Subject: [NEXTEL-1] CASPIAN/ACLU Press Release - RFID Protest Lawsuit]

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 12:06:20 -0400

-------- Original Message -------- From: "Richard M. Smith" Subject: CASPIAN/ACLU
Press Release - RFID Protest Lawsuit
To: ------=_NextPart_001_009C_01C37969.CE50E1C0 Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 =20 Contact: Edwin
C. Yohnka Director of Communications Phone: (312) 201-9740, x305 Fax: (312)
201-9760 Email: [email-masked] Pager: (312) 851-2832 Cell: (847) 687-1129 =20
Press Release =E2=97=8A Press Release =E2=97=8A Press Release =E2=97=8A Pre= ss
Release=20 =20 ACLU Asks Court to Defend Free Speech Rights at McCormick Place for
Group O= pposed to Consumer Surveillance Technology =20 For Immediate Release
September 12, 2003 =20 CHICAGO =E2=80=93 The operators of McCormick Place are
violating the consti= tutionally-protected free speech rights of a national
organization committe= d to protecting consumers from intrusive surveillance by
commercial interes= ts by barring the group from distributing leaflets, wearing
t-shirts with a= nti-surveillance messages and speaking to individuals in public
areas at th= e prominent convention center, according to a lawsuit filed in
federal dist= rict court today. The organization, Consumers Against Supermarket
Privacy = Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN), have been denied access to the Grand
Conc= ourse at McCormick Place and a park area outside the Grand Concourse during=
the Electronic Product Code Symposium scheduled to take place at McCormick= Place
on September 15 through 17, 2003.=20=20 =20 Lawyers for the American Civil
Liberties Union of Illinois = are representing CASPIAN in their efforts to gain
access to the public area= s at McCormick Place. Because of the time sensitivity
of the issue, the AC= LU of Illinois has asked the court to schedule an emergency
hearing to cons= ider a motion for a temporary restraining order mandating that
the Metropol= itan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) allow representatives of
CASPIAN = to access the Grand Concourse and nearby park area for distribution of
leaf= lets and other expressive activity.=20=20 =20 =E2=80=9CThe Electronic
Product Code Symposium gathers together= key decision makers with vendors
committed to increasing the reach of Radi= o Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology,=E2=80=9D said Katherine Albre= cht, the Founder and Director of
CASPIAN. =E2=80=9CUnless groups such as C= ASPIAN have access to the public areas
of McCormick Place, attendees to the= convention will not hear from consumers
concerned about the intrusive natu= re of these tools and their potential impact
on privacy and civil liberties= .=E2=80=9D=20=20=20 =20 The complaint filed today
challenges the policy at McCormic= k Place of banning all expressive activity
inside and outside the facility = other than the speech and expression controlled
by the sponsors of private = trade shows and other similar events, with the
exception of a =E2=80=9Cdesi= gnated area=E2=80=9D outside the facility and more
than 200 feet away from = the buildings, far from CASPIAN=E2=80=99s intended
audience. The lawsuit s= eeks to insure that CASPIAN has access to two particular
areas =E2=80=93 th= e Grand Concourse, a public area linking the North and South
Buildings at t= he large complex, and a park area immediately adjacent to the
Grand Concour= se on Martin Luther King Boulevard.=20=20 =20 The ACLU of Illinois
argues that the Grand Concourse should= be open for expressive activity because it
is a public area. The Concour= se is open to the public, with restaurants and
retail stores, as well as di= rect access to Chicago and regional public
transportation. Any one can ent= er the Concourse and access these facilities,
even if they are not register= ed for a convention at McCormick Place. Similarly,
the park area immediate= ly to the west of the Grand Concourse is open to the
public, allowing thous= ands of persons to walk through without registering for an
event at McCormi= ck Place.=20=20 =20 =E2=80=9CPublic areas should be open for
free expression by= individuals concerned about a host of issues,=E2=80=9D
according to Adam S= chwartz of the ACLU of Illinois. =E2=80=9CMcCormick Place
=E2=80=93 funded= , operated and owned by the government =E2=80=93 has no
legitimate interest= s in denying free expression in areas that are otherwise open
to the genera= l public.=E2=80=9D =20 McCormick Place is considered the
nation=E2=80=99s premier = convention facility, hosting more than 4 million
visitors each year. It is= regularly the site for business, professional,
educational and governmenta= l events. While groups and individuals using the
space in McCormick Place = regularly invite the public, the media and opinion
leaders to the conventio= n center to advance and advocate their viewpoint, the
McCormick Place=E2=80= =99s current policy allows persons with a dissenting
viewpoint to use an ou= tside space 200 feet away from the entrance to the
facility =E2=80=93 a loc= ation that denies dissenters an opportunity to make
their message clear to = convention attendees.=20=20 =20 =E2=80=9CThe import of
McCormick Place in the economic and = political life of Chicago and the nation is
obvious,=E2=80=9D added the ACL= U=E2=80=99s Schwartz. =E2=80=9CBecause the
facility is operated by the Sta= te of Illinois, the managers have an obligation
to insure that all viewpoin= ts have an opportunity to be heard in the public
areas of the convention ce= nter =E2=80=93 fostering critical discussion about
important issues.=E2=80= =9D=20=20 =20 CASPIAN is a national, grassroots
organization opposed to b= usiness practices that invade consumer privacy. The
organization opposes t= he use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) devices to
tag and track in= dividual consumer products. CASPIAN also has voiced strong
opposition to t= he development and implementation of the Electronic Product Code
(EPC) netw= ork, a system that is designed to uniquely number all RFID tagged
items and= connect them to computer databases via the Internet. This technology is
t= o be the subject of next week=E2=80=99s conference at McCormick Place. = =20 #
# # =20 =20 A copy of the complaint is available at
http://www.aclu-il.org/mailings/com= plaint9-12-03.doc =20
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Contact: Edwin C. Yohnka

