From: milne@crl.com (Andrew Milne)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: U.S. MARSHALS SHUT DOWN COPYRIGHT INFRINGER
Date: 12 Aug 1995 09:38:47 -0700
Message-ID: <40ilen$kn8@crl12.crl.com>

      PRESS RELEASE
      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

      CONTACT: HELENA K. KOBRIN, ESQ., (213) 960-1933
                                       (213) 960-3500
                                       (202) 667-6404
        
              U.S. MARSHALS SHUT DOWN COPYRIGHT INFRINGER

                     Federal Judge Orders Raid to
                   Safeguard Scientology Copyrights


            Armed with a federal court order, United States
      Marshals raided an Arlington, Virginia residence seizing
      computer software, hardware and other equipment and documents
      to put a halt to copyright infringements of Scientology
      religious scriptures.

            The target of the raid, 44 year old Arnaldo 
      Lerma, who had posted portions of Scientology's copyrighted
      scriptures on the Internet, could do nothing but stand by
      helplessly as federal authorities removed his equipment,
      software, and papers to halt further infringement.  According
      to lawyers for Religious Technology Center -- the owner of
      the copyrighted materials -- the raid was necessary to halt
      Lerma's unlawful conduct after he refused to cease posting
      copyrighted materials on the Internet.

            "The courts take these matters very seriously,"
      plaintiff's lawyer Earle C. Cooley of Boston said.  "The law
      is clear: if you are going to violate copyrights, you will
      have to answer for it in court." 

            Cooley discounted the notion that there are any free
      speech issues involved in the case.  "Violators of copyright
      and trade secret laws traditionally try to hide behind free
      speech claims.  The Church is a strong proponent of free
      speech.  However, free speech does not mean free theft and no
      one has the right to cloak themselves in the First Amendment
      to break the law."

            During the raid -- which was authorized by an order of
      Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the federal court in Arlington
      -- the Marshals hauled away everything that might enable
      Lerma to continue his infringement.  They also served him
      with a court order forbidding further infringements.

            In addition to the restraining order and seizure, the
      suit also seeks a statutory $100,000 for each of Lerma's
      infringements.

            Lawyers for Religious Technology Center recounted their
      numerous attempts to persuade Lerma to halt his unlawful
      conduct.  Before taking this matter to court, Lerma and his
      co-defendant -- Internet access provider Digital Gateway
      Systems of Vienna, Virginia -- were warned to cease Lerma's
      copyright violations.  They not only refused to comply but
      Lerma engaged in further deliberate infringements after being
      put on notice that he was breaking the law.



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