Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has taken a leading role in creating public awareness and discussion about the flaws and potential security risks in Diebold’s electronic voting system and the company’s use of the DMCA to prevent discussion about these risks.
On a section of his web site, which discusses voting rights, Kucinich provides a concise summary of the problems with Diebold’s insecure electronic voting technology, with links to the Diebold internal memos and independent research documenting the security flaws. In addition to drafting new legislation, Kucinich Requests House Judiciary Committee Hearing On Diebold’s Abuses Of Digital Millennium Copyright Act in a letter to the House Judiciary Committee.
Diebold’s actions abuse the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, using copyright to suppress speech rather than fulfill the Constitution’s purpose for copyright, to “promote progress.” These abuses raise a fundamental conflict with the First Amendment, diminishing the Internet’s tremendous value as a most free medium of expression. Diebold’s actions are representative of a growing body of abuses through which large and powerful parties unfairly intimidate ISPs to remove information those parties do not like. In other examples, the claims are not really about copyright, but about not showing the parties in a negative light, or not allowing consumers to compare prices, or quieting religious critics. Powerful parties should not be permitted to misuse copyright as a tool for limiting bad press and barring access to legitimate consumer information.
On another section of his web site, Kucinich serves his constituents by offering links for Polka, Bowling and Kielbasa.
In other E-Voting news, The Harvard Crimson reports on Diebold, the DMCA and Derek: Student Will Not Be Disciplined for Memos
