Verizon Silences Amateur Roaming Number List

An anonymous reader writes: "Verizon Wireless has silenced a tech-savvy user's web site for publishing the PRL content of Verizon phones. The PRL revealed that Verizon's popular and "expanding" America's Choice Plan has actually been shrinking in coverage in the latest few phone updates. Verizon of course, doesn't want this to tarnish their image, so they threaten legal action. Here is the usenet announcement. Can they hear us now?" PRL stands for Preferred Roaming List, and since roaming agreements can greatly influence the worth (and cost) of a particular calling plan, it's information I'd rather have available.

Comments

Trade Secret?

[PD]

A trade secret is only secret if nobody knows about it. If Verizon failed to protect that secret it's their fault, and they can't do anything about it once it's revealed.

Re:Trade Secret?

[L-Train8]

Regardless of the legal merits of Verizon's claims, and they seem specious to me at best, just the threat of possible expensive legal action is enough to stop the the list. Even if Mr. Lurker fought and won his case, he would spend a lot of time and money doing so. And yes, there is a chance that he might have his money returned to him with a favorable ruling, but that is a gamble. Freedom of speech is a constitutional right, unless you're a regular person and the corporation that wants to shut you up has a lot of pricey lawyers.

I posted this before, but I find it is relevant to so much that I see on /. Emmanuel Goldstein, writing in the summer 2001 issue of 2600 magazine, said:

"The injustice takes on an even more serious tone when it no longer seems to matter whether or not you're found guilty. or innocent - whether you win or lose. If you're even brought into the game, you lose regardless of whether or not you win....
Every time we find ourselves in a court of law, we seem to have lost by default, something even a victory can't seem to change. Not that we don't relish the idea of standing up to any of the bullies who put us through this hell. But every time we do, it costs us and not just financially. We have to devote tremendous resources into the act of simply defending who we are and what we've been doing for all these years."

It's easy to see how someone who doesn't live to fight the good fight, someone who just wants to post some cool stuff he figured out, would give up rather than take on the hassle of proving the obvious - that he has every right to do his thing.

only one thing bugs me

[medcalf]

The only thing that really bugs me about this is that intellectual property rights are being asserted over a collection of information from multiple sources, all public. This would indicate, if it stands and sets a precedent, that public information is only public in its original format. If I make every third cell of a table of radio frequency assignments bold to highlight an interesting trend, am I now guilty of infringing the intellectual property "rights" of the users of the associated spectra?

So that explains it.....

[jweb]

I got a phone/plan with Verizon for one simple reason: I could go 'anywhere' within a 6 state area and have my phone work. Verizon was the only plan that allowed local coverage both in Minnesota (where I live) and rural Iowa (where many of my friends/family live). The last 2 times I've driven back and forth, I've noticed about a 70-mile gap in Verizon coverage along my main route, which wasn't there when I originally got the plan almost a year ago. I called Verizon, but never got a straight answer. You know, if they would TELL customers about things like this, they just might be willing to accept it. As it is, I'm currently searching for a new phone plan.

Re:"Intellectual Property"

[ka9dgx]

"Intellectual Property" is a propaganda term that groups things in an unnatural and unfair manner to the advantage of a few at the expense of the many.

Copyright is granted to the author of a work for the express purpose of enhancing the creation of work destined for the public domain.

Patents are a temporary monopoly issued to inventors for the express purpose of enhancing the creation of technology destined for the public domain.

If the use of the term "property" implies permanent ownership, it is a LIE, and should be treated as such. There is NO SUCH THING AS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

--Mike--

Re:"Intellectual Property"

[Prior Restraint]

For the sake of completeness, I should point out that there are a couple of other concepts within the rubric of IP: trademarks and trade secrets.

Trademarks, IIRC, are valid so long as you make a reasonable attempt to enforce them. "Reasonable" is vague, which is why things like this happen. They aren't evil; they're just worried their trademark will be ruled abandoned.

Trade secrets (such as in this case) are valid so long as they remain a secret. You can use contracts to allow some people to access them on the condition everything stays mum, but once a third party gains access to the data, you're up a creek.

this coul be

[www.sorehands.com]

This could be a violation of the consumer protection acts.

I would say Verizion should be burried, but Verizion is also going after a Ralksy, a big time spammer.

Re:Thank goodness for...

[kevin lyda]

good point. see http://ie.suberic.net/justalurker.com/. verizon's lawyers can feel free to look me up - just look in your handy copy of the eircom phone book for the 07 and 09 area codes.