1. ACM Files Declaration.
- Author
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Fox, Robert
- Subjects
- *
DECLARATION of intention , *ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. , *COPYRIGHT , *ACTIONS & defenses (Law) , *FREEDOM of information - Abstract
This article focuses on a declaration filed by the U.S.-based Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in federal court regarding the legal challenge to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in the Felten v. RIAA case, as of October 2001. In the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey by a number of computing researchers led by Princeton University computer scientist Edward Felten, the plaintiffs are asking the court to rule portions of the DMCA unconstitutional, arguing its broad prohibitions on disseminating information and technology restrict freedom of speech as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The declaration was filed in support of Felten and others to help the court understand the practical effect of the issues at stake in this case. ACM is also concerned that, in addition to harming the progress of research, the risk of legal liability under the DMCA threatens ACM's publication and sponsorship of professional conferences that might include scientific papers assessing the strengths and weaknesses of computer and data security measures.
- Published
- 2001