Dmitry Sklyarov wrote a clever piece of software which showed that the encryption system used by Adobe software doesn't protect anyone's confidential information. Rather than fix the problem with their software Adobe chose to have Mr. Sklyarov arrested under a provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which makes it a crime to demonstrate flaws in copyright protection schemes.

Mr. Sklyarov's only crime was to show that the software that Adobe makes does not do what the Adobe claims it does -- protect intellectual property. Dmitry Sklyarov is sitting in prison to protect the profits of Adobe Systems.

If you don't know about the Sklyarov case please read:

http://www.pigdog.org/auto/scary_tech/link/2155.html

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/07/20/1332227&mode=thread

http://www.boycottadobe.org/

http://www.freesklyarov.org/

In a nutshell, Sklyarov, a Russian programmer, showed that Adobe's copy protection for its eBook format was a piece of shit. When eBook customers started bailing, Adobe complained to the FBI, who arrested Dmitry immediately after Def Con. He's been held without bail or contact with his family and friends in Russia.

This is fucked.

The EFF first chimed in to call for nationwide protests on Monday, then backed down. We are gonna take the DMCA down in flames. Screw the EFF and their 11th-hour attempt to take the pressure off Adobe.

There will be nationwide protests tomorrow. You Bay Area folks better show up at the Quetzocoatl statue in downtown San Jose on Monday July 23rd at 11 AM, or we're gonna brand you wimps at every gathering from here on in whenever we have a chance to make fun of you.

Here's the plan:

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Free Dmitry MARCH ON ADOBE
Monday, July 23, 2001, 11AM-1PM
Downtown San Jose, California, USA

Please join programmers and freedom lovers in San Jose on Monday to protest the arrest of Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov. At the request of Adobe Systems of San Jose, Dmitry was arrested by the FBI in Las Vegas on July 16th.

"The U.S. government for the first time is prosecuting a programmer for building a tool that may be used for many purposes, including those that legitimate purchasers need in order to exercise their fair use rights," said Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Robin Gross.

Demonstrations will be held worldwide.

MEET AT THE SNAKE: We will meet in downtown San Jose at the snake sculpture, Quetzalcoatl, at the south end of Cesar Chavez Park. Cesar Chavez Park is at the corner of South Market St. and West San Carlos St., across San Carlos from the Hyatt St. Claire Hotel.

From the snake we will march the two blocks to Adobe together.

From VTA light rail: Take the Santa Teresa/Baypointe line to the Convention Center stop. Trains run approximately every 10 minutes. The convention center is on the south side of the street; walk 1/2 block east on W. San Carlos St. to the snake.

From Caltrain: Transfer from Caltrain to the Santa Teresa/Baypointe light rail line at the Tamien station.

VTA light rail schedules: http://www.vta.org/schedules/SC_901.html

Driving: Downtown San Jose is accessible from US 101, Interstate 280, and California 87. Click here for a map.

Parking: An inexpensive parking garage is available at the San Jose Convention Center, across San Carlos. The entrance is from Almaden Blvd., one block west.

WHAT TO BRING

Please bring a sign or a U.S. or Russian flag, and a cell phone if you have one. Keep signs simple (four words is ideal) so that they are easy to read for people passing by. "Adobe: drop the charges" and "Free Dmitry" are examples.

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Warnock & Co. are dicks and, IMnsHO, a huge, howling protest outside Adobe's corporate HQ will be just the thing to convince them that they'd better back the fuck off muy pronto, unless they want to learn what a G8 meeting feels like from the INSIDE of the barricades.

If you're not local, check this Web page:

http://www.boycottadobe.org/pages/rallies.html

...for info on events in your area. There's already plans for events in Boston, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Chicago, Moscow, Reno, and elsewhere. More people, more voices.

Pigdogs will be in downtown San Jose on Monday July 23rd at 11:00am in force, storming the barricades.

If you don't come, you're going to have a hard time shaking the sensation of Dmitry Sklyarov being shunted about within the federal prison system of the one remaining Evil Empire. This man wants to be home in Eurasia with his children.

Writing software is not a crime. Free Dmitry Sklyarov.

P.S. Boycott Adobe.

guvnor@pigdog.org