Libraries, Commercial Censorware & CIPA

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Peter D. Junger" <junger () samsara law cwru edu>
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2003 11:16:17 -0400
To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: junger () samsara law cwru edu
Subject: Libraries, Commercial Censorware & CIPA


For the IP list if you think it is suitable

The New York Times has an article today with the headline:
``Libraries Planning a Meeting on Filters.''

<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/03/national/03LIBR.html>

Some of us on the CYBERIA-L discussion list have been exploring
the possibility of finding or developing a free, open-source
filtering system, with easily modifiable publicly available
open-source blacklists that are specifically designed to
comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act, that would
indicate to a user whenever material was censored and that would
only censor ``visual depictions'' as required by CIPA and would
not censor any textual material.

Here are is the  article:

  Libraries Planning a Meeting on Filters

   By JOHN SCHWARTZ

   Officials of the American Library Assocation will call a meeting with
   the  makers of Internet filtering software next month to voice concern
   over a federal law that requires libraries and schools to use Internet
   filters or risk losing federal money.

   The  law, the Children's Internet Protection Act, was upheld last week
   by  the  Supreme  Court  after  the  librarians  challenged the law on
   constitutional grounds.

   Judith  Krug,  director  of  the Office of Intellectual Freedom at the
   American  Library  Association,  said that in the meeting, tentatively
   scheduled  for  Aug.  14,  librarians will ask the companies to ensure
   that  their  software  can  easily  be  turned  off  and  on  again by
   librarians.

   The group will also demand that the companies reveal their database of
   blocked  sites  to libraries so they can determine which programs best
   suit  the  libraries'  needs,  or  they may work with third parties to
   develop new filtering software.

   "If  we  can't  get  what  we want from the filtering companies, I say
   let's make our own," Mr. [sic -- pdj] Krug said.
   
   A  representative  of  one of the leading filtering companies said the
   industry  was  ready  to  cooperate with the librarians. David Burt, a
   spokesman  for  N2H2,  said  his  company's product made disabling the
   software  easy.  But  he  said  there might be more disagreement about
   releasing  the  list  of blocked sites, which would be valuable to the
   company's competitors.
   
   Besides,  he  noted, "we would be making available the world's largest
   and best collection of porn sites, and that's not the business we want
   to be in."


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