Response to Uni's "Lawsuit" Message

Sandy Sandfort sandfort at crl.com
Thu May 26 22:05:53 PDT 1994


C'punks,

On Thu, 26 May 1994, Eli Brandt wrote:

> At  8:07 am 5/24/94 -0700, Sandy Sandfort wrote:
> >How about this, instead:  A company called "ID Anonymous, Ltd." sets up in
> >a business secrecy jurisdiction.  It buys Internet access accounts in bulk
> >from DGS, Netcom, etc. (ID1, ID2, ID3, . . .).  It then resells them to
> >people living in the service territories of the various access providers.
> 
> If I were in law enforcement, and I were faced with the problem of
> getting a truename for an account like this, I'd trace back the
> contact with the access provider.  No need to try to serve an
> overseas subpoena; the user has to access the system somehow.  If
> FBI's Big Brother Bill goes through, I can probably do this in
> fifteen minutes.

But if it doesn't go through, I don't see how they could trace it.  My 
call to CRL is a local call.  It might be recorded on my end, but I don't 
think CRL's phone bill would show it.  What did you have in mind?

> There may also be problems in trying to buy blocks of anonymous accounts,

And maybe not.  Let's not borrow trouble.  I'm sure they will tell us if 
they don't want our business.

> . . . since the access provider will take the heat for anything
> coming out of the account. . .

Not necessarily.  Remember, they want the status of common carriers.  
Open access to all, but no control of content.


 S a n d y









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