[sklyarov-chicago] Future Plans...?

[Igor Matlin]

Hello, people.

I may be in the minority here, but I think the FBI has nothing to do with t=
he controversy.  They did not pass DMCA, and they did not initiate the inve=
stigation.  They did their job, based on the current law.

Neither this has anything to do with Ashcroft and GW, whether you like them=
 or not.  DMCA has been passed in 1998 by voice vote in the House, and *una=
nimously* in the Senate.  The provision against manufacturing of encryption=
 circumvention devices is designed to bring US into compliance with WIPO - =
the international treaty on intellectual property - see http://www.wipo.org=
/eng/diplconf/distrib/94dc.htm, Article 11.   The resulting U.S. law, as qu=
oted in the original complaint against Dmitry, seems on the surface to appl=
y here.  This means that our concern is the 'root' of the problem: WIPO and=
 DMCA.  Neither FBI nor DOJ can do anything about them.   Only the Congress=
 or the courts can overturn the law.  Opposing Mueller's nomination for the=
 top FBI post won't help the cause.

Now, the immediate concern is to get Dmitry of our prison, of course, and t=
hat's where Mueller (as U.S. District Attorney for Northern California) can=
 help.  There are provisions in the law for scientific research.  Perhaps w=
e can come up with a letter and get a bunch of signatures in support of Dmi=
try's release on that basis.  Or, we could join others if there's already a=
 similar letter going around.  Just a thought.

Inn general, y'all can cound on my support for any anti-DMCA activities, bu=
t I'd rather keep politics out of this fight

Cheers,


-Ig.


> Hey all,
>=20
> What future plans should there be regarding Dmitry? I think we should
> wait a day or two and see what the DoJ decides to do regarding him,
> since Adobe has asked the FBI to release him.
>=20
> Are people willing or interested to possibly go downtown again in the
> future and do this again, with a specific focus on the DoJ dropping the
> charges, or what are your thoughts?
>=20
> Interesting to note that Mueller, the FBI prosecuter who is handling the
> case, is GW's top pick for head of the DoJ. (Or is it the FBI?) Anyway,
> his confirmation is coming up relatively soon.
>=20
> pedro
>=20
> --=20
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
>    FREE DMITRY SKLYAROV -- FBI has imprisioned a Russian software=20
>    engineer for promoting and teaching the concept of "fair use".
> Read more: http://www.eff.org/alerts/20010719_eff_sklyarov_alert.html
>=20
>=20
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.freesklyarov.org/ -- FREE DMITRY!
> sklyarov-chicago@ufo.chicago.il.us
> http://ufo.chicago.il.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sklyarov-chicago
>=20





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