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EFFector        Vol. 10, No. 01        Jan. 9, 1997        editor@eff.org

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation        ISSN 1062-9424

already a lot of action.  Call this "January Net Activism Week" - there are

nput into a number of government agency reports, rulemakings, and

nquiries, plus sit in on a groundbreaking privacy and First Amendment

legal case.  The rules for submission of comments don't make it easy, 

but please make the effort. Democracy: use it or lose it!

Action in Karn Case Against Irrational Crypto Regs (In DC? Attend!)

DoC Crypto Export Regulations: YOUR Comments Due!

FRB Privacy Study: YOUR Comments Due!

  ISPs Shouldn't Be Charged Long-Distance Carrier Fees By Local Telcos

  Technological Hurdles of Net Growth to Be Examined

  Universal Service Reform

DHHS Medical Privacy Open Hearing: YOUR Comments Due!

FTC Privacy Hearing Report: "Notice, Choice, Security, Access"

NACIC & DoD Hint at Tracking Net Users

Newsnybbles

  PTO to Hold Domain Name Trademark & Unfair Competition Hearing

Upcoming Events

Quote of the Day

What YOU Can Do

Administrivia

 * See http://www.eff.org/hot.html or ftp.eff.org, /pub/Alerts/ for more

 information on current EFF activities and online activism alerts! *

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Action in Karn Case Against Irrational Crypto Regs (In DC? Attend!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Friends of crypto freedom should definitely attend.  The courtroom

Williams, Ginsburg and Rogers the importance of the case.  This is the

first time that a crypto export case has hit a Court of Appeals, and

your rights are very much at stake here.

your support as he challenges the export control laws!]

  RESEARCHER KARN APPEALS, SEEKING TO OVERTURN IRRATIONAL ENCRYPTION RULES

   "Books are OK to publish, floppies are not" policy faces next challenge

Washington, January 8 - Laywers for researcher Philip R. Karn, Jr.

Amendments of the Constitution, and are "arbitrary, capricious and

nvalid" regulations.

This week's hearing, on January 10, 1997 at 9:30AM in the US Court of

Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, is open to the public at

The Government will argue that its rules are its own business, which

courts should not oversee, and that it is legitimate to regulate free

court of the opposite.)

The lawsuit is complicated by the Government's introduction last month

of new encryption regulations.  President Clinton ordered on November

Commerce Department.  Over Christmas, the Clinton Administration

effectively identical to the State Department regulations, and put

them into immediate effect.  Mr. Karn's case only named the State

Department.  In an unusual switch, the Government is arguing that it

Department as a defendant, in the hope of keeping the case alive.

(Most defendants would be happy to have the case disappear.  The State

Department appears to be hoping they will get a better decision in

this case than in related cases.)

The State Department regulations at issue were struck down in December

by Judge Marilyn Hall Patel in a similar case brought by Professor

Daniel Bernstein in San Francisco.  Judge Patel called the regulations

a "paradigm of standardless discretion" which required Americans to

about encryption.  No court has yet ruled on the new Commerce

Department regulations, which include the same provisions that were

"This case clearly raises an issue of fundamental importance to

cryptographers and computer programmers generally," said Kenneth Bass,

lead attorney in the case.  "The fundamental issue is how the courts

of this distinction.  We now will see whether the appeals courts will

also see it that way."

"Phil Karn's case illustrates both the irrationality of the encryption

the author of a book, but not the author of an identical floppy disk,

s ridiculous.  All books, magazines, and newspapers are written on

computers today before print publication, and many are also published

online.  Yet here we have Government lawyers not only defending their

the courts are not permitted to re-examine the issue.  Their argument

amounts to `Trust us with your fundamental liberties'.  Unfortunately,

a decade of NSA actions have amply demonstrated that they are happy to

classified spy program.  Unless there's a clear and present danger to

our nation's physical security (which we have seen no evidence of),

our citizens' right to speak and publish freely is much more important

to American national security than any top-secret program."

Civil libertarians have long argued that encryption should be widely

current dominant position in computer and communications technology.

Government officials in the FBI and NSA argue that the technology is

too dangerous to permit citizens to use it, because it provides privacy

to criminals as well as ordinary citizens.

	Background on the case

Mr. Philip Karn is an engineer with a wide and varied background in

the Internet community.  He is the author of the freely available

"KA9Q" internet software for DOS machines, which forms the basis of

many amateur radio experiments as well as several successful

commercial products.  He has written and given away various

cryptographic software, including one of the world's fastest versions

of the Data Encryption Standard (DES).  Phil also did the initial

Karn's home page is at http://www.qualcomm.com/people/pkarn/ .

best-selling encryption textbook which included some fifty pages of

encryption source code listings, including very strong algorithms such

as "Triple-DES".  As a civil libertarian, Mr. Karn asked the State

Department whether the book could be exported; they replied that it

then created a floppy disk containing the source code from the book,

and asked if the floppy could be exported.  The State Department

After several administrative appeals, Mr. Karn filed suit in September

because the distinction between publication on paper and publication

on floppies has no rational basis, and because the decision violates

Mr. Karn's right to publish the floppy.

