From: "dan@geer.org" <dan@geer.org>
To: cypherpunks@cpunks.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: Jim Bell vindicated
>Dodd-Frank, 7 U.S.C. 7a-2(c)(5)(C)
>(C) Special rule for review and approval of event contracts and
>swaps contracts
>(i) Event contracts
>In connection with the listing of agreements, contracts, transactions,
>or swaps in excluded commodities that are based upon the occurrence,
>extent of an occurrence, or contingency (other than a change in the
>price, rate, value, or levels of a commodity described in section
>1a(2)(i)2 of this title), by a designated contract market or swap
>execution facility, the Commission may determine that such agreements,
>contracts, or transactions are contrary to the public interest if
>the agreements, contracts, or transactions involve --
> (I) activity that is unlawful under any Federal or State law;
> (II) terrorism;
> (III) assassination;
> (IV) war;
> (V) gaming; or
> (VI) other similar activity determined by the Commission, by rule
> or regulation, to be contrary to the public interest.
>(ii) Prohibition
>No agreement, contract, or transaction determined by the Commission
>to be contrary to the public interest under clause (i) may be listed
>or made available for clearing or trading on or through a registered
>entity.
---------------------------------------------------
Aha! It's yet another "Anti-Jim-Bell" law! I have a long history of causing legislatures to change the laws to obstruct what I'm doing. In 1990, I made an infrared-emitting device, mounted on my car, to cause it to look like an emergency vehicle, and turn red traffic lights to green. (The device being tricked was made by 3M, trademarked Opticom. (I called my device the "Optigreen). One example is:
http://www.gtt.com/opticom-emergency-response/opticom-ir-system/ ) My device emitted at 880 nm wavelength, about 14.035 pulses per minute. In 1993, I made a large number of them for friends, sale, etc.
"
815.440¹
Unauthorized possession, use or distribution of traffic control signal operating device
(1)A person commits the offense of unauthorized possession, use or distribution of a traffic control signal operating device if the person owns, uses, sells or otherwise distributes a device that is designed to control a traffic control light as a person using the device approaches the light. "
A few years late, the US Congress enacted a law which criminalized the same thing, federally: 18 U.S.C. 39:
"(a) Offenses.—
(1) Sale.— Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly sells a traffic signal preemption transmitter to a nonqualifying user shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both. (2) Use.— Whoever, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, being a nonqualifying user makes unauthorized use of a traffic signal preemption transmitter shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both. (b) Definitions.— In this section, the following definitions apply:(1) Traffic signal preemption transmitter.— The term “traffic signal preemption transmitter” means any mechanism that can change or alter a traffic signal’s phase time or sequence."
Jim Bell