Director of Communications

Phone: (312) 201-9740, x305

Fax:(312)=20 201-9760

Email: =[email-masked]

Pager:(312)=20 851-2832

Cell:(847)=20 687-1129

Press Rele= ase =E2=97=8A=20 Press Release =E2=97=8A Press Release =E2=97=8A Press
Release

ACLU Asks Court to Defend = Free=20 Speech Rights at McCormick Place for Group
Opposed to Consumer Surveillance= =20 Technology

For Immediate Release

September=20 12, 2003

<= FONT=20 size=3D2>CHICAGO =E2=80=93 The op= erators=20 of McCormick Place are
violating the constitutionally-protected free speech= =20 rights of a national
organization committed to protecting consumers from=20 intrusive surveillance by
commercial interests by barring the group from=20 distributing leaflets, wearing
t-shirts with anti-surveillance messages and= =20 speaking to individuals in
public areas at the prominent convention center,= =20 according to a lawsuit filed
in federal district court today.The organization, Consumers Again= st=20
Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering (CASPIAN), have been denied acce= ss
to=20 the Grand Concourse at McCormick Place and a park area outside the Grand=20
Concourse during the Electronic Product Code Symposium scheduled to take pl=
ace=20 at McCormick Place on September 15 through 17, 2003.<= /P>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20Lawyers for the American
Civil Liberties Union of Illinois are=20 representing CASPIAN in their efforts to
gain access to the public areas at= =20 McCormick Place.Because of = the=20 time
sensitivity of the issue, the ACLU of Illinois has asked the court to= =20
schedule an emergency hearing to consider a motion for a temporary restrain=
ing=20 order mandating that the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA)
= allow=20 representatives of CASPIAN to access the Grand Concourse and nearby
park ar= ea=20 for distribution of leaflets and other expressive activity.<= /P>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= FONT=20 size=3D2>        =    =20=E2=80= =9CThe=20 Electronic Product Code
Symposium gathers together key decision makers with= =20 vendors committed to
increasing the reach of Radio Frequency Identification= =20 (RFID)
technology,=E2=80=9D said Katherine Albrecht, the Founder and Direct= or of=20
CASPIAN.=E2=80=9CUnless gro= ups such as=20 CASPIAN have access to the public
areas of McCormick Place, attendees to th= e=20 convention will not hear from
consumers concerned about the intrusive natur= e of=20 these tools and their
potential impact on privacy and civil liberties.=E2= =80=9D  =20

