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                 >C O M P U T E R   U N D E R G R O U N D<
                               >D I G E S T<
             ***  Volume 3, Issue #3.04 (January 28, 1991)   **
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MODERATORS:   Jim Thomas / Gordon Meyer  ([email protected])
ARCHIVISTS:   Bob Krause / Alex Smith / Bob Kusumoto
RESIDENT SYSTEM CRASH VICTIM::  Brendan Kehoe

USENET readers can currently receive CuD as alt.society.cu-digest. Back
issues are also available on Compuserve (in: DL0 of the IBMBBS sig),
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E-mail server: [email protected].

COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
diverse views.  CuD material may be reprinted as long as the source is
cited.  Some authors, however, do copyright their material, and those
authors should be contacted for reprint permission.  It is assumed that
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the Computer Underground.  Articles are preferred to short responses.
Please avoid quoting previous posts unless absolutely necessary.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent the
           views of the moderators. Contributors assume all responsibility
           for assuring that articles submitted do not violate copyright
           protections.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: Various
Subject: The CU in the News
Date:  January, 1991

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***  CuD #3.04, File 4 of 4: The CU in the News                  ***
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Subject:  Lotus Drops Suit
From:     Anonymous
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 91 01:21:00 EST

From: New York Times, January 24, 1991, p. C3 (By Lawrence M. Fisher)

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23 - The Lotus Development Corporation and Equifax Inc.
said today that they had canceled plans to sell a database of names,
addresses and marketing information on 120 million United States consumers.

The companies said their decision came after they had received 30,000 calls
and letters from individuals wishing to have their names and personal
information deleted from the database. The companies said they believed the
public misunderstood the product and that the costs of addressing privacy
concerns had made Marketplace:Households no longer viable.

Lotus will also discontinue Market-lace:Business, a similar product with
information on seven million United States businesses, which began shipment
in October. Mr. Manzi said the business product was not viable without the
revenues from the consumer version."

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From: [email protected]
Subject: CPSR FOIA Suits Seeks Gov't Computer Policy
Date: Sun, 13 Jan 91 19:20:35 PST

PRESS RELEASE
Release: Friday, 1/4/91

CPSR Washington Office, 1025 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington
DC  20036

For more information:

David Sobel
Marc Rotenberg  202/775-1588

LAWSUIT SEEKS BUSH DIRECTIVE ON COMPUTER SECURITY

WASHINGTON - Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility ("CPSR") filed
a lawsuit in Federal District Court today to obtain a classified government
directive on computer security.

The document at issue was signed by President Bush on July 5, 1990.  It is
intended to replace a controversial security policy signed by President
Reagan in 1984.  The Reagan policy, designated  "NSDD 145," put the
super-secret National Security Agency ("NSA") in charge of computer
security, raising concerns about government secrecy.  Congress sought to
limit NSA's role through passage of the Computer Security Act of 1987, which
transferred responsibility for federal computer security to the National
Institute for Standards and Technology, a civilian agency.

The administration contends that the revised directive complies with the
Computer Security Act, but so far has released  to the public only an
unclassified summary of the new directive.  According to Marc Rotenberg,
Director of CPSR's Washington Office, "Computer security policy should not
be made behind closed doors or through the issuance of classified
directives.  At a time when computer technology touches every aspect of our
lives, it is essential that the public be fully informed about our
government's policy."

CPSR first requested a copy of the revised directive from   the Defense
Department under the Freedom of Information Act last August.  The
organization also sought a copy from the National Security Council the
following month.  To date, neither agency has responded to CPSR's requests.

The Freedom of Information Act provides a legal right for individuals to
obtain records held by government agencies.  According to CPSR Legal Counsel
David Sobel, "Agencies are required to respond to requests within ten
working days.  When agencies fail to respond within a reasonable period of
time, requesters often begin legal proceedings to obtain the information."

CPSR is a national membership organization of computer scientists.  Its
membership includes a Nobel Laureate and four recipients of the Turing
Award, the highest honor in computer science.  CPSR has prepared reports and
presented testimony on computer technology issues, including NSDD 145, at
the request of Congressional committees.

The case is CPSR v. National Security Council, et al., Civil Action No.
91-_____, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, January 4, 1991.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From: [email protected](Michael Edward Marotta)
Subject: Thoughts on the Bill of Rights
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 91 21:52:34 pst

GRID News. vol 2 nu 2. January 23, 1991.
World GRID Association, P. O. Box 15061, Lansing, MI  48901 USA
--------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Bill of Rights" by Michael E. Marotta. (54 lines)

When agents of the US Secret Service raided publishers in 1990 while chasing
The Legion of Doom, they demonstrated that the paradigms of cyberspace are
not well understood.  Therefore, identifiers must be used to show that this
activity is protected by the Bill of Rights.

Copyright notices are one identifier.  A copyright is earned whenever an
idea achieves physical expression or "realization".  Two copies of the
publication (or two photographs of a work of art) are send to the Library of
Congress along with a registration fee.  Books, sound recordings, and films
may be copyrighted.  A copyright can be given to the mass production of a
work in the public domain, such as the Bible.  You could write out by hand
an original poem, send two xeroxes to the Library of Congress (along with
the registration fee) and earn a copyright on your work.

When the United States joined the Berne Convention in December of 1988
(effective March 1, 1989), life became easier --- perhaps too easy.  By
default, every realization is automatically copyrighted to the creator,
whether or not copies are sent to the Library of Congress.  A copyright
notice on the login screen announces that the BBS contains works of
non-fiction, fiction, art or other production that are protected by the
First Amendment.

The First Amendment also promises that the People have the right to
PEACEABLY ASSEMBLE to seek redress of grievances against the government.  A
BBS is an assembly and can host assemblies.  The Supreme Court has often and
consistently shown that this right to peaceably assemble is also the right
to association.

Most BBSes support message bases.   Discussions on religion are specially
protected by the First Amendment.

The Bill of Rights contains two purposely broad articles, the Ninth and
Tenth.  The Ninth Amendment says that there are more rights than the ones
listed in the Bill of Rights.  The Tenth Amendment limits the federal
government to its enumerated powers and gives all other powers to the States
(except where prohibited) or to the People (apparently without special
reservation or stipulation).  For instance, without stretching the meaning
of "religion" or requiring that we photograph blackboards, it is strongly
argued that there is a Right to Scientific Inquiry.  This strongly
assertable right protects experiments with encryption algorithms.

There may be a Right to Travel.  This would extend to the lawful use of
communication systems to "visit" a computer, whether or not you actually
"enter" the computer.  (Internet syntax tolerates users who chat though not
logged in.)

To the extent that a computer is a weapon, its ownership is protected under
the Second Amendment.  Indeed, when Saddam Hussein's storm troopers rolled
into Kuwait, "Hack Iraq" messages appeared on some systems.

The Bill of Rights is your Best Friend.  Sleep with it.

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                          **END OF CuD #3.04**
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