[WikiEN-l] Press coverage listing the HD-DVD key

[Anthony]

On 5/4/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 04/05/07, The Cunctator <cunctator at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > No, we're going to look ridiculous, humorless, and ignorant of the
> > implications of the stated purpose of Wikipedia.
>
> Ridiculous and humorless is fine. The ignorance of and denial about
> the implications of the stated purpose of Wikipedia (both "We're here
> to write an encyclopedia" and the Foundation stuff) in this thread is
> most disconcerting.
>
Just to point out, we're here to write a FREE encyclopedia.  If it
turns out the **AA goons are going to successfully sue into oblivion
anyone distributing the encyclopedia, then there's a good argument the
encyclopedia is no longer free.

That said, it hasn't been made clear yet which side the courts are
going to take.  And if I had to guess, my IANAL ass would guess the
courts will side with the rights of an encyclopedia to engage in free
speech so long as the focus remains academic in nature.

Then again, maybe it'll be legal to distribute "the number" in
Wikipedia in a printed book, and illegal to distribute it
electronically.  Remember Bruce Schneier's book Applied Cryptography?
Granted, a different law, but still...

Anthony