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20The complaint filed today
challenges the policy at McCormick Place o= f=20 banning all expressive activity
inside and outside the facility other than = the=20 speech and expression
controlled by the sponsors of private trade shows and= =20 other similar events,
with the exception of a =E2=80=9Cdesignated area=E2= =80=9D outside the=20
facility and more than 200 feet away from the buildings, far from CASPIAN=
=E2=80=99s=20 intended audience.The lawsu= it=20 seeks to insure that CASPIAN has
access to two particular areas =E2=80=93 t= he Grand=20 Concourse, a public area
linking the North and South Buildings at the large= =20 complex, and a park area
immediately adjacent to the Grand Concourse on Mar= tin=20 Luther King Boulevard.
=20

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20The ACLU of Illinois argues
that the Grand Concourse should be open = for=20 expressive activity because it is
a public area.The Concourse is open to th= e=20 public, with restaurants and
retail stores, as well as direct access to Chi= cago=20 and regional public
transportation. = =20Any one can enter the Concourse and access these facilities,
even if= they=20 are not registered for a convention at McCormick Place.Similarly,
the park area immediat= ely to=20 the west of the Grand Concourse is open to the
public, allowing thousands o= f=20 persons to walk through without registering for
an event at McCormick=20 Place. =20

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20=E2=80=9CPublic areas
should be open for free expression by individu= als concerned=20 about a host of
issues,=E2=80=9D according to Adam Schwartz of the ACLU of= =20
Illinois.=E2=80=9CMcCormick= Place =E2=80=93=20 funded, operated and owned by the
government =E2=80=93 has no legitimate in= terests in=20 denying free expression
in areas that are otherwise open to the general=20 public.=E2=80=9D

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20McCormick Place is
considered the nation=E2=80=99s premier conventio= n facility,=20 hosting more
than 4 million visitors each year.It is regularly the site for busi= ness,=20
professional, educational and governmental events.While groups and individuals
usin= g the=20 space in McCormick Place regularly invite the public, the media and
opinion= =20 leaders to the convention center to advance and advocate their
viewpoint, t= he=20 McCormick Place=E2=80=99s current policy allows persons with a
dissenting v= iewpoint to=20 use an outside space 200 feet away from the entrance
to the facility =E2=80= =93 a=20 location that denies dissenters an opportunity to
make their message clear = to=20 convention attendees. =20

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20=E2=80=9CThe import of
McCormick Place in the economic and political= life of=20 Chicago and the nation
is obvious,=E2=80=9D added the ACLU=E2=80=99s Schwar= tz.=E2=80=9CBecause the
facility is = operated by the=20 State of Illinois, the managers have an
obligation to insure that all viewp= oints=20 have an opportunity to be heard in
the public areas of the convention cente= r =E2=80=93=20 fostering critical
discussion about important issues.=E2=80=9D<= /P>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>        =        =20CASPIAN is a national,
grassroots organization opposed to business=20 practices that invade consumer
privacy.&n= bsp;=20The organization opposes the use of Radio Frequency
Identification (= RFID)=20 devices to tag and track individual consumer
products.CASPIAN also has voiced strong=20 opposition to the development and
implementation of the Electronic Product = Code=20 (EPC) network, a system that is
designed to uniquely number all RFID tagged= =20 items and connect them to
computer databases via the Internet.This technology is to be the subj= ect of=20
next week=E2=80=99s conference at McCormick Place.  =20

###=

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

<= SPAN=20 class=3DLead-inEmphasis>

A=20 copy of the complaint is available at http://www.ac=
lu-il.org/mailings/complaint9-12-03.doc<= o:p>

= ;