Re: Transparent society?: Feds raid hobby vendors

From: Harvey Newstrom (newstrom@newstaffinc.com)
Date: Sat Jan 08 2000 - 10:58:02 MST


Robert Bradbury <bradbury@genebee.msu.su> wrote on Saturday, January 08,
2000 3:21 pm,
> > Most ham radio operators don't need to hide miniature transmitters that
are
> > disguised as clocks or smoke detectors. And there is a fine line
between
> > selling an illegal devices and selling Radio Shack parts and
instructions to
> > make an illegal device.
>
> Harvey, I'm not sure you aren't stretching over the edge here. There is
> a *big* difference between *telling* someone how to build a nuclear weapon
> and committing an act of terrorism with one

I agree. But in this case, the example is more like selling a disassembled
nuclear bomb with instructions on how to put it together, and claiming it's
not a nuclear bomb. They are not just selling information, they are selling
complete devices with assembly instructions.

This is why the example of the cable descrambler is right on target. The
ads say that you can buy all the parts, put it together, but don't plug it
in and use it. When they get in trouble for selling illegal cable
descrambler, they claim that they had no way of knowing that someone might
use it to descramble cable.

--
Harvey Newstrom <http://harveynewstrom.com>
Certified Consultant,  Legal Hacker, Engineer, Research Scientist, Author.



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