[no subject]
A Web site that urged visitors to lower prices for grocery items by
substituting bar codes shut itself down after pressure from Wal-Mart Inc.
The site's operators, a group of tech-savvy political activists, decided to
close the site Wednesday after contacts between their lawyer and those of
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer.
"I decided that maybe I'm in over my head at this point," said a member of
the group who would identify himself only with the pseudonym Nathan
Hactivist. He said he's a 26-year-old art student in upstate New York.
Re-code.com contained a database of bar codes with instructions on how to
print them on stickers. It suggested visitors "chose their own prices" by,
for instance, sticking a bar code for generic cereal on a name-brand box in
the store.
The Web site's creators called it a work of satire intended to create a
discussion on how prices are set by corporations. It went online March 20.
A letter from Wal-Mart's lawyers to one of the companies involved in hosting
the site said re-code.com encouraged a modern version of the old scam of
taking price tags from a cheap items and putting them on more expensive
ones.
"Our concern has always been ... that any invitation to theft or removing
items from stores at prices that are set by individuals certainly flies in
the face of doing business," Wal-Mart spokesman Tom Williams said.
Williams would not comment on whether the company was seeking to sue the
site's creators.
Hactivist, who was interviewed by phone, said the group had not received any
explicit threats of legal action from Wal-Mart but felt threats were implied
in the contacts with their lawyer.
The site's legal owner, Mike Bonnano of Loudonville, N.Y., said that
switching store bar codes may be illegal but there was nothing illegal about
the site itself.
"It's just like publishing a book with instructions," he said. Bonnano, also
a political activist, was not part of the group that created the site
although he owns it.
--- Steve.
__________________________________
Steve Barsh
steve () barsh com
http://www.barsh.com <http://www.barsh.com/>
610.668.8182 Office
215.888.2101 Cell *** Please note my new cell phone number effective
February 17, 2003 ***
610.668.8750 Fax
------ End of Forwarded Message
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<TITLE> 'Bar Code' Web Site Closes Under Pressure</TITLE>
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------ Forwarded Message<BR>
<B>From: </B>Steve Barsh <steve () barsh com><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Fri, 18 Apr 2003 00:04:46 -0400<BR>
<B>To: </B>dave () farber net<BR>
<B>Subject: </B>For IP: 'Bar Code' Web Site Closes Under Pressure<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">Dave:<BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"> <BR>
</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">You distributed a relate=
d story about this recently...<BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"> <BR>
</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">From http://story.news.y=
ahoo.com/news?tmpl=3Dstory&u=3D/ap/20030417/ap_on_hi_te/wal_mart_=
bar_codes_2 <http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=3Dstory&amp=
;u=3D/ap/20030417/ap_on_hi_te/wal_mart_bar_codes_2> <BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"> <BR>
<FONT SIZE=3D"2"><I>By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer</I></FONT=
<BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">A Web site that urged vi=
sitors to lower prices for grocery items by substituting bar codes sh=
ut itself down after pressure from Wal-Mart Inc. <BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"><BR>
</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">The site's operators, a =
group of tech-savvy political activists, decided to close the site We=
dnesday after contacts between their lawyer and those of Wal-Mart, th=
e world's largest retailer. <BR>
<BR>
"I decided that maybe I'm in over my head at this point," s=
aid a member of the group who would identify himself only with the ps=
eudonym Nathan Hactivist. He said he's a 26-year-old art student in u=
pstate New York. <BR>
<BR>
Re-code.com contained a database of bar codes with instructions on ho=
w to print them on stickers. It suggested visitors "chose their =
own prices" by, for instance, sticking a bar code for generic ce=
real on a name-brand box in the store. <BR>
<BR>
The Web site's creators called it a work of satire intended to create=
a discussion on how prices are set by corporations. It went online M=
arch 20. <BR>
<BR>
A letter from Wal-Mart's lawyers to one of the companies involved in =
hosting the site said re-code.com encouraged a modern version of the =
old scam of taking price tags from a cheap items and putting them on =
more expensive ones. <BR>
<BR>
"Our concern has always been ... that any invitation to theft or=
removing items from stores at prices that are set by individuals cer=
tainly flies in the face of doing business," Wal-Mart spokesman =
Tom Williams said. <BR>
<BR>
Williams would not comment on whether the company was seeking to sue =
the site's creators. <BR>
<BR>
Hactivist, who was interviewed by phone, said the group had not recei=
ved any explicit threats of legal action from Wal-Mart but felt threa=
ts were implied in the contacts with their lawyer. <BR>
<BR>
The site's legal owner, Mike Bonnano of Loudonville, N.Y., said that =
switching store bar codes may be illegal but there was nothing illega=
l about the site itself. <BR>
<BR>
"It's just like publishing a book with instructions," he sa=
id. Bonnano, also a political activist, was not part of the group tha=
t created the site although he owns it. <BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"><BR>
<BR>
</FONT><FONT SIZE=3D"2"><FONT FACE=3D"Arial">--- Steve. <BR>
__________________________________ <BR>
<I>Steve Barsh</I> <BR>
steve () barsh com <BR>
http://www.barsh.com</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Arial"> <http://ww=
w.barsh.com/> <FONT SIZE=3D"2"> <BR>
610.668.8182 Office<BR>
215.888.2101 Cell *** Please note my new cell phone number effective =
February 17, 2003 ***<BR>
610.668.8750 Fax<BR>
</FONT></FONT><FONT FACE=3D"Verdana"> <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------ End of Forwarded Message<BR>
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--Boundary_(ID_kXjo2GEEhxWBopp/MG/Whg)--
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