[free-sklyarov] Proposal to Free Dmitry, Freedom to Speech and make SW Innovations...

[Mickey McGown]

Seth David Schoen wrote:

> Arto Laitinen writes:
>
>
> > So, I make a proposal, how to solve this, other ongoing and future situations; someone found a way to decrypt or something like that, should first go to the
> > inventor/owner of that system, tell them how fragile it is and then also tell them, how to improve the system. There should be a substantial financial price to the 'rabbit
> > hole finder', not shoot or jail him. And thinking to protest against Adobe or thing like DMCA or makes me feel sick... No one should make the situation worse than it is,
> > so no striking, please.
>

I share your concern about escalation, but I am very concerned now that someone is actually in jail. I regret that Dmitry is not even normally subject to the DMCA, this was an
unexpected turn (to me, at least) of events in the opposing of this law. I have written three of my state (GA) representatives urging them to look into this case. The text is
below:

"Please look into the case of Dmitry Sklyarov, the Russian software programmer that was arrested in Las Vegas earlier this week. I am not pleased with the new (1998) copyright
provision that criminalizes detailed computer knowledge, and it has now resulted in the jailing of someone because they dared to teach others. The use of the DMCA to prosecute
software programmers in this way is clearly unconstitutional. Please help calm the situation by calling for his release."

mickeym