Judge Charles R. Richey dismissed the case in a strongly-worded

constitutional claims because he and others have not been able to

ssue does not endanger the national security. This is a "political

question" for the two elected branches under Articles I and II of the

Constitution."  Mr. Karn, whose effort was motivated by concern for

civil rights rather than profit, appealed.  This week's hearing is the

first public hearing in his appeal case.

The regulations at issue in the case, which prevent American

Security Agency has built up an arcane web of complex and confusing

laws, regulations, standards, and secret interpretations for years.

These are used to force, persuade, or confuse individuals, companies,

and government departments into making it easy for NSA to wiretap and

the White House, into numerous Federal agencies, and into the

Congressional Intelligence Committees.  In recent years this web is

unraveling in the face of increasing visibility, vocal public

ABOUT THE ATTORNEYS

Lead counsel on the case are Kenneth C. Bass III and Thomas J. Cooper

of the Washington law firm of Venable, Baetjer, Howard & Civiletti,

ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is a nonprofit civil

liberties organization working in the public interest to protect

nformation.  EFF is funding the expenses in Mr. Karn's case.

The full text of the lawsuit and other paperwork filed in the case is

available from Phil Karn's web site at:

        http://www.qualcomm.com/people/pkarn/export/index.html

SOURCE: Electronic Frontier Foundation

CONTACT:  Ken Bass, lead attorney, +1 202 962 4890, kbass@venable.com;

or Shari Steele, EFF Staff Attorney, +1 301 375 8856, ssteele@eff.org;

or John Gilmore, EFF Board Member, +1 415 221 6524, gnu@toad.com

------------------------------

Subject: DoC Crypto Export Regulations: YOUR Comments Due!

----------------------------------------------------------

"new" Commerce Dept. regs that are as bad, and in some cases worse. The

Commerce Dept. is seeking input from the people on these regulations.

Don't miss this opportunity to provide feedback to government in this

vital area. Have a look at the regs, and make your voice heard! See this

ssue's lead article for some background on what the problems are.

The full text of the new regulations (the "Interim Rule") can be found at:

 http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/ITAR_export/961230_commerce.regs

What YOU can do: The DoC is requesting comments from the public on this

matter. If you wish to get your word in, reasoned, detailed, but concise

comments should be sent (on paper, 6 copies) to the DoC. More information

on making and filing comments is available at:

 http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/ITAR_export/961230_commerce.regs

The docket number for this Interim Rule is "Docket No. 960918265-6366-03,

RIN 0694-AB09" (you will need to include this at the top of your comments).

DEADLINE: February 13, 1997.

------------------------------

Subject: FRB Privacy Study: YOUR Comments Due!

----------------------------------------------

The US Federal Reserve Board requests public comments on issues to be 

addressed in a new consumer information study (ironically required by the 

Economic Growth & Regulatory Paperwork Reduction Act of 1996.)  The study

nformation about individuals, such as social security numbers, mother's

maiden names, prior addresses, dates of birth, etc.  Additionally, the 

for fraud, and the effect such fraud may have on FDIC banks.  The FRB is 

to report the findings to Congress, including any suggestions for 

legislative change.

The FRB appears to be rather up-to-speed on the problems inherent in the 

theft", credit fraud, and access to private information such as school 

This is probably one of the best opportunities in years to raise 

Congressional awareness of these increasingly grave problems, and to 

even more privacy invasive ideas being floated by various agencies.  The 

FRB is, however seeking input on some specific questions, so general 

and answers to them. The questions are available in the text of the 

FRB's Request for Comments:

 http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/boarddocs/press/BoardActs/1996/19961223

What YOU can do: The FRB is requesting comments from the public on this 

matter. If you wish to get your word in, reasoned, detailed, but concise 

comments should be sent (on paper) to the FRB. Full guidelines for 

making and filing comments are available at: 

 http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/boarddocs/press/BoardActs/1996/19961223

toward the end.

The docket number for this Request for Comments is "Docket No. R-0953"

(you will need to include this at the top of your comments).

DEADLINE: January 31, 1997.

------------------------------

Subject: IITF NII Policy Overhauled: YOUR Comments Due!

-------------------------------------------------------

The White House's Information Infrastructure Task Force has issues a new 

teration of Administration NII/GII policy initiatives.  The draft

"Framework for Global Electronic Commerce" aims for "a strategy to help 

accelerate the growth of global commerce across the Internet...The 

ssues related to electronic commerce, and provides a road map for

nternational negotiations, where appropriate. It also identifies

The document touches on many areas of concern to EFF members and Internet 

users, including taxation, content regulation (i.e., censorship), standards, 

ntellectual property, liability, privacy, security, transactions,

uniform law in multiple jurisdictions, contract enforcement, etc.

