From: David Honig <honig@otc.net>
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 15:24:08 -0800 (PST)
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Subject: No Subject
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19971217152405.007e38c0@otc.net>
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You will note that you are reading prima facie evidence of violation of
this new law.


Wednesday December 17 11:58 AM EST 

New Law Crack Down on Internet Theft

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton signed into law on Tuesday a
controversial bill imposing criminal penalties on
copyright violators even if they do not profit from their actions, the
White House executive clerk's office said Wednesday. 

The No Electronic Theft Act, passed by Congress last month, was strongly
backed by the software and entertainment
industries but opposed by science and academic groups. 

Under the law, a person who "willfully" infringes on copyrighted material
worth at least $1,000 could be subject to criminal
prosecution even if he does not make money. 

Under current law, copyright violators cannot be charged with criminal
misconduct unless they profit from the violations. 

Software and entertainment groups, including the Business Software
Alliance, the Motion Picture Association and the
Association of American Publishers, said the change was essential to
protect software, music recordings and other creative
products easily pirated over the Internet. 

They cited a 1994 court case dismissing criminal copyright charges against
an Massachusetts Institute of Technology student
who posted on the Internet for free downloading copies of popular software
programs. 

But last month a leading group of scientists, the Association for
Computing, wrote to Clinton asking him to veto the bill
because it might inadvertently criminalize many scientific publications
available over the Internet, and might limit the "fair use"
doctrine. 

The new law includes a sliding scale of penalties depending on the severity
of the copyright infringement. 

For making one or more copies with a total retail value of at least $1,000
but less than $2,500, the violator could be imprisoned
for up to one year and fined up to $100,000. 

For copies with a retail value of $2,500 or more, the violator could
imprisoned for up to three years and fined up to $250,000.
A second offense could lead to a prison term of up to six years. 

------------------------------------------------------------
      David Honig                   Orbit Technology
     honig@otc.net                  Intaanetto Jigyoubu

	M-16 : Don Quixote :: PGP : Louis Freeh
         Let freedom ring (or screech at 28.8)