From: Voters Telecommunications Watch <shabbir@vtw.org>
Date: Thu, 13 Jun 1996 05:29:01 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: ALERT: We win!  Court rules 3-0 for free speech!
Message-ID: <199606121405.KAA21482@panix3.panix.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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__     _________        __
\ \   / /_   _\ \      / /          FREE SPEECH WINS IN COURT!
 \ \ / /  | |  \ \ /\ / /          THE COURT DISSES THE CDA 3-0
  \ V /   | |   \ V  V /                    
   \_/    |_|    \_/\_/         NETIZENS CELEBRATE WITH FIREWORKS

              Redistribute this intact until June 15, 1996
                    URL:http://www.vtw.org/speech/

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Table of Contents
        News
        How can I help spread the word?
        Rally information for NYC and Pittsburgh
        Press information

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NEWS

WE WIN!

After 18 months of work, netizens finally got the justice they so
richly deserve.  The three-judge panel in Philadelphia issued a ruling
today saying that they had examined the Communications Decency Act,
learned about the Internet as a medium, and concluded that the law is
an inappropriate method of regulating cyberspace.  This decision
establishes an overwhelmingly positive precedent for the final decision
by the Supreme Court, expected early next year.

The famed "Question Mark" icon that had started popping up all over the
WWW changed simultaneously at 9:09am from a question mark to fireworks,
as thousands of Netizens began the mad rush to obtain a copy of the
court decision celebrating their victory.  You can read a copy of the
decision or obtain a copy of the icon yourself at
http://www.vtw.org/speech/

Senator Feingold (D-WI) said today, "This is welcome news for all of us
who not only support free speech, but who also want to see this new
dynamic communications technology develop safe from the threat of
censorship."

Feingold continued, "This issue is larger than so-called 'adult'
expression or communications.  It is about whether the government will
decide what we see, hear, and write."

Join millions of other netizens as they read the decision, rally, celebrate,
and thank the court for taking the time to do what some members in Congress
and the President would not do: apply the First Amendment. 

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HOW CAN I HELP SPREAD THE WORD

It's crucial that people turn out for the rallies, as well as spread the word
about the decision.  You can help in a number of ways outlined below.

1. ATTEND THE NYC/PITTSBURGH RALLIES
If you are anywhere close to the locations of the Pittsburgh or New York
City rallies, please attend and brings lots of friends!

If you are an Internet provider in New York, please place the following
message in your message of the day:

        THE COURT ISSUED A RULING TODAY IN THE INTERNET FREE SPEECH CASE
        ON THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT.  A RALLY IS BEING HELD IN
        NYC AT OUTERNET (BWAY.NET) @ 626 BROADWAY AT 6:30PM.  FOR MORE
        INFORMATION SEE http://www.vtw.org/speech/ OR CALL OUTERNET AT
        212-982-9800.

If you are an Internet provider in the Pittsburgh area, please place the
following message in your message of the day:

        THE COURT ISSUED A RULING TODAY IN THE INTERNET FREE SPEECH CASE
        ON THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT.  A RALLY IS BEING HELD ON
        THE STEPS OF THE OAKLAND BRANCH OF THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY AT 4PM.
        FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE http://www.envirolink.org/ OR CALL 
        412-683-6400.

2. LINK TO THE TEXT OF THE COURT'S DECISION
The text of the decision will be posted at http://www.vtw.org/speech#decision
Link to it from your page and help spread the word about th case that
will decide so much of the future of free speech online.

        THE COURT ISSUED A RULING TODAY IN THE INTERNET FREE SPEECH CASE
        ON THE COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT.  WHILE NETIZENS RALLY IN NEW
        YORK AND PITTSBURGH, YOU CAN READ THE DECISION ONLINE AT 
        http://www.vtw.org/speech/index.html#decision

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RALLY INFORMATION FOR NYC AND PITTSBURGH

NEW YORK RALLY 
WHERE:    Outernet, Inc. (bway.net) @ 626 Broadway, Suite 3-A (third floor)
          (Very close to the Broadway/Lafayette stop on the F train)
WHO:      You and your friends!  Show up, bring friends, and come find
          out how net free speech fared in court.  Here is the current
          speaker list (subject to time, travel, and availability)
                U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
                Barry Steinhardt, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
                Danny Weitzner, Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT)
                David Sobel, Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
                Molly Ker, Echo Communications (echonyc.com)
                Jonathan D. Wallace, author, "Sex, Laws, and Cyberspace"
                Alexis Rosen, Public Access Networks (panix.com)
                Ian Stevelman, Outernet (bway.net)

WHEN:     6:30pm, Wed June 12th, 1996.  Bring yourself, lots of friends,
          and whistles, drums, anything to make a lot of noise with.
MORE INFO:Check http://www.vtw.org/speech or http://www.bway.net/
          Press inquiries should go to Shabbir @ 917 978 8430.  Outernet's
          phone number is 212-982-9800.

PITTSBURGH RALLY 
WHERE:    Steps of the Oakland branch of the Carnegie Library
WHO:      You and your friends!  Show up, bring friends, and come find
          out how net free speech fared in court.
WHEN:     4pm, Wed June 12th, 1996.  Bring yourself, lots of friends,
          and whistles, drums, anything to make a lot of noise with.
MORE INFO:Check http://www.envirolink.org/.  Press inquiries should go
          to 412-683-6400.

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PRESS INFORMATION

Press inquiries about the New York rally should be directed to Shabbir
J.  Safdar (VTW) at 718-596-2851.  To find out about outlets and
electricity for the rally, or to setup cameras ahead of time, contact
Ian @ Outernet at 212-982-9800.

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