[free-sklyarov] UK programmer letter to US Ambassador

[Seth David Schoen]

Thanks to Richard Kay for this copy of his letter to the U.S.
Ambassador in London.

----- Forwarded message from Richard Kay <rich at copsewood.net> -----

[...]

Copy of letter sent to US Ambassador in London:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

				Richard Kay	
				Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering,
				Technology Innovation Centre,
				University of Central England,
				Perry Barr, Birmingham, B42 2SU.
				Richard.Kay at uce.ac.uk
				Monday 23rd July 2001
The Ambassador,
US Embassy,
24 Grosvenor Square
London, W1A 1AE

Dear Ambassador,

I am writing to express my disgust concerning the way the FBI has conducted itself with regards to Dmitry Sklyarov a Russian programmer now wrongfully imprisoned in the US.

Mr. Sklyarov gave a talk at a computer security conference in the US on the security weaknesses of Adobe's eBook product, which were apparently easily discovered. Instead of thanking Mr. Sklyarov for his work, the Adobe software company complained to the FBI who detained Mr. Sklyarov for allegedly violating the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA).

I do not dispute the principle that copyright holders should be free to apply encryption technology to secure their works. However, it is obvious (thanks to Elcomsoft, the Russian company Mr Sklyarov works for) the protection given by Adobe's eBook products is  substandard and easily overcome. The field of study Mr Sklyarov is engaged in has entirely legitimate usages, for example, enabling Adobe eBook products to be used by blind people and those with other disabilities.

The imprisonment of Mr Sklyarov -and this use of the DMCA - represents a threat to the freedom of expression of programmers and software academics everywhere, should we express our views on security issues affecting substandard products which the DMCA is apparently intended to protect and then be foolish enough to visit the US. It also presents a situation for programmers resident in the US which denies them basic freedoms which your constitution claims to protect.

Software academics and programmers such as myself can, for certain purposes, only effectively express ourselves to our colleagues through the discussion and publication of program source code. Suppression of this right cannot be justified on the same or similar grounds that make slander, libel or shouting "Fire" in a crowded theatre offences. Those who deny fundamental human rights of freedom of expression become tyrants, and the countries they misrule become police states. I might also mention that developing competitive parts, systems or peripherals which comply with proprietary interfaces has long been considered fair use rather than a breach of copyright.

Would you imprison consumer product reviewers if they published weaknesses in proprietary door locks to encourage substandard lock manufacturers to improve their products ?  If not, then the DMCA must be repealed or amended if the good reputation of the US, as a place of freedom of expression and democracy, is not to suffer.

				Yours sincerely,



				Richard Kay
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[...]

----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Seth David Schoen <schoen at loyalty.org>  | Lending, printing, copying, giving
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