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January 13, 1995 |
(Roughly) Mark Abene, also known as "Phiber Optik", finishes his 12 month sentence for hacking at Schuylkill federal prison in Pennsylvania.
Source http://www.swiss.ai.mit.edu/6095/articles/computer-crime/abene-1-14-95.txt
January 27, 1995 |
The US Attorney's Office announces that it will not appeal the dismissal of charges against David LaMacchia in the "Cynosure" BBS case, wherein LaMacchia is accused of running a pirate BBS on MIT servers.From the press release by the Attorney General's office: In his decision, the Judge observed that "the government's objective is a laudable one" and stated that "if the allegations in the indictment are accurate, LaMacchia's actions were at best...heedlessly irresponsible, and at worst...nihilistic, self-indulgent, and lacking in any fundamental sense of values." The Court noted that "reasonable people might agree" that the conduct the government sought to punish in this case "deserves the sanctions of the criminal law." Nevertheless, the Court dismissed the indictment, holding that there was no clearly expressed Congressional intent to permit prosecution of copyright infringement under the wire fraud statute. There was no allegation that LaMacchia infringed copyrighted software for commercial advantage or private financial gain. From Harvey A. Silverglate, Sharon Beckman and Andrew Good of the LaMacchia defense team: We are pleased that U. S. Attorney Donald Stern has come to agree with our position that this is a matter for resolution by the Congress, not by the Department of Justice nor the Courts. We hope and trust that when Congress takes up the question that the U. S. Attorney is posing -- that is, whether copying of computer programs without a profit motive should be a criminal violation of the Copyright statute -- the Congress be sensitive to the important civil liberties question posed by the LaMacchia prosecution: Whether a Systems Operator ("SYSOP") of a Computerized Bulletin Board System ("BBS"), such as David LaMacchia, who does not himself upload, download, copy, nor distribute software, but who merely operates the system, should be designated as a criminal. The need to protect SYSOPS from excessively harsh liability for the actions of others who log onto their BBS, is at least as important as the need to protect copyright holders from unfair losses of revenue. Given the explosive growth of the Internet, more and more ordinary computer users will be falling into the category of SYSOPS. Congress should be very careful before it seeks to hold them criminally liable for the actions of others who use the BBS but over whom the SYSOP does not have control.
Source http://philip.greenspun.com/dldf/us-pr-jan-27.text
February 8, 1995 |
TWO BBSCON, a European version of the ONE BBSCON Conventions held in the USA, takes place from February 8th to the 11th in Duesseldorf Germany.Trans World Online Presents... TWO BBSCON 8.-11. FEBRUARY 1995 DUESSELDORF, GERMANY The event of the century for Telecomm Professionals, Sysops, and Cybervisionaries Worldwide. Come hear John C. Dvorak, Jack Rickard, Ralph Guido-Novak, and many other experts speak about the future of electronic mail, the Internet, and for-profit online systems. Come see exhibits hosted by Galacticomm, Hayes, eSoft, Rockwell, Clark Development, Microsoft, and dozens of other companies in the online industry, many of which will be offering exclusive "show discounts" on products and services. Come meet with leading executives from all over Europe, such as Klaus Langner of ELSA Gmbh (Germany), Gerald Meier of Online Store (Liechtenstein), and Joerg Steinhaeuser of Bausch Datacom (Netherlands). TWO BBSCON will be held 8.-11. February, 1995 at the Swissotel Rheinpark Congress Centrum in Duesseldorf, Germany. This site hosts many international conferences each year, being near Germany's western border and therefore easily accessible to to Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, as well as all of Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and the rest of Europe. Modelled after the successful ONE BBSCON conference in the United States each year, TWO BBSCON will bring together the best and the brightest in the online community for three days of seminars, exhibitions, and networking. If you run a BBS, or are thinking about running one, you'll find the wide range of information, products, and personal contacts at TWO BBSCON invaluable -- and if your product or service is of interest to BBS Sysops, you'll want to host a booth or a prize drawing, and advertise in the TWO BBSCON Conference Directory and Program Guide. The fees to attend are as follows: DM 475.