Rather surprisingly, the current draft takes a "non-regulatory, 

market-oriented", pro-consumer and rather forward-thinking approach, at

least on paper. The document calls for: establishment of the Net as a 

"duty-free zone", no new Net taxes, laissez-faire policy in standards 

encouragement of industry self-regulation "where appropriate", and 

mproved security & privacy. The paper even addresses (to a limited extent)

content restrictions and compulsory licensing requirements.

Not surprisingly, however, the document toes the standard Administration 

line on encryption, pulling the doublethink maneuver we have all seen so 

many times before: IITF simultaneously calls for improved computer 

that are inherently insecure, backed up with the threat of export denial 

for actually secure encryption.  IITF does however readily admit that 

"these export controls have limited the worldwide use of strong

encryption for electronic commerce and other purposes," an admission 

many years in coming from the Administration.  But, the paper also 

the State Dept. to Commerce is a step that "promotes electronic 

nformation security and public safety...electronic commerce and secure

communications worldwide," rather than admitting that it is a further 

attempt to stuff the crypto genie back in the bottle and evade Federal 

court findings that software is protected expression under the First 

Amendment.

vow to "work within the OECD [and EU]...to guide... member governments as 

they develop national encryption policies," that is, lobby foreign 

ncludes government agencies holding citizens' encryption keys

n getting the government to abandon such dangerous proposals.

Summary of, full text of, and already-received comments on the draft paper

are available at:

 http://www.iitf.nist.gov/electronic_commerce.htm

What YOU can do: The IITF is requesting comments from the public on 

these issues. Please contribute your comments so that the next draft 

Administration's anti-public-interest views on encryption, intellectual 

n, reasoned, detailed, but concise comments should be sent (on paper)

to the IITF (c/o Sr. Advisor Ira Magaziner). Full guidelines for making 

and filing comments (considerably less complicated than the FCC 

  http://www.iitf.nist.gov/electronic_commerce.htm

Though emailed comments are accepted, it is unclear whether these are 

considered official or not. In the case of the FCC actions mentioned

below, they are NOT official, only paper ones are.

Better to be safe than sorry.

DEADLINE: January 23, 1997.

------------------------------

Subject: 3 FCC Inquiries & Draft Rules: YOUR Comments Due!

---------------------------------------------------------

* ISPs Shouldn't Be Charged Long-Distance Carrier Fees By Local Telcos

The US Federal Communications Commission has "tentatively concluded that 

telephone companies currently assess on long-distance carriers", as part 

of a series of proposed new regulations that "provide incentive for 

nvestment and innovation" in networking.

The full text of this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available from:

 http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/fcc96488.txt

An analysis of the Proposed Rulemaking by Pepper and Corazzini, L.L.P.,

s available at:

 http://www.commlaw.com/pepper/Memos/InfoLaw/access.html

What YOU can do: The FCC is requesting comments from the public on this 

matter. If you wish to get your word in, reasoned, detailed, but concise 

comments should be sent (on paper, alas) to the FCC. Full guidelines for 

making and filing comments are available at: 

 http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/Factsheets/comments.hlp

The docket number for this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is "CC Docket 

Number 96-263" (you will need to include this at the top of your comments).

DEADLINE: January 27, 1997 (reply comments, in case you wish to 

challenge or support the comments of others, are due by February 13, 1997.)

* Technological Hurdles of Net Growth to Be Examined

The FCC, in a section of the same document, also seeks "to examine the 

more fundamental issues about the implications of emerging data services 

for the public switched telephone network. In the Notice of Inquiry, the 

Commission sought comment on the effects of increasing Internet usage on 

the network, alternative technologies to alleviate network congestion and 

The full text of this Notice of Inquiry (Section X of a larger Notice of 

What YOU can do: The FCC is requesting comments from the public on this

matter. If you wish to get your word in, reasoned, detailed, but concise

comments should be sent (again, on paper) to the FCC. Full guidelines for

making and filing comments are available at:

 http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/Factsheets/comments.hlp

The docket number for this Notice of Inquiry is "CC Docket Number 96-262" 

(you will need to include this at the top of your comments).

DEADLINE: February 21, 1997 (reply comments, in case you wish to

challenge or support the comments of others, are due by March 24, 1997.)

* Universal Service Reform

Furthermore, the FCC's Federal-State Joint Board issues to the FCC Common 

Carrier Bureau a Universal Service Recommended Decision, to implement 

for all aspects of US telecommunications. This is a much longer proposal 

than the previous two, and touches on many issues, including:

   competitive neutrality, universal service principles; services eligible

   for support; support mechanisms for rural, insular, and high cost

   areas; support for low income consumers; affordability; support for

   schools, libraries, and health care providers; administration of

   support mechanisms; and common line cost recovery.

