From owner-freebsd-isp Wed Apr 23 13:12:55 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id NAA20858 for isp-outgoing; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 13:12:55 -0700 (PDT) Received: from sys3.cambridge.uk.psi.net (sys3.cambridge.uk.psi.net [154.32.106.10]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id NAA20807 for ; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 13:12:34 -0700 (PDT) Received: from sys4.cambridge.uk.psi.net (uucp1.mail.uk.psi.net [154.32.105.26]) by sys3.cambridge.uk.psi.net (8.8.4/) with ESMTP id VAA23659; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 21:12:19 +0100 (BST) Received: by sys4.cambridge.uk.psi.net (8.7.5/SMI-5.5-UKPSINet) id UAA28648; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 20:46:20 +0100 (BST) Received: from infodev.nadt.org.uk (infodev.nadt.org.uk [194.155.224.205]) by charlie.nadt.org.uk (8.8.5/8.6.12) with SMTP id PAA22793; Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:20:52 +0100 (BST) Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.19970423140806.00705a0c@wrcmail> X-Sender: robmel@wrcmail X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.4 (32) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:08:06 +0100 To: Michael Dillon , isp@FreeBSD.ORG From: Robin Melville Subject: Re: How many customers read news (was Re: News...) Sender: owner-isp@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk At 14:06 22/04/97 -0700, Michael Dillon wrote: >... Now, is an ISP a >distributor and thus liable under the law? Or are they merely the operator >of a communications channel and therefore exempt from the law like telcos >and trucking companies. So far this has not been fully decided, but one >thing is for sure. USENET looks a lot more like distributing than beiong a >comm channel and that's where the danger lies... Well a trucker has the good in their possession until it is finally delivered, surely this is the same for ISPs. Technically there is no distinction in the UK in the case of drugs, for example. It is however, a case of "natural justice". I guess there are problems with some of the a.b.p.e groups in the same way there would be if a trucker was distributing packages marked "Crack Cocaine, please handle carefully". Robin. -------------------------------------------------------- Robin Melville, Addiction & Forensic Information Service Nottingham Alcohol & Drug Team (Extn. 49178) Vox: +44 (0)115 952 9478 Fax: +44 (0)115 952 9421 Email: robmel@nadt.org.uk WWW: http://www.innotts.co.uk/nadt/ ---------------------------------------------------------