“Computer programs used to scramble electronic messages are
protected by the First Amendment because those codes are a means of
communication among programmers, a federal appeals court ruled
Tuesday.”
“Raymond Vasvari, legal director of the American Civil Liberties
Union of Ohio, said the ruling was the first time a federal
appellate court has decided that computer programming languages are
protected by the First Amendment.”
“‘This is a great day for programmers, computer
scientists and all Americans who believe that privacy and
intellectual freedom should be free from government control,’ he
said.”
“The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling means a lawsuit
filed by a Cleveland law professor will be reconsidered in federal
court. Peter D. Junger’s lawsuit claims the government violated his
free-speech rights by requiring licenses to export programs that
scramble electronic messages.”