Re: Guerilla Internet Service Providers (fwd)

Forwarded message:

> From owner-cypherpunks@toad.com Mon Jan  1 17:53:37 1996
> Message-Id: <199601012332.PAA10533@desiree.teleport.com>
> Subject: Re: Guerilla Internet Service Providers 
> To: cypherpunks@toad.com
> In-Reply-To: Your message of Mon, 01 Jan 1996 13:41:13 PST.
>              <v02120d09ad0e047046b5@[192.0.2.1]> 
> Date: Mon, 01 Jan 1996 15:32:37 -0800
> From: Felix Lee <flee@teleport.com>
> Sender: owner-cypherpunks@toad.com
> Precedence: bulk
> 
> Lucky Green:
> > Some site in physical space has to host the nntpd, the ftpd, and the httpd.
> > That site will be subject to search, seizure, and arrest and conviction of
> > owner.
> 
> but if it turns out that 30% of home PCs have to be seized to prevent
> dissemination of dangerous-information-X?
> 
> though we're not quite there yet... eg, it's a little expensive to run
> your own httpd 24 hours/day.
> --
> 

If you live in the Austin, TX area I will setup a dedicated slip for you at
only $100/mo.

Lucky Green:
> Wrong. Only 0.03% of the home PCs have to be seized and the owners
> incarcerated. The remaining users will cease to carry controlled data on
> their own.

depends.  prohibition was a failure.  information is much easier to
duplicate and conceal, spy thrillers aside.  many people find it hard
to justify information being dangerous, especially if it's something
innocuous like just another cryptosystem, or just another penis.

compare with software piracy.  when was the last time a kid in your
neighborhood was busted for unlicensed copying of software?  and
software is big business, lots of suits and $$$.  they can try to make
disassemblers illegal, but it's not likely to succeed.

Jim Choate:
> If you live in the Austin, TX area I will setup a dedicated slip for you at
> only $100/mo.

in the Portland Oregon area, the price ranges from $234/year to
$1750/year for unlimited ppp access.  (I have no idea how long the
$234/year is going to stay in business.  that won't even cover the
cost of a phone line.)
--

Date: Mon, 01 Jan 1996 20:27:23 -0800
   From: Felix Lee <flee@teleport.com>
   Sender: owner-cypherpunks@toad.com
   Precedence: bulk

   compare with software piracy.  when was the last time a kid in your
   neighborhood was busted for unlicensed copying of software?  and
   software is big business, lots of suits and $$$.  

Look for this to change if the copyright "high-protectionists" succeed
in getting Congress to criminalize every act of copyright infringement,
which is what the Leahy-Feingold "Criminal Copyright Improvement Act of
1995" (S.1122) will do if it becomes law.  Under current copyright law
infringements that are not committed wilfully and "for purposes of
commercial advantage or private financial gain" are not criminal.  Such
non-profit/noncommercial infringements are still civil infringements,
and copyright holders may sue for actual and/or statutory damages, but
since the typical kid has net assets less than $39.95 it's not worth the
effort.  If S.1122 becomes law, though, the software companies (or other
copyright holders) will be able to get the Feds to prosecute such cases
criminally (so we, as taxpayers, get to foot the bill for those
prosecutions that are not monetarily attractive to the copyright
holders).

					--bal