tierney@fortune.UUCP (05/24/84)
#N:fortune:29600005:000:1773
fortune!tierney May 24 08:45:00 1984
***** fortune:net.general / sdcsvax!brian / 12:36 pm May 21, 1984
xbug
The latest in the law vs. computers battle rolls on....
Oh great, now we have to stand over our systems with a bullwhip 24 hours
a day.... Sigh.
---------- forwarded ----------
From: CSTROM@Simtel20.ARPA
Subject: BBS Confiscation
To: INFO-MICRO@Brl-Aos.ARPA
Cc: INFO-CPM@Brl-Aos.ARPA, CSTROM@Simtel20.ARPA
I think the following message retrieved from Compuserve deserves
widespread circulation; no further explanation needed:
---
#: 91655 Sec. 0 - Communications
Sb: Important warning! 20-May-84 00:48:44
Fm: - tom tcimpidis 70250,323
To: all
On May 16 I was served with a search warrant and my system seized because of a
message that allegedly had been left, unknown to me, on one of the public
boards. This was done by the L.A.P.D. under direction of a complaint by Pacific
telephone. All Sysop's should be warned that under present law (or at least the
present interpetation) they are now responsible for ALL information that is
left or exchanged on their system and that ANY illegal or even questionable
activities, messages or even public outpourings are their direct legal
responsibility and that they will be held directly accountable regardless of
wether or not they knew of it, used it, and regardless of any other
circumstances! Yes, it is unjust. Yes, it is legally questionable. But it, for
the moment, seems to be enforcable and is being "actively pursued" as a felony.
Tom Tcimpidis - Sysop of The MOG-UR's HBBS (366-1238). Mailing: P.O. Box 5236,
Mission Hills, CA 91345.
I would appreciate it if this message was spread to as many systems as
possible so that the word may be spread to the greatest number of Sysops. 1984
may, indeed, be here...
----
----------ekb@link.UUCP (Eric K. Bustad) (05/26/84)
It's not clear to me we know enough about this to warrent going into a panic. I'd like to know a little backround. If, for instance, this public bulletin board was commonly used to the distribution of pirated code, I'd say that the L.A.P.D. probably did the right thing. If the seizare was in response to just an isolated incident, however, I'd be outraged! Can anyone shed a little more light on this incident? -- = Eric Bustad (AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel NJ) (201)949-6257 ihnp4!eric.bustad or link!ekb