From...

August 31, 1999
Web posted at: 2:22 p.m. EDT (1822 GMT)

by Kathleen Melymuka

(IDG) -- A showdown in U.S. District Court last week between Ford Motor Co. and a Web site author may begin to draw the line between corporate security issues and freedom of speech on the Internet.

On Monday, August 23, Ford won a temporary restraining order forbidding Robert Lane of Dearborn, Mich., to publish the contents of confidential company documents on his Web site. Monday's hearing was an attempt to obtain a permanent injunction.

Lane built his site as a Ford enthusiast early in 1998, but by year's end, he was posting confidential company documents he received from Ford employees. "Clearly this isn't a First Amendment issue," said Ford spokesman Jim Cain.

MORE COMPUTING INTELLIGENCE
	IDG.net home page
Computerworld's home page
Computerworld Year 2000 resource center
Computerworld's online subscription center

"It's a corporate security issue for Ford -- a trademark and copyright issue. We have to act aggressively."

On his Web site (link below), Lane, who has temporarily removed the offending documents, used quotes from fiery freedom fighters such as William Wallace in the film Braveheart to paint the clash as a constitutional crisis over freedom of speech. Lane declared that he won't comply with a court order to turn over the documents and will "starve myself in jail" if it comes to that.