those who hope to stay out of jail - are more-than-willing to
prohibit access by children. But they need to be able to identify minors.
Parents and institutions that provide user-ids for children could
include "kid" as part of the user-id, such as "kid.jim". Schools could
choose site-names that include "K12" as part of their names. Then, sysops
of adult sites could easily reject access requests from such user-ids and
site-names. Additionally, this would allow children to identify other
children - or would provide strong evidence of intent, against a suspected
pedophile who used a child or school id.
Similarly, operators wishing to offer adult content could use
site-names that include "xx" and "xxx" as a dot-delimited part of their
site's name. Then parents, schools and libraries could use blocking or
filtering software to prohibit access to such clearly-marked adult sites.
Of course, this would allow kids to more-easily find the adult
sites, and allow the rare pedophile to identify children - but that simply
reflects the real world.
User and site lists. Concerned organizations could set up directories of
all user-ids declared as belonging to minors - perhaps provided by parents
or schools. Similar directories could list all adult sites.
Various groups - the Moral Majority, the Sexual Freedom League,
etc. - could maintain lists of "recommended" and "offensive" sites.
What technology has endangered, it can sometimes protect. Give it a
chance.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 1995 15:08:44 -0500
From: Neil Rickert <rickert@CS.NIU.EDU>
Subject: File 6--File 1--Against Intellectual Property
In comp.society.cu-digest you write:
>AGAINST INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
>There is a strong case for opposing intellectual property. There are a number
>of negative consequences of the ownership of information, such as retarding
>of innovation and exploitation of poor countries. ...
I have a great deal of sympathy for Martin's argument. However, I
suspect that it is unworkable.
Let me first make two points in support of the proposal.
1: It is impossible to account for the origin of intellectual
property. If I create something valuable -- a book or a computer
program -- then my creativity owes something to my teachers and
to all of the other reading I have done. My ability to create is
a consequence of what I was given by my forebears. I owe it to
them to likewise pass on my own inventions.
2: Intellectual property is contrary to human nature. You can see
this by looking at young children. They seem to have a natural
sense of physical property. But when it comes to ideas they
always want to share.
But there is another side, and the other side exists because of the
nature of our economies, and the nature of businesses.
Martin makes the case that a creator often feels rewarded adequately
if people use her intellectual creation. I agree. But imagine
someone has created a great new computer program. She hears that it
is being widely used. She may feel elated. But then she hears that
the users have purchased it from Microhard corporation, which is
selling it as its own creation, and is making $$millions. I think
her elation will quickly turn to anger. Perhaps she would not be
upset if Microhard corporation made it clear that this was her
invention, was available free, and purchasers were only buying the
setup and support to make the product easily available to them. But
Microhard corporation has done enough in creative packaging that it
wants to consider this its own product.
Martin suggests that such plagiarism will not be a serious problem,
because there are social pressures. I think he is largely correct
when it comes to individuals. But the only pressure corporations
feel is the pressure of the "bottom line," so they will not be so
easily dissuaded from plagiarizing. Moreover, as rich corporations,
they can spend some of their profits on TV advertizing so as to
maintain an image.
I have suggested that intellectual property is contrary to human
nature. Under the law a corporation is a virtual person, but
corporations are not responsive to the drives of human nature. In a
sense corporations are themselves contrary to human nature.
Perhaps a problem with current law is that it fails to distinguish
adequately between private individual use of intellectual property,
and corporate and business use of intellectual property. There is a
de facto distinction, in that it is rarely useful to file a lawsuit
against individuals on these issues. Maybe the law should be moved
in a direction more consistent with current practice.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 95 14:09:15 EDT
From: "W. K. (Bill) Gorman" <34AEJ7D@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
Subject: File 7-- FBI to search 30,000+ US homes/businesses
FBI plans to search upwards of 30,000 American homes and businesses were
"leaked" in a VERY BRIEF mention on the Rush Limbaugh show 6/21/95.
Mr. Limbaugh referred to a USA Today article, presumably of the same
date, which referenced a newspaper in CT as the original source.
According to the article, the FBI, apparently in anticipation of the
passage of the Constitution-aborting Anti-Terrorism bill AND the
equally totalitarian Exon "Communications 'Decency' Act" which has
been attached to the Telecom Reform Act, has leaked plans to conduct
SEARCHES OF THE HOMES AND BUSINESSES OF 30,000+ AMERICANS. Their
rationale for this is the claim that these persons - now get this - MAY
HAVE VIEWED some form of "child pornography", real or morphed, on
their PC screens sometime in the past.
Articles describing this totalitarian lunacy have also appeared
in the Fort Wayne newspaperson 6/21/95. No mention of it that
I am aware of from TV journalists. No guts, guys?
Will the feds find it expedient to seize every single piece of
computer equipment found in these homes, along
with any firearms, cash, jewelry, other valuables or financial records,
regardless of whether or not anything actually ILLEGAL is found? Past
performance indicates that this is likely to be the case. How many
innocent Americans will be killed in these raids? How many children?
How many pets will be tortured to death for the amusement of those
conducting the raid, as was the kitten which was stomped to death by
a rogue BATF agent during the infamous Lamplugh raid, as revealed
during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Terrorism Subcommittee?
Why is anyone who would perform such a psychotic act permitted to hold
a position of responsibility in government service or law enforcement?
Has Congress lost all touch with reality? Are they TRYING to see how
many ways they can find to force Americans into the burgeoning militias?
Are they TRYING to make the appellation "jack-booted thugs" actually
synonimous with all federal law enforcement personnel?
W. K. Gorman <bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu>
Copyright (C) 1995 by W. K. Gorman.
With explicit reservation of all rights, exclusively and without prejudice,
per UCC 1-207. Any commercial or for-profit use of all or any part of this
message, in any form, is expressly forbidden. Opinions are my own.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1995 22:51:01 CDT
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu>
Subject: File 8--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 19 Apr, 1995)
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End of Computer Underground Digest #7.53
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