2. Topics of Current Interest.
2.1. What Is the Best Way to Respond to Anti-Linux FUD?
Basically, ignore it. When confronted with anti-Linux misinformation (FUD; or Fear, Uncertaintly, and Doubt), respond with information about Linux that correlates with its actual capabilities, not advertising hype and buzzwords.
This FAQ adheres to several simple guidelines for non-Linux content, which are briefly described in an article written by the FAQ Maintainer: http://www.mainmatter.com/fud.txt, reprinted from Linux Today.
2.2. What Is the Status of the Charges against Dmitri Skylarov? What Is the Status of Information about PDF Decryption?
Recent information about the U.S. government's charges against Dmitri Skylarov, and the technology to decrypt Portable Document Format (PDF) files, is given below. Skylarov is free on bond after being arrested June 16 and charged with circumventing software copyright protection under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act and distributing the Advanced Ebook Processor. Skylarov is free on $50,000 bond provided by his employer, Elcomsoft. He was arrested at the request of Adobe Systems, Inc. the day after he presented a paper at a convention in Las Vegas describing how to decrypt Adobe PDF ebooks, after two Adobe employees met with F.B.I. agents in San Jose.
The text of the government's complaint is: http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/US_v_Skylarov/20010707_complaint.html
The following sites contain information about the legal action:
Free Dmitry (sic) Skylarov: http://www.freeskylarov.org/.
Electronic Frontier Foundation: http://www.eff.org/.
The following sites have information about the Advanced eBook Processor and PDF decryption:
ELCOMSOFT: Advanced eBook Processor: http://www.elcomsoft.com/aebpr.html.
Gallery of Adobe Remedies: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Adobe/Gallery/index.html.
 | The Advanced eBook Processor is shareware and runs only on Microsoft Windows. ``Shareware'' means that you are required pay for software in order to own it, unlike free software. |
Links to information about the DMCA are also available from the Web pages listed above.
To protest Adobe's software copyright protection and legal practices visit: http://www.boycottadobe.com/.
2.3. What Resources Are Available for Linux DeCSS and Other Open Source DVD Software?
There is a DeCSS Resource Site at http://www.pzcommunications.com/main.htm. A site with DeCSS code is at: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/. For information about the legal action to bar distributing DeCSS code and information, refer also to 2600's Web site: http://www.2600.com/, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, http://www.eff.org/.
2.4. Where Is Information About Electronic Privacy Laws that Affect ISP's?
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has issued a report to Congress that recommends regulations to guarantee privacy for customers of Internet Service Providers. The text of the report is at http://www.ftc.gov/acoas/papers/finalreport.htm. The FTC E-commerce site is at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menu-internet.htm/
The New York Times on the Web has a page of electronic privacy information resources at http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/reference/index-privacy.html Access is free but requires registration.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center maintains a Web page at http://www.epic.org/. The site also has pointers to information about international laws that affect cryptographic software.