Diebold and PES Sued for Stealing...

... Code?

A California software company has filed a lawsuit against Diebold and its subsidiary, Premier Election Solutions, claiming that PES' electronic voting machines violate its copyrights.

Artifex Software, of San Rafael, Calif., claims that PES systems infringe on its copyrighted Ghostscript PDF interpretation and printing software. Artifex claims PES is using Ghostscript in its electronic election systems even though Diebold and PES "have not been granted a license to modify, copy, or distribute any of Artifex's copyrighted works," Artifex claims in court papers filed late last month in U.S. District Court for Northern California.

Why is this important?

Obtaining GNU Ghostscript

GNU Ghostscript is a copyrighted work; it is distributed under the GNU General Public License. You can get the current version of GNU Ghostscript by Internet FTP from ftp.gnu.org/gnu/ghostscript from any of the GNU distribution sites; likely, alpha versions may be available on alpha.gnu.org/gnu/ghostscript.

As (h/t) lambert at Corrente pointed out, under GNU General Public Licensing, if Diebold and PES used Ghostscript to create their product they may be legally bound to make their product's code open for our inspection, as well.

The GNU General Public License (GNU GPL or simply GPL) is a widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU project. The GPL is the most popular and well-known example of the type of strong copyleft license that requires derived works to be available under the same copyleft. Under this philosophy, the GPL grants the recipients of a computer program the rights of the free software definition and uses copyleft to ensure the freedoms are preserved, even when the work is changed or added to. This is in distinction to permissive free software licences, of which the BSD licences are the standard examples.

Heck! We may be legally able take and modify Diebold code if it is true.

Ghostscript is a copyrighted work whose copyright is owned by Artifex Software, Inc. Some versions of Ghostscript are distributed freely under the name GPL Ghostscript or (for older versions) GNU Ghostscript; these versions are distributed with a license called the GNU General Public License (also known as the "GNU License", the "GPL", or "copyleft"), which allows gratis and commercial distribution under certain conditions, most particularly, source complete source disclosure.

Versions of Ghostscript between version 4.03 and 8.54 were also distributed under a more restrictive license disallowing commercial redistribution entirely. These versions were labelled "AFPL Ghostsript" or just "Ghostscript", and were governed by the Aladdin Free Public License.

The full GPL is included under the name COPYING in the GPL Ghostscript fileset, and can also be obtained directly from the Free Software Foundation:

Free Software Foundation, Inc. (FSF)
59 Temple Place, Suite 330
Boston, MA 02111-1307 U.S.A.
+1-617-542-5942 telephone
+1-617-542-2652 fax (including Japan):
gnu@gnu.org
http://www.gnu.org/

The GPL gotten directly from the FSF or the contents of the COPYING file are authoritative, but for those unfamiliar with the GPL, we now summarize its provisions.

Read More on Artifex Software, Inc. licensing of Ghostscript. What licensing rules apply may depend on the version that Diebold and PES allegedly stole.

Supreme Court Stops Ohio GOP Voter Suppression Effort

Via the AP, the Supreme Court kicks the voting suppression efforts of Republicans where it counts... Out of court:

The Supreme Court is siding with Ohio's top elections official in a dispute with the state Republican Party over voter registrations.

The justices on Friday overruled a federal appeals court that had ordered Ohio's top elections official to do more to help counties verify voter eligibility.

Across the nation the GOP is trying to suppress newly registered voters' rights. Because a very few people turned in ridiculous voter registration cards the GOP has been trying to use it as an excuse to boot as many of the millions of newly registered voters from voter lists.

Republicans screech about "Mickey Mouse and Acorn!"

I say "GOP voter caging and voter suppression."

"I'm astounded that this issue is being trotted out again. Based on what I saw in 2004 and 2006, it's a scare tactic."

Who's that speaking? And what's he talking about?

That's fired US Attorney David Iglesias talking about the news leaked today that the DOJ and FBI are opening a nationwide investigation into allegations that the community organization ACORN is somehow working to undermine the November election through fraud. For more from Iglesias and his fellow fired US Attorney Bud Cummins, don't miss TPMMuckraker's Zack Roth's interview post from earlier this evening.

Previously Brewed in New Milford:

Acorn Droppings

Aldon Hynes over at Orient Lodge has been on top of sorting out the issues from the non-issues involved with the GOP's assault on Acorn in Connecticut.

