Free Sklyarov Now!

Protests against the continued incarceration of Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov are planned outside the courtroom where he faces a bail hearing today.

As previously reported, Sklyarov published details of how Adobe's eBook encryption package could be circumvented, and so ran foul of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The decision to arrest Sklyarov has angered civil rights activists and the encryption community, all of which argue the case threatens basic freedoms.

Sklyarov, who was arrested after making a presentation on eBook security at the DefCon hacker convention in Las Vegas last month, has been transferred to California and will appear before Judge Edward A. Infante at the San Jose Federal Building today. The case is scheduled for 11am local time.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is organising protests, plans to stage peaceful protests outside the courthouse and to pack the courtroom with Sklyarov's supporters. Protestors are been asked to observe a "No T-Shirt" dress code.

Protests against the DMCA and Sklyarov arrest reached the UK last Friday with a march to the US embassy in London, and simultaneous protests in Edinburgh.

Around 40 people took part in the march from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square, which culminated in a rendition of the DCMA song (same tune as the Village Peoples' YMCA) and the performance of a short satirical play. You can find more information at www.xenoclast.org/freesklyarov.

External links:
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Free Sklyarov Campaign - UK Co-ordination Site

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