Build Date: Tue Mar 17 07:00:54 2026 UTC
This I can promise you: bearded women lying on their backs and pulling their anuses open is as low as I go.
-- Mr. Bad
The Jury is in on the Elcomsoft Trial
2002-12-17 15:44:39
When Dmitry Sklyarov, a programmer employed by the Russian software firm Elcomsoft, was arrested by federal agents in July of 2001 for giving a speech in which he talked about how Adobe's eBook content could be copied, a series of nationwide protests followed, targeting Adobe offices and Federal Buildings.
Adobe quickly caved in to the pressure and issued a statement asking the government to drop all charges. The agents of the Federal Government decided to press charges for violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act anyway, and Sklyarov continued to sit in jail. Eventually Sklyarov accepted a plea bargain in which he agreed to testify against his employer in exchange for his own freedom.
Under the DMCA, it is illegal to produce, publish, or (so it seems) discuss software that can be used to circumvent copyright protection. Dmitry Sklyarov is a Russian citizen, and Elcomsoft is a Russian company. Under Russian law, it is illegal to distribute software that cannot be backed up. The tool that Elcomsoft created is not only legal in Russia, it (or a similar tool) would be a required eBook add-on if any eBooks were actually distributed there because otherwise Russian citizens would have no way to back up their eBook data.
The Elcomsoft trial started two weeks ago and today the jury announced their verdict today. Elcomsoft HAS BEEN FOUND INNOCENT of digital copyright violation charges. Dmitry Sklyarov is STILL FREE. The DMCA has been dealt a serious blow. With any luck the excessively restrictive provisions of the DMCA, which in my opinion place unfair limits on fair use, free speech, and software development, will be struck down in the days and years to come.
T O P S T O R I E S
The Crossroads are real and The Blues is a place; The enduring myth of Robert Johnson (More...)
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
Delusional rich man tries to fire town staff
"I'm mayor now" said write-in mayoral candidate and founder of Pirate’s Booty Snacks Robert Ehrlich after losing the election for Mayor of Sea Cliff, NY. Then he tried to take over the Village Hall and fire everyone. (More...)
Musk claims Xitter security is staffed by idiots
Earlier this month Xitter experienced a massive outage. In an interview, Musk told Fox Business that he believes the attack came from "IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area." (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
The Liquidation of Hobo Junction
Albany, CA's homeless hooverville by the Bay, "Hobo Junction," is going to be torn down by The Man. Entrances are already being blocked off, and it's now difficult and dangerous to get there. Worse, these obstacles are making it hard to get to the nearby HORSE TRACK on foot. Local historian, Pao Tzu, has an overview of situation. (More...)
It's not like I have a heroin problem, see. I'm just a self-indulgent brat who likes to live beyond her means. When I zip down to my corner Money Mart for a little cash-till-payday loan, I'm really not planning to spend it on drugs. I'll spend it on sushi. Seventy bucks of interest for a two-week $400 loan is perfectly reasonable, if you really need that hamachi. (More...)
Canadians Not So Different After All
Nobody wants to be prejudiced. But sometimes you can be biased and not even realize it. I think many Americans are biased in this way against Canadians. I never really stopped to think about it, but I myself used to be this way. I guess I thought that Canadians were "stuck-up" — you know, smarter and better cultured than us. But then I got educated about Canadia. (More...)
Songs Of Love And Special Things
Well, dear reader, there's no denying it: Spring has sprung. The air is pungent with the fertile aroma of Romance. And you know what goes with Romance, don't you? That's right, Lover, porn. And not just any porn, but the kind you can sing along to. (More...)
Our man Daemon Agent checks out the heavy heavy sounds of crazy space surf rockers Man or Astroman?. (More...)
"Gee, I wish I was older."
"So do I." (More...)
