Unfortunatly except for a few comments it seems that most people are missing the significance of the court ruling. Free speech is reserved only for some people. Last week the Supreme Court (in a 5-4 ruling) ruled unconstitutional a federal law that, while providing funding for legal services, restricted the funding so that while an attorney may file a case in regard to say a person being denied benefits same attorney was prohibited from raising the issue of the constitutionally of the orginal law setting up the guidelines for the benefits. The Court said that was a violation of speech - once Congress provides funding for legal assistance they cannot put any restrictions upon the use. However as pointed out by a dissenting Justice the Court had allowed such Congressional restriction by holding valid the ban on doctors discussing abortion at family planning clinics
that receive federal funding. This Justice even stated that the 5 justices making the ruling were saying that freedom of speech applies to attorneys but not to doctors. Likewise free speech does not count if you would care to publish the DeCSS code. In essence you have the right of free speech until you get the goverment or big money (MPAA) irate, at which time forget it.
As some posters pointed try publishing the names, addresses, kids schools, etc of federal judges that make incorrect rulings, such as DeCSS, and muse upon the fact that the world would be a better place without such people and see how long your freedom of speech will last.
Slashdot Mirror
Unfortunatly except for a few comments it seems that most people are missing the significance of the court ruling. Free speech is reserved only for some people. Last week the Supreme Court (in a 5-4 ruling) ruled unconstitutional a federal law that, while providing funding for legal services, restricted the funding so that while an attorney may file a case in regard to say a person being denied benefits same attorney was prohibited from raising the issue of the constitutionally of the orginal law setting up the guidelines for the benefits. The Court said that was a violation of speech - once Congress provides funding for legal assistance they cannot put any restrictions upon the use. However as pointed out by a dissenting Justice the Court had allowed such Congressional restriction by holding valid the ban on doctors discussing abortion at family planning clinics that receive federal funding. This Justice even stated that the 5 justices making the ruling were saying that freedom of speech applies to attorneys but not to doctors. Likewise free speech does not count if you would care to publish the DeCSS code. In essence you have the right of free speech until you get the goverment or big money (MPAA) irate, at which time forget it. As some posters pointed try publishing the names, addresses, kids schools, etc of federal judges that make incorrect rulings, such as DeCSS, and muse upon the fact that the world would be a better place without such people and see how long your freedom of speech will last.