EFFector       Vol. 14, No. 33       Oct. 25, 2001     [email protected]

  A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation     ISSN 1062-9424

   In the 193rd Issue of EFFector (now with over 29,400 subscribers!):

    * EFF Condemns "Anti-Terrorism" Bill
    * EFF Protects Scientists' Speech in RIAA Case
    * Chilling  Effects  of  Anti-Terrorism: "National Security" Toll on
      Freedom of Expression
    * EFF Contest: Announcing the Big Winners!
    * Administrivia

  For more information on EFF activities & alerts: http://www.eff.org/

  To join EFF or make an additional donation:
    http://www.eff.org/support/
  EFF is a member-supported nonprofit. Please sign up as a member today!
    _________________________________________________________________

EFF Condemns "Anti-Terrorism" Bill

 Legislation Dramatically Curtails Online Civil Liberties

  An  overreaching  "anti-terrorism"  bill passed Congress today without
  adequate hearings and debate at the urging of the Bush Administration.
  Both  houses have passed the bill, now called the USA PATRIOT Act. The
  president will likely sign it into law by Friday.

  EFF  is  preparing  further commentary and analysis for publication on
  our website.

  The USA PATRIOT Act:
    http://www.eff.org/sc/20011025_hr3162_usa_patriot_bill.html

  Background information on anti-terrorism legislation:
    http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance/Terrorism_militias/

 About EFF:

  The  Electronic  Frontier  Foundation  is  the leading civil liberties
  organization  working  to protect rights in the digital world. Founded
  in   1990,   EFF  actively  encourages  and  challenges  industry  and
  government  to  support  free expression, privacy, and openness in the
  information  society.  EFF  is  a  member-supported  organization  and
  maintains one of the most linked-to websites in the world:
    http://www.eff.org/

                                 - end -
    _________________________________________________________________


EFF Protects Scientists' Speech in RIAA Case

 Government, Record Industry Disagree on Digital Copyright Law

   Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release

   For Immediate Release: October 25, 2001

   Contacts:

    Cindy Cohn, EFF Legal Director
      [email protected]
      +1 415-436-9333 x108

    Robin Gross, EFF Intellectual Property Attorney
      [email protected]
      +1 415-436-9333 x112

  Trenton,  NJ  - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) today replied
  to  the  US  Department  of  Justice's  request  to  dismiss a digital
  copyright  law  dispute.  EFF explained that the vagueness of the law,
  known  as  the  Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), prevents even
  the   DOJ   and   the   recording  industry  from  agreeing  on  their
  interpretation of the law in the Felten v RIAA case.

  The  DOJ's  dismissal  request  claims that the DMCA does not preclude
  scientists  from  pursuing  and  publishing  research  on digital copy
  prevention  schemes, while the recording industry seeks to dismiss the
  case  on  grounds  that  they have withdrawn legal threats against the
  scientific papers already written by Felten and his team. These papers
  discussed  the  weaknesses  in  the  music  industry's  proposed  SDMI
  technology designed to control consumers' use of digital music.

  EFF  points  out  that  the  case  must  go  forward  in spite of both
  dismissal  arguments.  First, the DOJ's argument that the DMCA exempts
  scientific research is not binding on them and is not supported by any
  court  ruling  or  by  the  recording  industry.  Second, although the
  recording  industry  threats  against  publication  of this scientific
  research  were  withdrawn, industry representatives have insisted that
  the  DMCA  permits  them  to  review  and  censor future research on a
  case-by-case basis.

  "Since  the  government  and  industry  cannot  agree on what the DMCA
  means,  it  is  not  surprising  that  scientists  and researchers are
  confused  and  decide  not to publish research for fear of prosecution
  under  the  DMCA,"  said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. "Regardless of
  specific government or industry threats in the past, scientists should
  not  have  to  experience  the  ongoing chilling effects of this vague
  digital copyright law."

  Together with USENIX, an association of over 10,000 technologists that
  publishes  such scientific research, Princeton Professor Edward Felten
  and his research team have asked the court to declare that they have a
  First  Amendment  right  to discuss and publish their work, even if it
  may  discuss  weaknesses  in the technological systems used to control
  digital  music. The DMCA, passed in 1998, outlaws providing technology
  and information that can be used to gain access to a copyrighted work.

  "Three  more  independent scientists today joined six other scientists
  and  the Association for Computing Machinery and the Computer Research
  Association in filing declarations explaining to the court the ways in
  which  scientific  inquiry  and freedom of speech have been chilled by
  the  DMCA,"  said EFF Intellectual Property Attorney Robin Gross. "The
  chill  continues  because  neither  the  recording  industry  nor  the
  government  has  agreed  to  be bound to an interpretation of the DMCA
  that does not threaten normal, scientific publication."

