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   Article from NRC Handelsblad wednesday 6 September 1995
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           SCIENTOLOGY CULT seizes computers XS4ALL
                                       
     By one of our editors
     ROTTERDAM, 6 SEPT. Yesterday, the Scientology cult seized the
     computers of XS4ALL, an organization offering Internet acces. The
     computers are still offering service, but all serial and type numbers 
     were registered, so XS4ALL cannot hide equipment from the inventory, in
     case a damage claim is in order.
    
     According to employees of the Scientology organization, the
     computer of XS4ALL were used to distribute a document to which the
     organization holds the copyright. It concerns a testimony given by
     a certain Steven Fishman for the Los Angeles court. This testimony
     contains texts for which the Scientology claims they are protected
     trade secrets. The testimony used to be public, but has been
     revoked by court order.
     
     The text was available on the home page - a personal shopwindow
     with information - of a subscriber to XS4ALL (where much
     information about Scientology is to be found, including how
     Scientology tries to intimidate their adversaries all over the
     world). XS4ALL states that as access provider they are not
     responsible for the information people provide through the
     Internet. They compare themselves to a PTT which is also not 
     responsible for the contents of letters and phone calls. No
     jurisdiction exists about the responsibilities of an Internet
     access provider. This is also controversial in other countries.

     When XS4ALL informed their subscriber about the seizure and the
     reason why, he removed the document. Spokesman Rop Gonggrijp
     stresses that the subscriber was not asked to remove it. 
     Also, the testimony can be found in various other places on the 
     net. An overview of those places can be found at this address. The
     Scientology cult also took legal action against Internet providers
     in other countries.
    
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   NRC Webpagina's (c) NRC Handelsblad (1 JULI 1995 / web@nrc.nl) 
    
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     [translated from Dutch by Mike Schenk, September 7, 1995]