An Internet User's Plea to SPA:

Preserve our First Amendment Rights

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Date: Wed, 9 Oct 1996 22:18:56 -0400
To: kwasch@spa.org, agrose@spa.org, ssellers@spa.org, pberuk@spa.org,
        jbauchner@spa.org, ffoster@spa.org, jnyberg@spa.org
From: shawn@cars.com (Shawn Connelly)
Subject: Preserve Our First Amendment Rights

It has come to my attention that the Software Publishers Association (SPA)
has recently taken legal action and threaten other action against internet
service providers (ISPs) concerning legally published material by users of
these ISPs services. I find these actions and threats of litigations
against both the ISPs and individuals to be extremely offensive, and a
violation on the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

It is as if the SPA went into a library, found certain material in the
library to be offensive to them and threaten to sue the library. Libraries
do not necessarily advocate the ideas found in their collections. The
presence of books and other resources in a library
does not indicate endorsement of their contents by the library. In the same
vein, ISPs do not always agree with the material posted by users of their
systems, but act as common carriers, and pass no judgement upon that
material.

I would urge the SPA to reconsider their position, and remove this chilling
effect on the liberties and rights that all Citizens of the United States
are suppose to enjoy. If the SPA should continue down this reckless course,
I would urge Congress to take action to ensure that these threats be
removed from the arena of free and open thought that is the World Wide Web
today.

Sincerely,
Shawn Connelly