This is problematic in many different aspects. Perhaps most troubling is that it shows a disregard for due process and the American belief that people, and organizations are innocent until proven guilty. Yes, two complaints have been filed. As noted above, there is good reason to question these complaints, and I believe that the SEEC will do an appropriate job in investigating the complaint and taking proper action.

The other concern is that instead of trying to make sure that “Everyone who is eligible has the right to register and vote”, Mr. Healy is calling for an end of a very successful and at least by every indication I’ve seen, properly run, voter registration effort.

Brad Blog has a whole bunch of it too:

So, Where's That ACORN 'Voter Fraud'?!

So far, nobody's been able to offer us a single instance of voter fraud as committed by ACORN, or even by any of the 1.3 million registered by them over the past two years. You sure wouldn't know it if you listened to the crazed rightwingers...

• McCain Was ACORN'S 2006 Keynote Speaker
  Video: Tells crowd they are "what makes America special"
  
  
• Brad at UK's Guardian: 'The Republican Voter Fraud Hoax'
  
  
• 1.3 Million Reasons for the GOP 'Dixie-Chicking' of ACORN
  
  
• See BRAD BLOG's "GOP ACORN 'Voter Fraud' Lie" page for more...

My suggestion when it comes to Acorn?

Grab a beer, read those sources... And then tell the GOP to go fuck themselves and their attempts at short cutting Republican voter caging efforts to its source based on the fact that Americans are registering to vote en masse because they are so pissed at Republicans and they can't wait to vote for candidates like Barack Obama and Jim Himes.

Heck... With the mob tied Cappiello running in CT-05, some Nutmeggers are probably even excited about voting for Chris Murphy.

Chris Healy is DWI if he thinks anyone is going to help him suppress the legitimate rights of people to vote just because he is tired of having to drink away the daily hangover of working for the GOP. Nobody in Connecticut is fat, drunk and stupid enough to take Chris Healy's low road on this issue.

Mickey Mouse tried to register to vote?

Whoopde-fuckingdoo! The GOP can grow up and get back to me when Mickey Mouse actually shows up on election day and tries to vote.

Does anyone discount the probability that Republicans filled out some of the fake cards to try and fabricate an Acorn scandal? And it really is a non-issue from the get go as long as the people paid to process the forwarded registration cards and the poll workers do their jobs.

Acorn Droppings

Aldon Hynes over at Orient Lodge has been on top of sorting out the issues from the non-issues involved with the GOP's assault on Acorn in Connecticut.

This is problematic in many different aspects. Perhaps most troubling is that it shows a disregard for due process and the American belief that people, and organizations are innocent until proven guilty. Yes, two complaints have been filed. As noted above, there is good reason to question these complaints, and I believe that the SEEC will do an appropriate job in investigating the complaint and taking proper action.

The other concern is that instead of trying to make sure that “Everyone who is eligible has the right to register and vote”, Mr. Healy is calling for an end of a very successful and at least by every indication I’ve seen, properly run, voter registration effort.

Brad Blog has a whole bunch of it too:

So, Where's That ACORN 'Voter Fraud'?!

So far, nobody's been able to offer us a single instance of voter fraud as committed by ACORN, or even by any of the 1.3 million registered by them over the past two years. You sure wouldn't know it if you listened to the crazed rightwingers...

• McCain Was ACORN'S 2006 Keynote Speaker
  Video: Tells crowd they are "what makes America special"
  
  
• Brad at UK's Guardian: 'The Republican Voter Fraud Hoax'
  
  
• 1.3 Million Reasons for the GOP 'Dixie-Chicking' of ACORN
  
  
• See BRAD BLOG's "GOP ACORN 'Voter Fraud' Lie" page for more...

My suggestion when it comes to Acorn?

Grab a beer, read those sources... And then tell the GOP to go fuck themselves and their attempts at short cutting Republican voter caging efforts to its source based on the fact that Americans are registering to vote en masse because they are so pissed at Republicans and they can't wait to vote for candidates like Barack Obama and Jim Himes.

Heck... With the mob tied Cappiello running in CT-05, some Nutmeggers are probably even excited about voting for Chris Murphy.

Chris Healy is DWI if he thinks anyone is going to help him suppress the legitimate rights of people to vote just because he is tired of having to drink away the daily hangover of working for the GOP. Nobody in Connecticut is fat, drunk and stupid enough to take Chris Healy's low road on this issue.

Mickey Mouse tried to register to vote?