The full text of this Recommended Decision is available from:

The already-received comments on the proceeding, to which you may respond 

yourself, are available at:

An analysis of the Recommended Decision provided by People for the 

American Way, Alliance for Community Media, Alliance for Communications 

Democracy, Benton Foundation, Center for Media Education, League of 

United Latin American Citizens, Minority Media and Telecommunications 

Council, National Council of La Raza, and National Rainbow Coalition, is

available at:

 http://www.benton.org/Library/Recommend/recommendations.html

What YOU can do: The FCC has requested comments from the public on this

matter, and received some. If you wish to get your word in, reasoned, 

Recommended Decision and the already available comments, should be sent 

(again, on paper) to the FCC. Full guidelines for making and filing 

comments are available at [NOTE! This is a different URL than above!]: 

 http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Public_Notices/da961891.html

The docket number for this Notice of Inquiry is "CC Docket Number 96-45"

(you will need to include this at the top of your comments).

DEADLINE: *January 10, 1997*. The initial comment period is passed. This is

the "last chance" deadline for *reply comments*. 

------------------------------

Subject: DHHS Medical Privacy Open Hearing: YOUR Comments Due!

--------------------------------------------------------------

The US Department of Health and Human Services's National Committee on 

Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), Subcommittee on Privacy and 

Confidentiality is required to develop recommendations to the DHHS 

Secretary, who in turn is to submit a report to the Congress containing 

ndividually identifiable health information. The report is due in August

Another indicator of increased privacy-consciousness on the Hill, it is 

mportant to pack this meeting with concerned citizens. The medical

ndustry lobbyists, and little public input ever reaches the ears that

matter.  Expect, and expect to have to fight, national ID proposals and

attempts by ingrained industries to thwart any meaningful new privacy 

Excerpt from the meeting announcement:

"The purpose of the hearings is to explore in detail the options,

choices, and trade-offs that must be a part of any health privacy

legislation. To the greatest extent possible, the discussion will focus

on specific alternatives that have been identified in legislative

fair information practices, patient rights, limitations on use and

What YOU Can Do: DHHS is requesting comments from the public on this

matter. If you wish to get your word in, reasoned, detailed, but concise

comments should be sent (on paper) to DHHS. Comments should be sent to:

NCVHS Subcommittee on Privacy and Confidentiality, c/o Division of Data 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 440D Humphrey Building, 200 

DEADLINE: 5pm ET, February 19, 1997.

You can also attend the hearings in person (attendance limited to

can present oral testimony, limited to 3 minutes per person (you have to 

Times and dates: 9am-5pm, February 3-4, 1997, and  9am-5pm, Feb. 18-19, 1997.

Room 503A, Washington, D.C. 20201. (The Humphrey Building is located one 

block from Federal Center SW Metrorail station.) Due to security measures,

you should arrive at 8:30, or at 12:30 if attending afternoon session only.

More information may be obtained from John P. Fanning, Office of the 

Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS, Room 440D Humphrey 

Building, 200 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, telephone 

(202) 690-7100, e-mail jfanning@osaspe.dhhs.gov; or Marjorie S. Greenberg,

Acting Executive Secretary, NCVHS, NCHS, CDC, Room 1100, Presidential 

Building, 6525 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, Maryland 20782, telephone 

(301) 436-7050.

------------------------------

Subject: FTC Privacy Hearing Report: "Notice, Choice, Security, Access"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The US Federal Trade Commission - the closest thing to a Privacy Commission

the US has - has released it staff report on the FTC Bureau of 

Consumer Protection's "Consumer Privacy on the Global Information 

Bureau's Consumer Privacy Initiative, "an ongoing effort to bring

consumers and businesses together to address consumer privacy issues

ssues is being planned, but has not yet been scheduled.

consumers about how personal information collected online is used; choice 

for consumers about whether and how their personal information is used;

flourish on the Internet; and access for consumers to their own personal

nformation to ensure accuracy.  In general, the FTC's findings closely

mirror those of EFF's eTRUST project, more information on which is at:

However, the FTC report, being based on a hearing many month ago, is not 

fully up to speed on recent developments like eTRUST, and EFF is pleased

to hear of the plans for another session. Hopefully eTRUST and other 

area, such as last years attempts at legislating online privacy, in ways 

that were actually detrimental to the public interest.  Any public policy 

lawmakers better understand this medium.

The report and related documents including transcripts from the workshop 

are available at:

 http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/privacy/privacy.htm

------------------------------

Subject: NACIC & DoD Hint at Tracking Net Users

-----------------------------------------------

The National Counterintelligence Center (NACIC), in conjunction with most 

other federal intelleigence and law enforcement agencies, has released a 

for economic reasons.  Though the report is general, it does drift toward 

focusing on the Internet as source of trouble.  In as much as NACIC is 

could be solved by an overhaul of the intelligence community's cherished 

but senseless anti-encryption regulations), the report serves a useful end.

alarmist in suggesting that Internet connectitivity is a threat to 

telephone, unless the companies in question take inadequate security 

More disturbingly, the report appears to suggest in vague terms that all 

Web and other Internet communications and transactions should be 

monitorable and presumably trackable, noting that "Internet and E-mail 

networks provide direct methods of exploitation for foreign 

[intelligence] collection efforts. This is of particular concern in 

communications are lacking."

