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“Coverage of the case in the Russian press has abated following the initial surge of xenophobic indignation in July last year. But the indigenous media–both print and electronic–failed the tests of maturity, balanced reporting and adherence to reality. They could have transformed their coverage into a tour de force of the ‘poor east’ against the ‘rich west,’ freedom of speech versus stifling multinationals, digital versus print copyright, noble principles contrasted with grubby money. They could have garnered the support of liberal intellectuals and free thinking folks the world over. Instead, they defaulted into their usual mode of wild speculation combined with injured grandiosity. This is the real tragedy underlying this unfolding farce.” – UPI columnist Sam Vaknin, via Electronic Book Web.

The TeleRead take: Certain members of the U.S. press grasped the Constitutional implications of the Elcomsoft case–but not as many journalists as we’d have hoped. The issue isn’t just east-vs.-west. It’s also rich corporations vs. the rest of us. Ironically, via more consumer-friendly ‘tudes, the multinationals could increase their revenue from enlightened use of the new technology. Alas, if anything, Adobe is smarter about the Net than the typical corporation, especially the entertainment variety. The backwardness of Hollywood, in areas ranging from file-sharing to the prices charged for online movies, is a classic example of the problem.

 
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