I just got an ASCII version of this -- sorry for the delay. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Press Release For Immediate Release March 2, 1999 Ohio ACLU Files Brief in Internet Appeal Cleveland Law Professor Seeks Right to Publish Encryption Information Online For More Information, Contact: Raymond Vasvari, Legal Director, ACLU of Ohio, 216-781-6277 Gino J. Scarselli, Associate Legal Director, ACLU of Ohio, 216-781-6277 The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio filed a brief yesterday in the United States Court of Appeals, on behalf of a Cleveland law professor who wants to publish encryption information on his World Wide web site. Peter D. Junger is a law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He teaches a class in computers and the law . In August 1996, Junger filed suit in federal court, challenging government regulations that prohibit him from publishing certain programing language online without a government licence. Gino Scarselli, one of three lawyers representing Junger, explained that the licensing requirement violates the First Amendment right to free expression, because it forces Junger to submit his work to a censor before publishing it online. The Commerce Department, and the super secret National Security Agency, two of the defendants in the Junger case, contend that programming languages are functional and not expressive. United States District Judge James Gwin in Akron agreed, ruling against Junger on July 2, 1998. Junger has appealed the decision, with the help of the ACLU. In the brief filed yesterday, ACLU lawyers argued that the district court failed to recognize the significance of programming languages, which for tens of thousands of computer processionals are a basic means of communication. "Computer scientists need these languages to communicate complex ideas with precision. They should not need government permission to share those ideas with colleagues via the Internet," said Raymond Vasvari, another of Junger's attorneys. The brief filed yesterday also faults government regulations for a lack of procedural safeguards to ensure even handed enforcement. The government will file its brief next month, and Junger will have an opportunity to respond in writing before the case is argued before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Cincinnati. The Junger case has attracted national attention. It is one of only three cases nationwide to challenge the government regulations in question. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