The Dept. of Defense mirrored this sentiment in no uncertain terms.

According to a Wall Street Journal article of Jan. 6, a Defense Science 

Board taskforce report calls for $580,000,000 in funding to not only create 

a US Information Warfare Center, run by an "Information Warfare Czar", but 

also to support private and public sector R&D to enable "automatically 

tracing cracker attacks back to their source", and even legally 

authorized "electronic countermeasures" right out of cyberpunk novels, 

computer viruses via an "electronic immune system" detecting crackers 

and acting to repel and disable them.  All gee-wiz aside, such proposals 

The full text of the NACIC Annual Report to Congress on Foreign Economic 

Collection and Industrial Espionage is available at:

 http://www.nacic.gov/cind/econ96.htm

NACIC also put out another, related report, for private and public 

organizations who deal with sensitive information. This article, "Internet: 

The Fastest Growing Modus Operandi for Unsolicited Collection", is even 

more alarmist, yet is also intended for a very security-conscious audience

s to warn US companies and agencies to be on the lookout for foreigners

asking for information via the Net. Among the advice included in the 

viewed with suspicion. Only respond to people who are personally known

and only after verifying their identity and address." This seems rather 

overblown, as written, but appears to be intended as a warning about

queries regarding sensitive information only. The introduction to the

newsletter containing the report says this will be it's last hardcopy issue,

"So, hook up your computer, modem, and browser . . . and we'll see you on 

the Web!!!"  Mixed messages?

This second report is available at:

 http://www.nacic.gov/cind/cindnov.htm#art2

No online copy of the DoD report has been located yet.

------------------------------

Subject: Newsnybbles

--------------------

* PTO to Hold Domain Name Trademark & Unfair Competition Hearing

According to a brief Administration statement, the US Patent & Trademark 

office will hold hearings in early 1997 to "address the trademark and 

unfair competition issues relating to domain names".  No date appears to 

------------------------------

Subject: Upcoming Events

------------------------

This schedule lists EFF events, and those we feel might be of interest to

our members.  EFF events (those sponsored by us or featuring an EFF speaker)

are marked with a "*" instead of a "-" after the date.  Simlarly, government

events (such as deadlines for comments on reports or testimony submission,

or conferences at which government representatives are speaking) are marked

ndicates a non-USA event.  If it's a foreign EFF event with govt. people,

t'll be "*!+" instead of "-".  You get the idea. To let us know about an

event, please send details to Dennis Derryberry, dennis@eff.org, with a

The latest version of the full EFF calendar is available from:

ftp: ftp.eff.org, /pub/EFF/calendar.eff

See also our new Now-Up-to-Date HTML calendar at:

Jan. 10 !* Karn v. US Dept. of State appeal hearing, Washington, DC.

          Please attend!

    URL: http://www.eff.org/pub/Legal/Karn_Schneier_export/19970108.pressrel

        ! Deadline for reply comments on FCC FSJB/CC Recommended Decision 

          on universal service reform.

          URL: http://www.fcc.gov (look for "Recommended Decision")

        - PHILADELPHIA - CALL FOR PAPERS!! - SIGIR '97 seeks original 

	  contributions (i.e. never before published) in the broad field 

	  of information storage and retrieval, covering the handling of 

	  all types of information, people's behavior in information

	  systems, and theories, models and implementations of information 

	  retrieval systems. Subscribe now to SIGIR '97 mailing list by 

	  writing to   Information on 

	  SIGIR '97 will periodically be sent to the mailing list as well as 

	  posted at http://www.acm.org/sigir/conferences/sigir97/index.html

	  The conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in 

	  Philadelphia, PA, USA, July 27 -- July 31, 1997

Jan. 13 + LANCASTER, UK - ECSCW'97, the Fifth European Conference on

          Computer Supported Cooperative Work; deadline for paper

          submissions is January 13, 1997; papers must contain an abstract

          of not more than 100 words and not exceed 16 pages in length; full

          formatting instructions are available from

          http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/cseg/ecscw97/papers/

          queries: ecscw97-papers@comp.lancs.ac.uk

          for more information:

          snail mail: ECSCW'97 Conference Office

                      Computing Department

                      Lancaster University

                      Lancaster  LA1 4YR  UK

          URL: http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/cseg/ecscw97/

          email: ecscw97@comp.lancs.ac.uk

Jan. 15-

     17 - WASHINGTON, DC - Universal Service '97: Redefining Universal 

	  Telecommunications Service for the Emerging Competitive

	  Environment; for more information contact:

	  tel: +1 800 822 MEET

	       +1 202 842 3022 x317

	  URL: http://brp.com

Jan. 16-

     17 - ARLINGTON, VA - NCSA International Virus Prevention Conference '97;

	  event will investigate "the continuing, worrisome, costly 

	  problem of computer virus attacks, disasters and recovery; 

	  Crystal Gateway Marriott (+1 703 271 5212);

	  more information:

	  tel: +1 717 258 1816

	  email: ivpc97@ncsa.com

Jan. 19-

     21 - PALM SPRINGS, CA - Upside Technology Summit; "Managing Digital 

	  Mania: An Extreme Sport for Technology Executives"; examining 

	  effective business models and strategies in the booming world of 

	  e-commerce; Al Franken has been invited to give a closing speech;

	  La Quinta Resort & Club, Palm Springs, CA; for more info contact:

	  URL: http://www.upside.com

	  tel: +1 888 33 UPSIDE

Jan. 21 *! CDA unconstitutionaly Supreme Court case: government brief due.

