[2J[1m[37;41mĿ[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mThis is a big day.                                                           [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mLast week, I hinted that another major lawsuit would soon challenge the      [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mfree speech restrictions contained within the Communications Decency Act.    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mNow the story can be told.                                                   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mToday in Philadelphia, a new suit will be filed by a broad coalition of      [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mInternet service providers, software manufacturers, media companies, and     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mpublic-interest groups.  The suit seeks to have CDA thrown out as            [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41munconstitutional, and the unique characteristics of the Internet formally    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mrecognized.  The list of plaintiffs filing today is impressive.  Included    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mare:                                                                         [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mAmerica Online, the American Library Association, Compuserve Information     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mServices, Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft Network, Netcom On-line           [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mCommunications Services, the Newspaper Association of America, Prodigy       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mServices Company, AND... Wired and HotWired.                                 [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m(This is a partial list.  Wired and HotWired's press release announcing our  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mparticipation in the lawsuit follows below.)                                 [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mAll of this begs an obvious question:  "Why bother filing a separate suit    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mwhen things are going so well for the ACLU-led coalition?" I'll provide a    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mfew quick answers for now, with a promise of more detail in the days ahead.  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mBasically, this new lawsuit is designed to represent the unique interests    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mof  businesses, organizations, and users who rely on the Internet as a mode  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mof communication.  Thus, in addition to arguing that the "indecency"         [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mrestrictions contained within CDA are unconsitutional on their face, the     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mnew suit will *also* argue that the Internet is a  uniquely democratic       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mmedium with special characteristics that facilitate user empowement.  From   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mthe standpoint of First Amendment scrutiny, such considerations carry a lot  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mof weight.                                                                   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mOne way we will demonstrate the uniqueness of the Net to the Court is by     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mallowing *individual* Net users to join the lawsuit (via the World Wide      [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mWeb) as members of an umbrella organization known as the "Citizens Internet  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mEmpowerment Coalition," CIEC  is a named plaintiff in the suit, so by        [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mjoining the coalition, you will legally become a member of a plaintiff       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41morganization.  It's a pretty cool opportunity to participate in this         [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mmilestone legal action.  For more information about how you can get          [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41minvolved, check in at: <http://www.cdt.org/ciec/>.   (Better hurry...        [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mregistration will end on March 15.)                                          [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mA few more notes:                                                            [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mIt's important to stress that this new lawsuit WILL NOT undercut or in any   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mway diminish the value of the pending ACLU suit.  To the contrary, the two   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mcases complement one another, and lawyers from both legal teams will remain  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41min close contact.  Moreover, when the Supreme Court considers the legality   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mof the CDA, it is very likely that both cases will be combined.              [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mFinally, because Wired and HotWired have joined the lawsuit as full          [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mplaintiffs, we'll have a front-row seat of the legal proceedings as they     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41munfold.  Stay tuned to this channel for regular updates and background on    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mthe status of *ALL*  legal challenges to CDA as circumstances warrant.       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mAfter all,  it's unlikely  that your local newspaper or TV station will      [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mdevote one-tenth as much attention to these cases as they did to last        [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41myear's  OJ Simpson spectacle.                                                [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mThat's too bad...  because this case will have a much more direct and        [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mlasting impact on how you live your life                                     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mSpread the word!                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m--Todd Lappin-->                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mSection Editor                                                               [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mWIRED Magazine                                                               [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mTAKING IT TO THE MEAT                                                        [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mWired and HotWired challenge "indecency" provisions of the CDA.              [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mSan Francisco, February 26, 1996                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mWired magazine and the HotWired web site today joined a milestone legal      [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41meffort to preserve free speech in cyberspace.                                [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mIn a challenge to the  "indecency" provisions contained within the           [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mtelecommunications reform bill President Clinton signed into law on February [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m8, HotWired and Wired joined as plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by the         [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mCitizens Internet Empowerment Coalition today in Philadelphia.  These        [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mcensorship provisions are contained within the reform bill known as the      [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mCommunications Decency Act.                                                  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m"HotWired publishes articles that appear solely on the Internet, and, as a   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mpublisher, is entitled to the same First Amendment protection as any         [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mnewspaper or magazine in the United States," said HotWired CEO Andrew Anker. [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m"The Communications Decency Act is a dangerous attack on constitutionally    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mprotected speech," said Louis Rossetto, CEO of Wired Ventures Ltd. "Wired    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mmagazine - whose content is completely legal and acceptable in print form -  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mwould be prevented from reproducing portions of the magazine online, or from [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41moffering an online forum for free-spirited debate about the stories we       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mpublish," he added.                                                          [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mActing on behalf of several individuals, organizations, and companies that   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mprovide information via the Internet, lawyers representing the Washinton     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mDC-based Center for Democracy and Technology appeared in federal court to    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mfile suit on behalf of plaintiffs in the case.                               [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mIn addition to Wired and HotWired, additional plaintiffs in the Citizens     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mInternet Empowerment Coalition include Microsoft, America Online, Prodigy,   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mCompuServe, Netcom, the American Booksellers Association, the American       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mSociety of Newspaper Editors, and the Society of Professional Journalists.   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m"We want to emphasize that the Internet is a crucial medium and forum that   [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mshould not be subjected to the constraints imposed on TV and radio           [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mbroadcasting," said Mike Traynor, legal counsel from the San Francisco firm  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mof Cooley Godward who will be representing Wired Ventures Ltd. "This lawsuit [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mrepresents the interests of Internet users, including content providers,     [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41maccess providers, and individual citizens."                                  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mWired and HotWired joined the suit through their legal operating entities    [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mWired Ventures Ltd. and HotWired Ventures LLC. For more information, please  [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41mcontact Taara Eden Hoffman, publicity & promotions director at Wired         [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m(1-415-222-6212 or taara@wired.com), or Mike Traynor at Cooley Godward       [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m(1-415-693-2091).                                                            [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m###                                                                          [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;41m                                                                             [1m[37;41m[40m
[1m[37;41m[1m[37;40m
