[A2k] 'Illegal Number' Triggers Flood of MPAA Cease-and Desist Letters

[Robin Gross]

  Blog: http://ipjustice.org/wp/2007/05/02/digg-freedom/

'Illegal Number' Triggers Flood of MPAA Cease-and-Desist Letters
Digg Vows to Fight for Free Speech After User Revolt
- Robin Gross


Kudos to Digg and its founder Kevin Rose for standing up to Hollywood
censorship by eventually refusing to delete news stories
<http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21659333-2,00.html> that contain
what the MPAA considers to be an "illegal number".

A particular hex number unlocks the encryption code for High Density
DVD, and reminiscent of 1999, when Norwegian teen Jon Johansen
<http://ipjustice.org/wp/2006/10/23/dvd-jon-liberates-ipod/> posted the
encryption code for DVDs, Hollywood is again on a rampage threatening
journalists, computer scientists, and ordinary citizens who publish the
illicit number online. The "illegal number" was "dug" and became wildly
popular by Digg users. The outlaw number was published in a song
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DL9HaNbsIfp0>, among other creative
readings
<http://newshappenings.blogspot.com/2007/05/even-church-doesnt-like-mpaa.ht=
ml>.


Upon first receiving the litigation threats
<http://www.chillingeffects.org/anticircumvention/notice.cgi?NoticeID=3D718=
0>
from Hollywood's technology licensing company Digg removed the numerous
user-chosen news stories and canceled accounts of customers who had
published the illicit number on the Internet. Digg soberly explained on
its website that "in order for Digg to survive it must abide by the law".

But Digg had a change of heart. Digg decided to stand up for free
expression and now refuses to interfere with Internet users' discussions
about the forbidden number. Digg faces serious legal risk for defending
the free expression rights of its users by not complying with
Hollywood's demands.

Under the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)
<http://www.ipjustice.org/hotspots/circumvention.shtml>, it is illegal
to decrypt DRM technology or to provide others with information on how
to bypass technological restrictions. Journalists and scientists have
struggled to study certain consumer technologies and discuss their
vulnerabilities since the DMCA was enacted.

Digg said it was influenced by the enormous consumer backlash against
it, a virtual geek riot. According to Kevin Rose: "You=92d rather see Digg
go down fighting than bow down to a bigger company. We hear you, and
effective immediately we won=92t delete stories or comments containing the
code and will deal with whatever the consequences might be. If we lose,
then what the hell, at least we died trying."

This case promises to be very interesting. Good luck to Digg and thank you!