Jan. 23 ! Deadline for public comments on IITF GII policy overhaul

          URL: http://www.iitf.nist.gov/electronic_commerce.htm

Jan. 23-

     25 - CAMBRIDGE, MA

	  The Economics of Digital Information and Intellectual Property

	  Harvard University symposium to broaden and deepen understanding 

	  of emerging economic and business models for global publishing 

	  and information access and the attendant transformation of 

	  international information markets, institutions, and businesses.

	  First Announcement and Call for Papers; Prospective authors should 

	  submit short abstracts for review and comment as soon as possible. 

	  Acceptances of abstracts and outlines are conditional pending 

	  receipt of a satisfactory draft by December 15, 1996. Sponsored by

	  Harvard Law School.

	  email: iip@harvard.edu

	  regular mail: Tim Leshan, Information Infrastructure Project, 

		John F. Kennedy School of Government, 79 John F. Kennedy St., 

		Cambridge, MA 02138

	  tel: 617-496-1389

	  fax: 617-495-5776

Jan. 23 ! Deadline for public comments on FCC draft rules exempting

          ISPs from long distance fees imposed by local telcos

          URL: http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html

Jan. 28-

     31 - RSA Cryptography Conference - Computerworld called last year's 

	  event the sine qua non event of the crypto community; at various 

	  facilities atop Nob Hill in San Francisco, the luminaries of 

	  cryptography will gather; Right now, preparations for this 

	  conference are underway. There are many exciting ways for 

	  corporations and individuals to participate. Read on for 

	  information about presenting, exhibiting, or just attending

	  http://www.rsa.com/conf97/

Jan. 31 ! Deadline for public comments on FRB consumer privacy study.

       URL: http://www.bog.frb.fed.us/boarddocs/press/BoardActs/1996/19961223 

Feb. 3-

     4  ! DHHS medical privacy hearing #2, Washington, DC.

          Contact: +1 202 690 7100 (John Fanning)

          Email: jfanning@osaspe.dhhs.gov

Feb. 10-

     11 - Internet Society Symposium on Network and Distributed System 

	  Security; for those interested in the practical aspects of network 

	  and distributed system security, focusing on actual system design 

	  and implementation, rather than theory. Dates, final call for

          papers, advance program, and registration information will be

	  available at the URL: http://www.isoc.org/conferences/ndss97

Feb. 13 ! Deadline for public comments of DoC encryption export regualations.

     URL: http://www.eff.org/pub/Privacy/ITAR_export/961230_commerce.regs

        ! Deadline for reply comments on FCC draft rules exempting

          ISPs from long distance fees imposed by local telcos

          URL: http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html

Feb. 18-

     19 ! DHHS medical privacy hearing #2, Washington, DC.

          Contact: +1 202 690 7100 (John Fanning)

          Email: jfanning@osaspe.dhhs.gov

Feb. 18-

     20 - SAN JOSE, CA - DCI Internet Expo; the world's largest Internet, 

	  Web and email conference and exposition; comprehensive program 

	  will cover Web-enabled marketing, best practices for e-commerce 

	  and application development; San Jose Convention Center; also

	  will be held April 22-24 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL;

	  email: ExpoReg@dciexpo.com

	  URL: http://www.dciexpo.com

Feb. 19 ! Deadline for public comments for DHHS medical privacy hearing.

          Contact: +1 202 690 7100 (John Fanning)

          Email: jfanning@osaspe.dhhs.gov

Feb. 20 *! CDA unconstitutionaly Supreme Court case: Appellee (ACLU/ALA/

          EFF/CIEC) brief due.

Feb. 21 ! Deadline for public comments on FCC inquiry into technological

          hurdles for Net growth

          URL: http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html

Feb. 24-

     28 + ANGUILLA, BRITISH WEST INDIES

	  Financial Cryptography '97 - CALL FOR PAPERS; this is a new 

	  conference on the security of digital financial transactions.

