[comp.dcom.telecom] another privacy issue

SPGDCM@CMSA.BERKELEY.EDU (04/06/88)

 MSG:FROM: SPGDCM  --UCBCMSA  TO: NETWORK --NETWORK           04/05/88 16:23:36
 To: NETWORK --NETWORK  Network Address

 From: Doug Mosher
 Subject: another privacy issue

 To: comp-dcom-telecom@ucbvax

 Erik Fair posted an interesting article by Brock Meeks regarding a possible
 violation of the ECPA (Electronic Communications Privacy Act). That instance
 included the revealing of allegedly private email by a system operator.

 I am curious about a different situation, namely, when a recipient of email
 sends it on to others or makes it public. That is, the party doing the
 revealing is the original and intended recipient, not an unrelated systems
 person.

 I suppose that's fair game, possibly an etiquette violation, but not illegal;
 are there other analyses or opinions on this?

 (          Doug Mosher <SPGDCM@CMSA.Berkeley.edu>            )
 ( 257 Evans, Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA, 415/642-5823 )
      another privacy issue

[The article which was posted has not been received by TELECOM as of yet.
It was posted directly to usenet sites in order to reach the largest
possible audience and to permit cross posting of the article to other
newsgroups. Once I receive a copy of the posting, I will send it to TELECOM
directly. --jsol]

wrf%juliet@CSV.RPI.EDU (04/08/88)

With paper letters, I believe that the sender owns the copyright.
This has been an issue, I think, when collections of letters to/from
some famous person are published.  If the writer of a letter to the
person refuses consent, then the editor may include only a paraphrase.
Presumably the same might hold for email.