- (US$ 295) per day, or DM 950.- (US$ 595) for all three days. The conference fees include admission to the exhibition and participation in all workshops. "Early-Bird" registration will be rewarded with up to 35% price reduction. Special "one-day tickets" for Thursday and Friday will be available at the door. The fee for these tickets to the exhibition is DM 79.- (US$ 49) and includes participation in one workshop. Tickets will also be available for DM 29.- (US$ 19) on Saturday, which will be for the exhibits only. The reduced tickets are available to generate interest and participation of the local audience as well as student-sysops. The majority of the time will be filled with seminars and workshops covering subjects such as ISDN, modems, the Internet, BBSing, graphic BBS-interfaces, and Data Communication within the GSM Net. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion following the workshops. In addition to the conference, there will be an ongoing product display by all major hardware and software manufacturers. Many of these manufacturers will use the opportunity to offer special "Sysop" discounts at TWO BBSCON. The TWO BBSCON is sponsored by dozens of exhibitors and hundreds of Sysops from all over Europe. The founding members are Gerald Meier (Liechtenstein), Joerg Steinhaeuser (Netherlands) and Tim Stryker (USA). In the advising committee are leaders in the telecommunication industry such as Dr. Klaus Langner from ELSA GmbH (Germany), Ralph-Guido Novak from Vogel Verlag (publisher of "Chip" and "Telecom"), John C. Dvorak of PC Magazine (USA), Dick A.J.M. Hommen of Infoboard BBS (The Netherlands) and Jack Rickard who issues "Boardwatch Magazine" as well as organizes ONE BBSCON (USA). Many telecom distributors from Europe as well as the United States such as ELSA, Online Store, BAUSCH datacom, Telelink, Dr. Neuhaus, eSoft, Clark Development, Galacticomm, Search- light Software and TeleGrafix have already reserved their slots as exhibitors and/or speakers and more are being added every day to this list.
March 10, 1995 |
Richard D. Kenadek of Millbury, MA, sysop of The Davy Jones Locker BBS from 1990-1992, is sentenced in U.S. District Court to Six months home detention and two years of probation for the breaking of copyright laws with his BBS. Originally raided in 1992, charges were not brought until August of 1994, and Kenadek had entered a guilty plea in December of 1994 to one of the two charges brought against him.Published on March 10, 1995, Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) MILLBURY MAN SENTENCED FOR COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT New England News Service BOSTON - A Millbury man was sentenced in U.S. District Court yesterday to six months home detention and two years probation for copyright infringement stemming from a computer bulletin board he operated. Richard D. Kenadek, who boasted he operated "Worcester County's biggest and best" computer bulletin board, which was called "Davey Jones Bulletin Board," had pleaded guilty to the charges.He is employed as chief engineer with two Worcester County radio stations.. THE SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS Association (SPA) reports: The United States District Court for Massachusetts today sentenced computer bulletin board system operator Richard D. Kenadek to 24 months probation with 6 months home confinement. In addition, for the first 3 months Mr. Kenadek will be monitored by use of an electronic bracelet and is required to forfeit all computer equipment related to the operation of the Davy Jones Bulletin Board. The Software Publishers Association's (SPA) four month investigation of Mr. Kenadek's bulletin board precipitated an FBI investigation which concluded with the sentence announced today. Kenadek was the operator of the "Davy Jones Locker" computer bulletin board, located at Kenadek's residence in Milbury, Massachusetts. More info on the SPA is available via the WWW at: http://www.spa.org or on CompuServe at: GO: SPAFORUM.
Source Boston Globe
April 12, 1995 |
A Large-scale bust of pirate boards in Canada occurs, resulting in 15 arrests. 75 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Officers are involved, $200,000 in computer hardware is seized, and the investigation lasts nearly a year. The boards busted include Bad Sector, Beyond Corruption, Jurrasic Park, Lineup, Main Frame, Necronomicon, No BBS, The Notice, On The World, Perfect Crime, Red Alert, Restricted Area, Rubbish Heap, Skull Island, Twins, The Underworld, and Wolf Pack.