	  FC97 aims to bring together persons involved in both the

	  financial and data security fields to foster cooperation and 

	  exchange of ideas. Send a cover letter and 9 copies of an extended 

	  abstract to be received by November 29, 1996 to the Program Chair 

	  at the address given below:

	  Rafael Hirschfeld

	  FC97 Program Chair

	  CWI

	  Kruislaan 413

	  1098 SJ Amsterdam

	  The Netherlands

	  email: ray@cwi.nl

	  phone: +31 20 592 4169

	  fax: +31 20 592 4199

	  URL: http://www.cwi.nl/conferences/FC97

Mar. 1-

     5 -  ACM97: The Next 50 Years of Computing; San Jose Convention 

	  Center, March 1-5, 1997; Registration information: 

	  URL: http://www.acm.org/acm97

	  tel: +1 800 342 6626		

Mar. 3-

     5 -  NEW YORK CITY - Consumer Online Services TV; Jupiter 

	  Communications conference featuring Steve Case of AOL and 

	  Steve Perlman of WebTV; for more information contact:

	  tel: +1 800 488 4345

	  URL: http://www.jup.com

Mar. 7 *! CDA unconstitutionaly Supreme Court case: govt. reply brief due.

Mar. 11-

     14 * 7th Conference on Computers, Freedom & Privacy (CFP97), San

          Francisco Airport Hyatt Regency Hotel in Burlingame, CA.

          The "cyberliberties" mega-event.  Speakers will include EFF

          staff counsel Mike Godwin, and many others. EFF's annual Pioneer

          Awards ceremony will be held at CFP97. Early registration is

          advised (registration will probably open in Jan., and reg. info

          will appear on the CFP site listed below).

          Email: cfpinfo@cfp.org.

          URL: http://www.cfp.org

Mar. 24 ! Deadline for reply comments on FCC inquiry into technological

          hurdles for Net growth

          URL: http://www.fcc.gov/isp.html

Apr. 8-

     11 - FRACTAL 97: Fractals in the Natural & Applied Sciences 4th 

          International Working Conference; Denver Colorado.  Sponsored by

          IFIP; paper submissions due by Aug. 5, 1996.

          Contact: Miroslav Novak, +44 181 547 2000 (voice), 

                   +44 181 547 7562 or 7419 (fax)

          Email: novak@kingston.ac.uk   

Apr. 22-

     24 - CHICAGO, IL - DCI Internet Expo; the world's largest Internet,

          Web and email conference and exposition; comprehensive program

          will cover Web-enabled marketing, best practices for e-commerce

          and application development; San Jose Convention Center; also

          will be held February 18-20 at the San Jose Convention Center;

          email: ExpoReg@dciexpo.com

          URL: http://www.dciexpo.com

June 2-

     4  - American Society for Information Science 1997 Mid-Year Conference;  

          gathering will focus on privacy and security issues online; 

          Scottsdale Arizona; paper submissions due Nov. 1, 1996.

	  Contacts:

		Gregory B. Newby, Co-Chair GSLIS/UIUC

	  	 Tel: (217) 244-7365; Email: gbnewby@uiuc.edu

		Mark H. Needleman, Co chair UCOP

		 Tel: (510) 987-0530; Email: mhn@stubbs.ucop.edu

		Karla Petersen, Panel  Sessions

		 Tel: (312) 508-2657; Email: kpeter1@luc.edu

		Richard Hill, Executive Director, ASIS

		 Tel: (301) 495-0900; Email: rhill@cni.org

	  URL: http://www.asis.org

June 14-

     19 + CALGARY, CANADA

	  ED-MEDIA/ED-TELECOM 97--World Conference on Educational 

	  Multimedia and Hypermedia and World Conference on Educational 

	  Telecommunications are jointly held international conferences, 

	  organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing 

	  in Education (AACE). These annual conferences serve as multi-

	  disciplinary forums for the discussion and dissemination of 

	  information on the research, development, and applications on all 

	  topics related to multimedia/hypermedia and distance education.  

	  We invite you to attend ED-MEDIA/ED-TELECOM 97 and submit proposals 

	  for papers, panels, roundtables, tutorials, workshops, 

	  demonstrations/posters, and SIG discussions. Proposals may be 

	  submitted in either hard copy (send 5 copies or fax 1 copy) 

	  or in electronic form.  Electronic proposals in the form of 

	  URL addresses or ASCII files (uncoded) are preferred.

	  Submission Deadline: Oct. 25, 1996; Send to:

	  Program Chairs

	  ED-MEDIA 97/AACE

	  P.O. Box 2966

	  Charlottesville, VA 22902, USA

	  E-mail: AACE@virginia.edu; Phone: 804-973-3987; Fax: 804-978-7449

	  URL: http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia

June 19-

     20 - WASHINGTON, DC - CyberPayments '97

	  Conference will investigate issues of online commerce including

	  electronic cash and checks, credit cards, encryption systems 

	  and security products; Sheraton Washington Hotel, Washington, DC

	  For more information contact:

	  email: vinceiaboni@msn.com

	  tel: +1 216 464 2618 x228

	       +1 800 529 7375

July 13-

     17 - ACUTA 26th Annual Conference; Atlanta, Georgia.

