[dvd-announce] EFF Press Release on DeCSS Oral Argument (May 1)

[Wendy Seltzer <wendy@seltzer.com>]

DeCSS Case to be Reviewed by Appellate Court
Free Speech on Trial in DVD Fair Use Case

For Immediate Release -- Apr. 26, 2001

Contact:
      Cindy Cohn, EFF Legal Director
      cindy@eff.org
      +1 415-505-7621

New York - In a case involving free speech rights and fair use of DVDs, the 
2nd Circuit Court of Appeals will hear the appeal of 2600 Magazine in 
Universal v. Remeirdes at 10:00 a.m. on May 1, 2001. The hearing will be 
held in Courtroom 506 of the United States Courthouse at 40 Centre Street 
(at Foley Square) in Manhattan, New York City.

Dean Kathleen Sullivan of Stanford Law School will argue the case on behalf 
of the magazine. 2600 Magazine will hold a short press conference 
immediately after the hearing in Foley Square Plaza, directly across from 
the courthouse.

The case arises from 2600 Magazine's publication of and linking to a 
computer program called DeCSS in November, 1999 as part of its news 
coverage about DVD decryption software. DeCSS decrypts movies on DVDs that 
have been encrypted by a computer program called CSS. Decryption of DVD 
movies is necessary in order to make fair use of the movies as well as to 
play DVD movies on computers running the Linux operating system, among 
other uses.

Universal Studios, along with other members of the Motion Picture 
Association of America, filed suit against the magazine in January 2000 
seeking an order that the magazine no longer publish the program.

The Studios object to the publication of DeCSS because they claim that it 
can be used as part of a process to infringe copyrights on DVD movies.

In the case, formally titled Universal v. Remeirdes, et. al., the District 
Court granted a preliminary injunction against publication of DeCSS on 
January 20, 2000. By August 2000, after an abbreviated trial, the Court 
prohibited 2600 Magazine from even linking to DeCSS.

2600 appealed the trial court's ruling.
<http://eff.org/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20010319_ny_eff_appeal_reply_brief.html> 


More information about this case is available on the EFF website at:
<http://eff.org/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/>

[and on the Openlaw website at
<http://dvd.openlaw.org/>]

About EFF:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil liberties 
organization working to protect rights in the digital world. Founded in 
1990, EFF actively encourages and challenges industry and government to 
support free expression, privacy, and openness in the information society. 
EFF is a member-supported organization and maintains one of the most 
linked-to Web sites in the world:   http://www.eff.org

                        - end -


The details recapped:

Universal v. Reimerdes oral argument (2600 Magazine v. the movie studios 
and the government intervenor)
May 1, 2001, at 10:00 a.m.
Courtroom 506
Second Circuit Courthouse, 40 Centre Street (Foley Square),
Manhattan

Proceedings are open to the public.  Those planning to attend should arrive 
promptly, as arguments last only 20 minutes a side, and a large crowd is 
expected.

--
Wendy Seltzer -- wendy@seltzer.com
Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html