[free-sklyarov] Why doesn't Adobe what to talk about Dmitry's arrest?

Richard M. Smith rms at privacyfoundation.org
Mon Jul 23 15:06:40 PDT 2001


Hello,

One thing that Adobe spin control is attempting to do is to say it was
all the FBI's idea to arrest Dmitry Sklyarov in Las Vegas.  Here's how
their now withdrawn FAQ presented the "facts" of the arrest:

   "Q.: Did Adobe order the arrest?

   A: Adobe did not order the arrest. That was the sole 
   decision of the U.S. government. Adobe alerted the U.S. 
   Attorney's office to investigate the activities of Elcomsoft 
   regarding the possible illegal distribution of its "Advanced 
   eBook Processor." Based on the information gathered in the 
   investigation (see affidavit), the U.S. Government chose 
   to take legal action." 

It's very interesting to compare this presentation to the FBI complaint:

   http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Sklyarov/20010707_complaint.html

   "e. Adobe learned that Dmitry Sklyarov is slated to speak on 
   July 15, 1001 at a conference entitled Defcon-9 at Las Vegas 
   Nevada. [Daryl] Spano [of Adobe] told me that he learned that
Sklyarov is scheduled 
   to make a presentation related to the AEBPR software program."

Common sense says that it is very likely that Adobe provided Dmitry's US
travel 
plans in order to get him arrested by the FBI.  What other reason could
Adobe
have for giving this information to the FBI?

In addition, Adobe seemed to trying to downplaying almost any role in
Dmitry's
arrest with the press, but they got caught because the FBI complaint
tells
a much different story:

    http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2790369,00.html

    "While [Susan Altman] Prescott first portrayed Adobe as somewhat 
    removed from the investigation, she later acknowledged that the 
    company "brought it to the attention of the U.S. government." 

Does anyone have any guesses of why Adobe doesn't appear to want to talk

about the arrest issue more honestly?  Their actions make even less
sense given that
the FBI complaint makes Adobe's role so clear.

Richard




   










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