Re: Foul language on debian lists (was Re: Spam impersonating me (was Re: Spam: the last straw))
Jens Müller <jens@unfaehig.de> wrote:
>---snip---<
> OT: Do you have any links to judicial decisions as to the
> constitutionality of that "no swearing on packet radio" law?
>
Packet radio is heavily used by the "hams" (amateur radio) in the U.S.
The US FCC rules and regulations have had a prohibition against swearing
on the amateur bands since at least 1957, when I first got my license.
I don't know of any judicial decisions on this topic, but the reg has
been around for quite a while and is still standing. It stands to
reason that it has been challanged at least once.
One of the penalties is suspension of your station and/or operator
license if found guilty. I don't know if there are fines involved or
not...been a long time since I reviewed that particular section. The
owner/operator of an amateur station is totally responsible for the
content transmitted from that station, and has agreed to these
regulations to get the license. They are supposed to take action to
prevent these transmissions. About the only recourse a station operator
has in this situation is to stop handling materials that will get his
station into trouble, thereby depriving a section of the population from
this "service".... This is not a good trade-off, IMHO.
I am only speaking of the situation in the US, since I don't know about
the telecommunications rules & regs in other countries.
Cheers,
-Don Spoon-
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