Subject: Re: 1st Amendment applies to databases?
Date: 16 May 1995 17:52:08 GMT
Organization: Netcom
References: <3p8jk2$naj@giga.bga.com>

In <3p8jk2$naj@giga.bga.com> madere@bga.com (Steve Madere) writes:
>
>
>What's the applicability of first amendment rights to
>electronic publishing?
>
>In particular, if there is something that can be printed
>on paper because it is protected by the first amendment,
>is it plausible that it could still be illegal to provide
>that same text via an internet www server?

This is not what you are asking, but Senator Exon wants to make it so.
.

>The reason I ask is because I'm curious how various news
>database search engines avoid legal liabilities when someone
>in bozo county decides that some (text) article in their database
>violates the local obscenity laws.

Whoops, it IS what you are asking. .

>
>Nexxus (sp?) has been around for years. Surely, the folks at
>Mead Data Central have had to deal with this issue before.

I don't believe they have dealt with it before, since there was never a
statute that made newspaper articles illegal. Senator Exon's amendment
will certainly do that. I can see it now, a newspaper report of a
brutal sexual murder becomes "filthy", and illegal to transmit by
computer.

--
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Mark J. Astarita astarita@ix.netcom.com
This is not legal advice, but merely my opinion and general
thoughts. If you want legal advice, see an attorney
who can deal with your specific situation.
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