Index to ftp.eff.org pub/EFF/papers/legal - last changed 28 Apr 92 ================================================================== bbs-and-the-law --------------- "The Electronic Pamphlet: Computer Bulletin Boards and the Law" by Michael H. Riddle as a research paper for a course of study. A round-up of key legal aspects of running a BBS. Covered are BBS and the 1st Amendment, Operation Sun Devil, access rights to information, sysop liability for defamation and copyright infringement, etc. bbs-defamation -------------- "Defamation Liability of Computerized Bulletin Board Operators and Problems of Proof" by John R. Kahn. The scope of this Comment is to examine issues that arise in tracing computerized defamation to its true source. Must read for all SYSOPS and potential SYSOPS concerning your liability for information posted on your BBS. bill-of-rights-overview ----------------------- "Legal Overview: The Electronic Frontier and the Bill of Rights" by Harvey Silverglate. Striking balances properly among freedom of speech, the right to privacy and protection from unwarranted governmental intrusion will not be easy, but if they are struck too far in one direction or the other, important social and legal values surely will be sacrificed. Helping to see to it that this important and difficult task is done properly is a major goal of the EFF. cyberspace-legal-matrix ----------------------- "Cyberspace and the Legal Matrix: Laws or Confusion" by Lance Rose. Article on legal aspects of electronic networks, or "cyberspace". First part is an overview of the many types of laws that may apply to different network situations. Second part examines some of the problems and results arising from clashes between differrent laws and regulations of cyberspace. First published in Boardwatch, June 1991. computer-security-intro ----------------------- "An Introduction to Computer Security For Lawyers" by Simson L. Garfinkel. This article attempts to broadly cover questions of computer security in the small business or law firm. This article hopes to acquaint the reader with the issues involved so that the reader may then be able to analyze systems on a case-by-case basis and recognize when outside assistance is required. copyright-libraries ------------------- An annotated bibliography on the subject of copyrights and digital media (computer software, CD-ROM, etc.) for librarianship. Reviewed by Martin Halbert. copyright-law-software ---------------------- Jordan J. Breslow discusses copyright law and license law as they pertain to computer software. The goal is to enable readers to determine when they should be concerned about infringing and when they can relax about it. search-seizure-files -------------------- "Constitutional, legal, and ethical considerations for dealing with electronic files in the age of cyberspace" by Harvey A. Silverglate and Thomas C. Viles. How far can governments, companies and individuals go when gaining "access to information"? ecpa-laymans-view ----------------- "The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986: A Layman's View" by Michael H. Riddle. The paper covers the two main sections of the act, Interception of Communications and Stored Communications and Records Access. Plain, clear text about a complicated issue. email-privacy-biblio-2 ---------------------- Compilation of bibliography on E-Mail and its privacy issues (part 2 of the work). Compiled by Stacy B. Veeder (12/91) email-privacy-research ---------------------- The author at Digital Research tried to formalize their employee privacy policy on E-Mail. The casesightings are divided into two groups: US Constitutional law, and California law. privacy-vs-amendments --------------------- Computer Privacy vs. First and Fourth Amendment Rights by Michael S. Borella This paper discusses cyberspace and its increasing role in the life of every human being, not just those who actually use a computer, and explores the legal battles and rights issues regarding cyberspace. media-and-law ------------- A short essay by Howard Frederick on the international covenants and conventions that govern media behavior in the international arena. How do governments restrict international information exchange, how much can they restrict it, and what are the precedents? review-liability ---------------- Review of Peter Huber's _Liability: The Legal Revolution and its Consequences (1988)_ by Basic Books. The strength of Huber's book lies in quickly identifying a central fallacious judicial policy and then tracing its history of unforeseen consequences and inverted logic from the late 50's up to the present time. against-look-and-feel --------------------- "Against User Interface Copyright". Richard Stallman shares his sometimes controversial views on the meaning and the effect of "look and feel" lawsuits in the software world. "A copyright on a user interface means a government-imposed monopoly on its use." -- Stallman. tempest-legal-issues -------------------- This document explores the legal status of a surveillance technology known as TEMPEST. Using TEMPEST the information in any digital device may be intercepted and reconstructed into useful intelligence without the operative ever having to come near his target. The technology is especially useful in the interception of information stored in computers.