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Cyphernomicon 10.13

Legal Issues:
Usenet, Libel, Local Laws, Jurisdictions, etc.


  10.13.1. (Of peripheral importance to crypto themes, but important for
            issues of coming legislation about the Net, attempts to
            "regain control," etc. And a bit of a jumble of ideas, too.)
  10.13.2. Many countries, many laws. Much of Usenet traffic presumably
            violates various laws in Iran, China, France, Zaire, and the
            U.S., to name f ew places which have laws about what thoughts
            can be expressed.
  10.13.3. Will this ever result in attempts to shut down Usenet, or at
            least the feeds into various countries?
  10.13.4. On the subject of Usenet possibly being shut-down in the U.K.
            (a recent rumor, unsubstantiated), this comment: " What you
            have to grasp is that USENET type networks and the whole
            structure of the law on publshing are fundamentally
            incompatiable. With USENT anyone can untracably distribute
            pornographic, libelous, blasphemous, copyright or even
            officially secret information. Now, which do you think HMG
            and, for that matter, the overwhealming majority of oridnary
            people in this country think is most important. USENET or
            those laws?" [Malcolm McMahon, malcolm@geog.leeds.ac.uk,
            comp.org.eff.talk, 1994--08-26]
  10.13.5. Will it succeed? Not completely, as e-mail, gopher, the Web,
            etc., still offers access. But the effects could reach most
            casual users, and certainly affect the structure as we know
            it today.
  10.13.6. Will crypto help? Not directly--see above.


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