  Recording  industry  attorneys  will  not agree to stop future threats
  against  scientists  for  discussing  the  insecurities  in  recording
  industry   security   systems.   Even   the   government  admits  this
  possibility,  stating  in  its brief that: "It is possible that making
  available  a  publication  that  describes  in  detail how to go about
  circumventing  a particular technology, if written or marketed for the
  express  purpose  of  actually circumventing that technology, would be
  prosecuted under the statute."

  The  chill  felt  by researchers working in this scientific discipline
  continues  to grow. As Plaintiff Scott Craver says in his Supplemental
  Declaration,  "We  do  not  write  and use programs such as tinywarp.c
  because  we  view  breaking a technology as an end unto itself. To the
  contrary,  breaking  a  technology is nothing more than a crucial step
  either  in  attempting  to  improve the technology or in attempting to
  prove  that the technology cannot be made to do what it is supposed to
  do. Both, of course, are legitimate research objectives, and in either
  case,  writing  and  using  tools to circumvent access or copy control
  technologies  is  essential  to  our work. If we can no longer use the
  necessary  instruments  of  science, then our field of scientific work
  will be paralyzed."

  Oral  argument  on  the  both  the  government  and recording industry
  motions  to  dismiss  the  scientists'  case  has  been  scheduled for
  November 28 before Judge Garrett E. Brown in Trenton, New Jersey.

  For  EFF's filing in opposition to the Department of Justice dismissal
  motion  in Felten v RIAA as well as for other motions and declarations
  in the case:
    http://www.eff.org/sc/felten/

 About EFF:

  The  Electronic  Frontier  Foundation  is  the leading civil liberties
  organization  working  to protect rights in the digital world. Founded
  in   1990,   EFF  actively  encourages  and  challenges  industry  and
  government  to  support  free expression, privacy, and openness in the
  information  society.  EFF  is  a  member-supported  organization  and
  maintains one of the most linked-to Web sites in the world:
    http://www.eff.org/

                                 - end -
    _________________________________________________________________


Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism: "National Security" Toll on Freedom of
Expression

  Especially   now   during  the  US  Congress's  passage  of  the  most
  restrictive  measures on online civil liberties yet experienced in the
  United  States,  it is important to note that the right to free speech
  faces  the strongest challenges during times of crisis. Whether or not
  any  of us agree about each particular decision made to prevent public
  access  to  sensitive  information,  it  is  the  Electronic  Frontier
  Foundation's  responsibility to chart any such efforts so that we as a
  society are at least aware of what is no longer available to us.

  A  new  EFF  web  page  attempts  to  convey  the chilling effect that
  responses  to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have had on
  information  availability on the Internet as well as some sense of the
  effect on people trying to provide this information.

  Currently, this page tracks websites shut down or partially removed by
  governments,  ISPs, and website owners, as well as government requests
  to   remove   information,  media  professionals  or  other  employees
  terminated  or  suspended  for  exercising  free speech in response to
  anti-terrorism, and other related incidents and links.

  Check out the Chilling Effects of Anti-Terrorism page at
    http://eff.org/Censorship/Terrorism_militias/antiterrorism_chill.html

  If  you  know  of  any  anti-terrorism chilling effects that should be
  listed, please let us know by email at [email protected]

                                 - end -
    _________________________________________________________________


EFF Contest: Announcing the Big Winners!

  Despite  a technological glitch, the EFF Contest of the Century (or at
  least  of  the week), is proud to announce the following three winners
  of vintage EFF T-shirts:

    1) Derek Balling
    2) Les Earnest
    3) Mike Castleman

  Those  on Netscape web browsers who reported the technological glitch,
  we  appreciate  your support. Instead of suing you like some companies
  we know would do, :-) we will reward the first two people who reported
  the bug with vintage EFF T-shirts too!

    1) Tim Valdez
    2) Steve Peltz

  Thanks so much to everyone who entered.

  You  can  see  the  answers  to  the contest at:
    http://www.eff.org/cgi-bin/contest/contest011018.html

  Please  stay  tuned and read the EFFector careful to find out when the
  next  EFF  Contest of the Century (or at least of the week) will reach
  your inbox.

                                 - end -
    _________________________________________________________________


Administrivia

  EFFector is published by:

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  Editors:
  Katina Bishop, EFF Education & Offline Activism Director
  Stanton McCandlish, EFF Technical Director/Webmaster
    [email protected]

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