TECHNOLOGY - Jan. 20, 1996

Court Rules on Internet Copyright Case: The Church of Scientology won a summary judgment in the first of three lawsuits against disgruntled former members who used the Internet to disseminate church writings worldwide. A federal judge in Alexandria, Va., ruled that Arnaldo Lerma, who posted writings by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard on the worldwide computer network, had violated copyright laws. Lerma had argued that the documents were publicly available. However, Lerma’s Internet access provider, Digital Gateway Systems, which had been named in the case, settled out of court prior to Friday’s ruling. Thus the case will not address the hotly disputed question of whether Internet companies can be held liable for the actions of their subscribers.