Source E-mail from Hugo Fortier
April 19, 1995 |
The Assassin's Guild BBS, said to be one of the largest Pirate BBSes in the world, is seized by U.S. Marshals and Investigators from Microsoft and Novell. The board is said to be the headquarters of Pirates With Attitude (PWA) and Razor 1911MARSHALS CRACK DOWN ON SOFTWARE THEFT RING BASED ON-LINE Apr. 28--Federal authorities have cracked a giant theft ring involving Microsoft and Novell computer software with a raid in Kentucky, the companies announced Thursday.U.S. Marshals working in Lexington, Ky. seized computers, modems, a satellite dish and various databases in last week's raid on Assassin's Guild, one of the nation's largest pirate computer bulletin boards.Software publishers worldwide lost $15.2 billion last year as a result of software piracy, according to the BSA....
Source http://www.monitor.ca/monitor/issues/vol2iss9/newsbytes.html#111
July, 1995 |
Jonny Bergdahl, Region Coordinator for Fidonet in Sweden, organizes SUPCON, a meeting of Fidonet Sysops held at Sannabadet in Jonkoping/Huskvarna. It's considered a great success, and SUPCONs are held in the last weekend of July from 1995 to 2001, with different organizers and locations.Berättelsen om själva evenemanget är fortfarande hemligstämplad, men här har ni lite bakgrund från Pia Adler: Nåja.... om nu alla glömt bakgrunden till SupCon, så får ni den serverad återigen: På vårkanten 1995 kontaktades jag av Dan Stark som hade planer på att försöka få EuroCon 96 till Sverige. Han tyckte att det kunde vaa lämpligt att förlägga den till södra Sverige och jag fick i uppdrag att "hitta någonstans att husera där man kunde köpa en försäkring mot all skadegörelse som skulle uppstå". Ett slutet möte sattes upp för diskussionerna där Göran Eriksson, Stefan Andersson, Danne och jag försökte få fram något vettigt. Vid ett telefonsamtal med Stefan diskuterade han och jag sannolikheten för att så många som möjligt från regionen skulle dyka upp, men vi misstänkte att det kunde bli ganska få pga att inkvarteringskostnaderna blir rätt dyra för ett sådant jippo. Rätt vad det var började vi prata om att ha en egen "Con" i regionen... bara för att träffas och umgås. Stefan är mannen bakom namnet SupCon. Ett datum som skulle kunna fungera borde ligga inom lagom semester/solskenstid och sedan återstod att leta rätt på lämplig belägenhet för evenemanget. Vi kom överens om att vi skulle förlägga det så att det hamnade ungefär mitt emellan 200/201/203 och då hamnade vi i Jönköpingstrakten. Jb kontaktades och han lovade att leta rätt på lämligt ställe åt oss. Själv jagade vi, utan reultat, föreningsgårdar o.dyl. då vi insåg att vi inte kunde bo på en vanlig camping i två nätter (vi hade säkerligen blivit utkastade redan efter första natten). Ca två veckor innan utsatt datum, fick jb äntligen tummarna loss och kom på idén med Sannabadet. Då hade många redan trott på att det inte skulle bli ngt av med hela historien, men vi som var där hade iaf väldigt roligt och alla sade sig vilja göra detta till ett årligt evenemang. Personligen är jag glad att ha varit med och dragit igång detta jippo, men mitt privatliv har gjort att jag inte kunnat medverka mer än det första året. Mvh, Pia --- * Origin: DMS, http://www.dmicrosystems.se (2:200/445)
August 16, 1995 |
ONE BBSCON '95 is held from August 16th to the 20th in Tampa, Florida. This is the last "BBSCON" held; it is renamed to ISPCON in 1996 to reflect a sea change from BBSes to the Internet and Internet Service Providers.
September 11, 1995 |
"Operation Cybersnare", a US Secret Service sting operation, results in the arrest of six computer users and the seizure of at least 20 machines throughout several states. The operation consisted of a "sting" BBS operated by the Secret Service called "Celco 51".
pressrelease.txt (8.0K) Press Release from the US DOJ Regarding Operation Cybersnare variouspress.txt ( 20K) Various Press Regarding Operation Cybersnare, Compiled by Sabronet
Source http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1995/nj62_txt.html
October 25, 1995 |
Nexus BBS Software is released to the public.
Source Dave Kelso
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