The Norweigan "Byrett" (district court) will try the Jon Johansen DVD case on December 9, 2002. The trial was supposed to take place this summer, but the court decided to postpone the trial to find a technology savvy judge. The case will be tried by one judge and a panel of two lay assessors.

Jon Johansen is being prosecuted by the Norwegian Economic Crime Unit (OKOKRIM) under Norwegian Criminal Code 145(2). Johansen created DeCSS software that can enable DVD playback on Linux. It is argued that the DeCSS software is a piracy tool.

EFF information on the Jon Johansen case.
http://www.nando.net/technology/story/489139p-3904411c.html
Japan ID intro.
About 70 people demonstrated against the system Monday morning in front of Japan's Public Management Ministry in downtown Tokyo.

"Although we are not against the registry system in principle, we believe there are some privacy and security issues that still have not been dealt with,"