          Contact: +1 606 278 3338 (voice)

Sep. 7 -

     11 + LANCASTER, UK - ECSCW'97, the Fifth European Conference on 

	  Computer Supported Cooperative Work; deadline for paper 

	  submissions is January 13, 1997; papers must contain an abstract 

	  of not more than 100 words and not exceed 16 pages in length; full 

	  formatting instructions are available from

	  http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/cseg/ecscw97/papers/

	  queries: ecscw97-papers@comp.lancs.ac.uk

	  for more information:

	  snail mail: ECSCW'97 Conference Office

		      Computing Department

		      Lancaster University

		      Lancaster  LA1 4YR  UK

	  URL: http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/cseg/ecscw97/

	  email: ecscw97@comp.lancs.ac.uk

Sep. 12-

     14   SAN DIEGO - Association of Online Professionals Annual 

	  Conference; sysop trade association's yearly gathering to 

	  discuss issues of relevance to the industry

	  URL: http://www.aop.org/confrnc.html

Oct. 28-

     31 - EDUCOM '97; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

          Contact: +1 202 872 4200 (voice)

          Email: conf@educom.edu

Dec. 1  - Computer Security Day (started by Washington DC chapter of the

          Assoc. for Computing Machinery, to "draw attention to computer

          security during the holdiay season when it might otherwise become

          lax."   

------------------------------

Subject: Quote of the Day

-------------------------

     "...The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is

     that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the

     existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more

     than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived

     of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they

     lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and

     livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with

     error...We have now recognized the necessity to the mental

     well-being of mankind (on which all their other well-being depends)

     of freedom of opinion, and freedom of the expression of opinion, on

     four distinct grounds; which we will now briefly recapitulate.

     "First, if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may,

     for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume

     our own infallibility.

     "Secondly, though the silenced opinion be an error, it may, and

     very commonly does, contain a portion of truth; and since the

     general or prevailing opinion on any subject is rarely or never the

     whole truth, it is only by the collision of adverse opinions that

     the remainder of the truth has any chance of being supplied.

     "Thirdly, even if the received opinion be not only true, but the

     whole truth; unless it is suffered to be, and actually is,

     vigorously and earnestly contested, it will, by most of those who

     receive it, be held in the manner of a prejudice, with little

     comprehension or feeling of its rational grounds.

     "And not only this, but fourthly, the meaning of the doctrine

     itself will be in danger of being lost, or enfeebled, and deprived

     of its vital effect on the character and conduct: the dogma

     becoming a mere formal profession, inefficacious for good, but

     encumbering the ground, and preventing the growth of any real and

     heartfelt conviction, from reason or personal experience."

  - John Stuart Mill essay, "On Liberty"

Find yourself wondering if your privacy and freedom of speech are safe 

the rush to make us secure from ourselves that our government 

Concerned that legislative efforts nominally to "protect children" will 

actually censor all communications down to only content suitable for 

the playground?  Alarmed by commercial and religious organizations abusing

the judicial and legislative processes to stifle satire, dissent and 

criticism?

Join EFF!   

Even if you don't live in the U.S., the anti-Internet hysteria will soon 

be visiting a legislative body near you.  If it hasn't already.

------------------------------

Subject: What YOU Can Do

------------------------

* Keep and eye on your local legislature/parliament

All kinds of wacky censorious legislation is turning up at the US state 

and non-US national levels.  Don't let it sneak by you - or by the 

online activism community. Without locals on the look out, it's very 

* Inform your corporate government affairs person or staff counsel

f you have one. Keep them up to speed on developments you learn of,

and let your company's management know if you spot an issue that warrants

your company's involvement.

* Find out who your congresspersons are

Writing letters to, faxing, and phoning your representatives in Congress

s one very important strategy of activism, and an essential way of

making sure YOUR voice is heard on vital issues.

try contacting your local League of Women Voters, who maintain a great 

that matches Zip Codes to Congressional districts with about 85%

accuracy at:

Computer Currents Interactive has provided Congress contact info, sorted 

by who voted for and against the Communications Decency Act:

fortunately, been voted out of office.)

* Join EFF!

You *know* privacy, freedom of speech and ability to make your voice heard

n government are important. You have probably participated in our online

campaigns and forums.  Have you become a member of EFF yet?  The best way to

opinions heard.  EFF members are informed and are making a difference.  Join

EFF today!

For EFF membership info, send queries to membership@eff.org, or send any

message to info@eff.org for basic EFF info, and a membership form.

------------------------------

Administrivia

=============

EFFector is published by:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation

San Francisco CA 94103 USA

+1 415 436 9333 (voice)

+1 415 436 9993 (fax)

Membership & donations: membership@eff.org

Legal services: ssteele@eff.org

General EFF, legal, policy or online resources queries: ask@eff.org

Editor: Stanton McCandlish, Program Director/Webmaster (mech@eff.org)

This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled electrons.

Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged.  Signed

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ually at will.

To subscribe to EFFector via email, send message body of "subscribe

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To get the latest issue, send any message to effector-reflector@eff.org (or

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------------------------------

End of EFFector Online v10 #01 Digest

*************************************

$$