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From: logajan@ns.network.com (John Logajan)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Did Challenger happen?
Message-ID: <1600@ns.network.com>
Date: 24 Aug 89 23:40:39 GMT
References: <1904@brwa.inmos.co.uk>
Sender: logajan@ns.network.com (John Logajan)
Organization: Network Systems Corp. Mpls MN
Lines: 31

In article <1904@brwa.inmos.co.uk>, conor@inmos.co.uk (Conor O'Neill) writes:
> I've also heard since that it is illegal to show the film of the disaster
> in America. Is this true?

It is not illegal to show films of any news event on USA TV.  In fact, the
prohibition of showing any such film would be in violation of the U.S.
Constitution, and the US Courts would quickly rule against any US law
enforcement agency that tried to suppress such footage.

Furthermore, US government film footage (and any other kind of media)
is not protected by copyright.  Once the footage gets out into the public,
the government cannot even call it back based on copyright grounds.
Anyone can make duplicates and even sell them for profit!

They most certainly cannot, therefore, claim copyright on news events, even
if they are highly involved in the event.

Anyone can keep secrets (even if the law forbids such secrets) and there is
no way to guarantee that US agencies are not keeping secrets.  But once the
US "leaks" a secret, it cannot be suppressed.  This was tested in the so
called "Pentagon Papers" case, where top secret documents were leaked to
the press and published in a newspaper serial.  The courts ruled that the
government could not even stop the publication of those secrets, and at best
could only go after the newspaper AFTER publication.

In conclusion, the only way to suppress information in the US is not to let
the media find out about it.  Once it does, the cat is out of the bag.

-- 
- John M. Logajan @ Network Systems; 7600 Boone Ave; Brooklyn Park, MN 55428  -
- logajan@ns.network.com / ...rutgers!umn-cs!ns!logajan / john@logajan.mn.org -