Whoopde-fuckingdoo! The GOP can grow up and get back to me when Mickey Mouse actually shows up on election day and tries to vote.

Does anyone discount the probability that Republicans filled out some of the fake cards to try and fabricate an Acorn scandal? And it really is a non-issue from the get go as long as the people paid to process the forwarded registration cards and the poll workers do their jobs.

Florida Outlaws an Open and Verifiable Vote Count

On this FOX news report their answer at the end of it is even more technology. But this does not - in any way, shape or form - address the reality of an open and verifiable vote in a recount... As Florida has outlawed hand recounts:



This needs to be challenged in the courts immediately so real recounts - including hand recounts - can and will go ahead as needed. Do any of you doubt that hand recounts will be needed? Why else would they be outlawing them now?

In other Florida news:

The location of a Bush fundraising event in Florida has been changed after event planners realized that the original host is under an IRS investigation. The event was originally scheduled to be at the home of John Boswell, whose Boswell House Ministries is undergoing an IRS probe.

Diebold voting machine key copied from pic on Diebold site

Via BradBlog, (and h/t Buzzflash) anyone can have their very own Diebold voting machine master key now:

Good lord in heaven. How dumb are these guys at Diebold?! Can you believe the United States has actually entrusted them to build a security system for the original U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights?!

After everything else... now comes this.

It was revealed in the course of last summer's landmark virus hack of a Diebold touch-screen voting system at Princeton University that, incredibly, the company uses the same key to open every machine. It's also an easy key to buy at any office supply store since it's used for filing cabinets and hotel mini-bars! That is, if you're not a poll worker who already has one from the last time you worked on an election (anybody listening down there in San Diego?).

snip

This idiotic company has had a photograph of the stupid key sitting on their own website's online store! (Screenshot [up ^^^ there])

Of course, they'll only sell such keys to "Diebold account holders" apparently --- or so they claim --- but that's hardly a problem.

C'mon Connecticut! Do you still trust your vote to these Diebold morons?

[update] While on the topic of voting issues, Real Hartford is trying to figure out if this is irregular:

If there is anyone else from Hartford who voted for Kucinich, please comment or contact me privately. The Courant is reporting only ONE person in all of Hartford voted for him, and while that could be the case, I sort of doubt it. There are towns of only about 10,000 people recorded as having 7 or 8 people vote for him, so I’m a little suspicious about the single voter in Hartford stat.

Even Republicans worry about Republicans stealing votes

From BradBlog and via C&L's Blog Roundup:

August 11 is the date for the Iowa GOP presidential "straw poll." In this "straw poll" Republican voters from all over Iowa will walk, drive, or share a bus to the campus of Iowa State University where they will be allowed to pay $35 each for the honor of casting a ballot for their choice for President.

This "poll" is semi-important within the world of Republican politics. Both McCain and Giuliani have decided to pass and will not participate. However, for the candidates who are lower down in the polls this "straw poll" may be all important. The supporters of Dr. Ron Paul, for instance, claim that he has thousands of supporters within the state and that they are going to do all they can to get them to Ames.

With all of that the supporters of Paul have got another gripe and concern that sounds much like the same concern many in the Election Integrity community have; the poll, which used to be done on paper ballots, hand-counted in public, will be conducted on Diebold Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) voting machines.

Read More...

This is just how bad it is in America today. Republicans that don't trust these voting machines, and for good reason IMHO, anymore than most of the left.

They need to throw all of these machines in the trash.

Voting Rights Needs More Legs

Or so Cho at ePluribus Media thinks:

Today (4-19-07) George Gordon in his McClatchy article Campaign against alleged voter fraud fuels political tempest is covering some of the same territory folks at ePluribus Media hit in its (4-15-07) article The Voting Rights Act, Voter Disfranchisement and the Tail Wagging the Dog

Key paragraphs from Gordon.

Facing nationwide voter registration drives by Democratic-leaning groups, the administration alleged widespread election fraud and endorsed proposals for tougher state and federal voter identification laws. Presidential political adviser Karl Rove alluded to the strategy in April 2006 when he railed about voter fraud in a speech to the Republican National Lawyers Association.

...snip....

Civil rights advocates charge that the administration's policies were intended to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of poor and minority voters who tend to support Democrats, and by filing state and federal lawsuits, civil rights groups have won court rulings blocking some of its actions.

Let's see if we can get this story legs!

One set of electronic legs coming up...