Scientologists drop copyright case against writer Karin Spaink

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/08/scientology_copyright_case/

A day before the Dutch Supreme Court was to deliver its final verdict, the Church of Scientology has dropped its controversial case against writer Karin Spaink, who hyperlinked to what the church believe is copyrighted material. However, Spaink wants the case to continue, as it will establish a freedom of speech precedence for the internet and ISPs in particular.

On her webpage Spaink linked to documents from the Church of Scientology about its doctrines. From as early as 1995, the Church of Scientology initiated exhaustive judicial proceedings to prevent the disputed material from being published, but each time the (Dutch) court decided in favour of Spaink. In 2003, the Court of Appeal in The Hague rejected all of the Church of Scientology's claims against Spaink and ten internet providers, who had permitted subscribers posting the documents. The Church eventually decided to take the case to the highest judicial authority.

The Scientologists must have realised they will not stand a chance in court. Earlier this year, the Dutch Attorney-General published an 82-page opinion to the Dutch Supreme Court, in which he upheld the decision that free speech can trump copyright. ®

Karin Spaink's Web Site

http://www.spaink.net/

Karin Spaink's Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karin_Spaink



"Zenon Panoussis and Karin Spaink, with Xenu, at the 2003 Leipzig Human Rights Award ceremony."

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Ooooh, I wouldn't mind an evening of Spainking

:spank:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. You see, I ANTICIPATED this, and yet I posted anyway...

:evilgrin:

:toast:

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Well, we're pretty transparent here at DU...

[Lexingtonian]

3. Good news!

I followed the Scientology critics' story online for five or six years, starting at the raid on Dennis Ehrlich and stuck with it through Keith Henson's going to Canada. Zenon and Karen are the closest thing to heros the story has.

It's a long and complicated and terrible commentary, the whole story of Scientology, on how deeply messed up parts of American society were during the Cold War and in many respects still are. Scientology is the greatest American manifestation of closeted mental illness; at its core is a Fifties therapy regimen for schizophrenia symptoms that was turned turned into a religion and an institution...arguably, Scientology is the great and literal example of the inmates running the insane asylum.