FC: German cops reportedly raid PDF pirate for copyright infringement

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Mon Sep 10 2001 - 22:31:29 PDT

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    [Probably if the same (alleged) act were to take place in the U.S., the 
    same raid would happen. Nothing to do with the DMCA or the SSSCA. The U.S. 
    law in question, assuming the raidee wasn't selling PDFs, is the 1997 NET 
    Act, which made not-for-profit copyright infringements a crime. Share 
    software with your friends or family and go to prison if you get caught. I 
    invite Springer to reply. --Declan]
    
    *********
    
    From: Tom <tomat_private>
    Subject: [free-sklyarov] more PDF arrests ?
    Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 13:13:22 +0200
    User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i
    
    this just in on a german newssite:
    
    http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/jes-10.09.01-000/
    
    for those not speaking german, a short summary:
    
    someone in munich was raided by 5 cops, PC and peripherals taken,
    because he allegedly posted a "cracked" (reference to elcomsoft)
    copyrighted .pdf file on his webpage.
    
    the search order explicitly mentions "hacker software for pdf
    cracking".
    
    *********
    
    From: Kurt Foss <kfossat_private>
    Subject: [free-sklyarov] FYI> Computer seized in alleged PDF eBook crack
    To: free-sklyarovat_private
    Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2001 10:17:39 -0500
    
    Based on accusations of copyright infringement involving an allegedly
    cracked PDF version of a recently released book, police in Munich,
    Germany have reportedly seized the computer and peripheral equipment
    of a Web site owner. Purchase of the book apparently included a
    CD-ROM of the contents; according to reports, the protected PDF's
    security permissions were removed using software from ElcomSoft Co.
    Ltd -- but not the same controversial application which led to recent
    indictments for ElcomSoft and employee Dmitry Sklyarov on violations
    of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
    
    http://www.planetebook.com/mainpage.asp?webpageid=231
    
    *********
    
    [Following is what Babelfish makes of the heise.de article. --DBM]
    
    House search because of gecrackter PDF file (update)
    
    The public prosecutor's office Munich let seize the computer system of an 
    Website operator, because it is to have still offered a in copyright 
    matters protected and PDF file gecrackte in addition. According to 
    specification of the concerning at least five officials penetrated into his 
    dwelling and carried one PC with monitor as well as two scanners and some 
    diskettes forward. In that heise on-line available search resolution of the 
    district court running is called it that in particular for data carriering 
    with the PDF data as well as, so literally, " Heckersoftware is looked up 
    for decoding PDF Verschluesselungsprogrammen ".
    With the corpus Delicti concerns it a PDF file, which is attached to CD on 
    the " manual of the printed media ". The Website operator said heise 
    on-line, the public prosecutor's office accuses to him now the file with 
    the help of the software " Advanced pdf Recovery " the Russian company 
    ElcomSoft to have gecrackt. This software, which can be downloaded in a 
    demo version free of charge, decodes Adobe Acrobat PDF files, which are 
    provided with an owner password, in order it against modifications, 
    supplements, printing, extracting text or pictures to protect. One the 
    programmer von ElcomSoft is located at present in the USA before court, 
    because he is to have cracked the protection of another Adobe program.
    In the search resolution, which obviously decreases/goes back to a charge 
    of the scientific Springer publishing house, an offence against copyright 
    is accused to suspecting. Usually in such cases on the civil way a 
    requirement for omission is interspersed. The director/conductor of the 
    responsible residents of Munich public prosecutor, Dr. Hubert full man, 
    acknowledged opposite heise on-line that in the course of a preliminary 
    investigation a house search was executed. The analysis of the seized 
    evidence would take about six weeks. Only then is to be counted on results. 
    On the uncommon methodology during a copyright infringement addressed, full 
    man said: " a proportionateness is given already alone, because a judge, 
    who enjoys judicial independence, signed the resolution. " If he did not 
    want to give closer specification to the procedure and the looked up 
    evidence, it stressed however that he could not be come the search 
    resolution (the heise on-line is present) for with one hour of preparation 
    time the set discussion ( jes / c't)
    
    *********
    
    
    
    
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