Re: CD of all Files on Asimov

[louiss@gate.net (Louis Schulman)]

In <51a9ki$q22@darla.visi.com>, nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates) writes:
>
>   Saturday morning, I have a nice chat with the FBI. I detail exactly
>what, where, and how their stuff it software piracy. If it'd help,
>I'll drop by an office of theirs to explain a few more things. If
>they're in a trigger happy mood, the reaction could come very shortly
>after that.
>
>   As I said in my last post: Asimov disappears, ASAP, and doesn't
>resurface. Or the people who are associated with it (those who
>maintain the machines it resides on, the companies who provide
>internet connectivity for that site, those who arrange, catalog, and
>sort the archive, etc) disappear into the US Legal system and don't
>resurface.
>
>   Be very fragging scared. Be prepared to call your lawyer. Behave.
>
>Nathan Mates

Unfortunately, you are no lawyer.  The copyright holders haven't taken any
legal action, so you are going to do it for them.  There is just one small
legal hurdle for you:  It is called "standing".

Unless the software you are talking about is yours, you have no legal
standing.  Period.  Maybe you should call your lawyer before you make
threats.  Threatening frivolous legal action is itself actionable.

After the FBI gets done investigating who the hell you are, maybe you
will have an attitude adjustment.  I doubt they will find you as scary as
you find yourself.  Maybe you will find out that messing with the FBI,
when you don't know what you are talking about, is not a good idea.

If we were really talking about real valuable copyrights, we wouldn't even
be having this discussion, since the copyright holders would have gotten rid
of Asimov long ago.  Obviously, they don't care.  Your reaction is that now
you are appointed (by you) to protect these copyrights.  Hey, why go to
the FBI?  Why don't you just find the site and blow it up?  Thank you for
so vigilantly protecting someone else's rights, but if I want fascism, I'll vote
for Mussolini.  At least he got the trains to run on time.

Louis Schulman  louiss@gate.net