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Cyhist Aug 27 1997 C
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========================================================================= Date: Wed, 27 Aug 1997 10:18:42 -0500
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Peter da Silva <peter@GRENDEL.NMTI.COM>
Subject: Re: Computer code as free speech
In-Reply-To: <199708271346.JAA13684@erebus.rutgers.edu> from "Janet Abbate" at
Aug 27, 97 09:52:03 am
Content-Type: text
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Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>I saw this on Edupage (see below) and was struck by the court's argument that computer code constitutes free speech (in the American legal sense) and that government controls on software can therefore be considered "censorship". This seems like a bizarre interpretation of "speech," especially since the programs in question would probably be exported in binary form, which doesn't much resemble human language.
Actually, Bernstein's software is distributed in source. His most popular program, qmail, is not allowed to be distributed in binary form.
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Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Peter da Silva <peter@GRENDEL.NMTI.COM>
Subject: Re: Computer code as free speech
In-Reply-To: <199708271346.JAA13684@erebus.rutgers.edu> from "Janet Abbate" at
Aug 27, 97 09:52:03 am
Content-Type: text
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
>I saw this on Edupage (see below) and was struck by the court's argument that computer code constitutes free speech (in the American legal sense) and that government controls on software can therefore be considered "censorship". This seems like a bizarre interpretation of "speech," especially since the programs in question would probably be exported in binary form, which doesn't much resemble human language.
Actually, Bernstein's software is distributed in source. His most popular program, qmail, is not allowed to be distributed in binary form.
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