Copyright and Voting

John Palfrey, Executive Director of the Berkman Center, published an op-ed in CNet this morning about a recent ruling against Diebold, Inc. The company has been the focus of controversy for security problems with its electronic voting machines, but Palfrey points out a different dimension of the Diebold scandal: the company's misuse of copyright law. As Palfrey explains, the case centered on "Diebold's ill-conceived effort to use the copyright law to put a lid on the public debate about the integrity of electronic voting." The judge didn't buy the company's argument and ruled: "It is hard to imagine a subject the discussion of which could be more in the public interest." Read more in the full piece in CNet and the judge's ruling (pdf).