GEN: Communications Decency act declared unconstitutional

[Dan Robinson /Indexing Services <DROBINSON@INFO.HWWILSON.COM>]

For those who have been following this:

Here is a story from Hot Flashes/Library News
(http://www.hwwilson.com/libnews.html) based on ALA's press release
and Reuters info:

The Communications Decency Act was blocked as unconstitutional by a
special U.S. court panel in Philadelphia today: the three-judge panel
stated "As the most participatory form of mass speech yet developed,
the Internet deserves the highest protection from government
intrusion." The American Library Association immediately applauded
the decision, calling it "a victory for anyone who uses public
libraries." ALA and other organizations such as the American
Booksellers Association, America Online, and Wired Ventures, had
filed suit against CDA, which was passed in February as part of the
Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996. Under that act, any person who
knowingly sends or displays materials over the Internet that could be
interpreted as "indecent" or "patently offensive by contemporary
community standards" could be imprisoned for up to two years and
fined up to $250,000. In that form, it could subject librarians and
other members of the public to criminal prosecution for posting
materials online that are legal in other media.

Contact ALA's Public Information Office, pio@ala.org
6/12/96



Posted by:
Dan Robinson
drobinson@info.hwwilson.com