[net.followup] Computer Crime Article in August Smithsonian

wmartin (07/29/82)

Every CBBS I ever tried to access would only accept 300 bps at most.
Reading all of them at that rate would keep someone busy 25 hours a day!
(At least!)

I've seen references on some BBS's to the effect that they all know that
the authorities are reading them, so I wonder how much reward the FBI
really gets out of this. Probably just "big brother" psychology; knowing
that someone is watching deters many marginal miscreants.

Actually, I resent that my tax dollars are being spent to pay these
FBI people to protect MCI, Sprint, Ma Bell, or any corporation. They
can hire their own security people and do it themselves! Gather
the evidence and present a package to the appropriate district attorney,
without spending public monies doing this!

The same argument goes for the incredible waste of my tax monies when
the FBI harasses video pirates for violating copyrights, or tape
and record counterfeiters, or, for that matter, people peddling
fake Levis or Cartier watches. Companies should be responsible for
gathering the evidence of offenses against them themselves, and the
public agancies only take over when presented with already-collected
evidence of the violation of criminal law. (And for that matter,
copyright should be solely a CIVIL, not a criminal issue!)

I seemed to have wandered... The magic flame button was pressed...

Regards, Will Martin

djj (07/30/82)

Let's all think of the "Fantastic Four" -- -- --

                          FLAME ON

     "Companies should be responsible for gathering the evidence of offenses
      against them themselves, and the public agancies [sic] only take
      over when presented with already-collected evidence of the
      violation of criminal law."

Be serious!!!!!!!!!  Are you suggesting that the entire criminal justice
system should be a prosecute and sentence establishment.  Investigative
procedures are the backbone of modern criminal justice.  The ability to
conduct an allegedly "unbiased" investigation into the facts ("Just the
facts, ma'am" - Dragnet) is vital to the administration of justice.

However, just for kicks, let's assume the above quoted hypothesis for
a short while.  XYZ Company (a small manufacturing firm) discovers a
way to make widgets at a dramatically low cost.  Their factory is in the
garage of one of the ten people employed by XYZ.  They encourage moderate
growth of the market and are making some bucks.  Then, gigantic ABC Corp.
floods the market with cheap widgets that are made by the same process
as those by the XYZ Company.  

What are the chances that XYZ Company will have the resources and manpower
to invetigate and prove corporate theft by the ABC Corp?  Further, the
much larger resource base of ABC will work to undermine any efforts made
by XYZ to investigate this incident.  Big business will triumph to the
detriment of the small businesses.  Assuming the previously stated
scenario, only the giants of industry will be able to afford justice.

This is hardly justice as I know it.

                           FLAME OFF

Dave Johnson
BTL - Piscataway

3215rfs (08/05/82)

First of all, the U. S. Constitution created an investigative body that
has jurisdiction over the investigation of Federal Felonies.
This body is a Federal Grand Jury.

Secondly, the establishment of Copyright and Patent law is meant to encourage
original work in the national interest (in the national interest because jobs
are created, and markets are either created or satisfied).
This indicates to me that the investigation of Copyright violation is in the
national interest.

						Rich