Text 3938, 167 rader
Skriven 2007-03-31 19:18:00 av ROSS SAUER
Ärende: I got suckered but GOOD!
================================
I posted this article, but look carefully at the FBI agent's name. <G>

I was got GOOD!

-> BURBANK, CA - Reports are emerging from members of the movie industry 
-> that the Department of Homeland Security has designated the 1982 film 
-> TRON as "sensitive", and ordered Walt Disney Studios to turn over all 
-> copies of the film in its possession. Retailers are also receiving 
-> notices to remove all copies of the film from stock shelves and turn 
-> them over to Federal officials. The reports have industry insiders 
-> bewildered and outraged. 
-> 
-> TRON is a science fiction film that takes place within a computer's 
-> circuits. Protagonist Kevin Flynn is pulled into the computer via 
laser 
-> by the malevolent Master Control Program. However, official concern 
-> reportedly centers around a portion of the movie's live-action 
sequence 
-> which was filmed at Shiva, a nuclear fusion research facility created 
at 
-> the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Constructed in 1977 for 
-> research into generating fusion energy, Shiva used a battery of 
enormous 
-> lasers to smash tiny pellets of deuterium and tritium. It was hoped 
the 
-> resulting compression and shockwave would illustrate how to trigger 
-> fusion in the materials. 
-> 
-> The facility was dismantled in 1981 after experiments were completed 
and 
-> its successor, Shiva/Nova, was built. However, as a government funded 
-> nuclear research program, it is subject to comprehensive national 
-> security guidelines, and it is this point that seems to have gotten 
the 
-> film into trouble. 
-> 
-> "They said the [Shiva] scenes contained sensitive nuclear 
information," 
-> said a Disney employee tasked with locating copies of the film in the 
-> studio's archives. "I mean, the film's been out for 25 years. All of 
a 
-> sudden, there's something wrong with it? It's silly." 
-> 
-> The film is reportedly being sequestered via a National Security 
Letter, 
-> a result of the PATRIOT Act that permits Homeland Security to demand 
-> information and records without judicial oversight. The PATRIOT Act 
-> provides harsh criminal penalties for failing to comply with the 
letter, 
-> or even for disclosing to anyone that such a letter was received. 
-> 
-> No Disney employee was willing to comment on record, as they fear 
-> Federal prosecution if they do so. Video retailers in receipt of the 
-> letter, however, were more forthcoming. Many see the request as 
patently 
-> ridiculous, and are refusing to take it seriously. "I only have three 
-> copies, but they expect me to just hand over my stock?" said Jim 
-> Steinert, a video store owner in Van Nuys, CA. Steinert's copy of the 
-> letter demands, "any and all copies, in any and all recording 
formats," 
-> of the film. The letter states the copies are merely, "being sought 
for 
-> review to determine possible conflicts with national security 
-> interests." The expectation among retailers is that the copies, once 
-> surrendered, will never be returned. Steinert has two DVD copies, and 
a 
-> rare laserdisc copy widely regarded as the finest release of the film 
to 
-> date, which he is especially loathe to part with. Said Steinert, "I'm 
in 
-> business. I don't give stuff away. If they want to pay rental fees or 
-> buy the copies outright, fine, they can have them that way." 
-> 
-> Use of national security letters, long criticized by civil 
libertarians, 
-> recently came under official scrutiny when an internal audit at the 
FBI 
-> revealed in early March at least 26 instances where the letters were 
-> issued without proper authority, and as many as 22% of all such 
requests 
-> -- over 8,800 -- were not recorded at all. While archived film and 
-> videos are considered records (such as closed-circuit security video 
-> recordings), observers say using a national security letter to 
-> quarantine a movie is something new. "A close reading of the statute 
-> doesn't answer the question," said Steve Shapiro, legal director for 
the 
-> ACLU. "The language is ambiguous. Under certain circumstances, it 
could 
-> be seen as justified. However, this was clearly not intended by the 
-> measure's authors." 
-> 
-> Neither FBI nor DHS officials would comment on the matter, citing 
that 
-> they do not comment on ongoing investigations or alleged breaches of 
-> national security. However, they were willing to discuss general 
-> questions concerning security surrounding nuclear research. "We are 
-> carefully reviewing disclosure procedures and criteria concerning any 
-> nuclear information that could be misused by terrorists," said FBI 
agent 
-> Lirpa Sloof, official bureau spokesperson in Los Angeles. "We are 
-> mindful of the current global terror situation, and are working to 
-> ensure the continued safety of American interests and lives all over 
the 
-> world." 
-> 
-> Disney obtained all neccesary clearances in 1980 when the film was in 
-> production. But despite these clearances, and an interval of 25 
years, 
-> Sloof says that doesn't matter. "9/11 showed us that our enemies 
could 
-> make unexpectedly destructive use of seemingly innocuous information 
and 
-> systems. With this new view, we are re-evaluating all our disclosure 
-> procedures and criteria," she said. Indeed, since 9/11, the 
-> Administration has, under its "records of concern" program, re-
-> classified over one million records that previously were public, some 
-> for over a century. 
-> 
-> According to a Disney employee, the imbroglio is believed to have 
-> started when the studio began preparations to digitally remaster TRON 
-> for theatrical and HD-DVD release. Disney's plans were communicated 
to 
-> the FBI as a matter of long-standing routine (Walt Disney himself 
-> established a close working relationship with the FBI in the 1950's). 
-> The bureau expressed concern that the improved image quality from the 
-> restored film might reveal sensitive details about US nuclear 
research. 
-> Disney film experts reportedly countered that anything visible in the 
-> restored version was already visible, albeit slightly blurrier, in 
-> existing DVD copies. Approximately three days later, the DHS declared 
-> the film "sensitive" and demanded its surrender. 
-> 
-> Although the studio has been working quietly to locate all its 
copies, 
-> it is not yet certain if they will comply with the demand. Apparently 
-> there is sharp division within the company about how to respond. 
"TRON 
-> is a landmark in film history. You can't simply make it go away," 
said a 
-> Disney employee who's been closely following the controversy. He also 
-> observed, "It was made during the Cold War. Nuclear secrets were 
-> sensitive then, too. Did they assume the Soviets wouldn't bother 
-> watching a Jeff Bridges film?" But another Disney employee closer to 
the 
-> decision-making process suggested the studio may not want to 
jeopardize 
-> its relationship with the FBI over the film. "Although it has a very 
-> dedicated fan base, TRON has never made a lot of money for us. Each 
-> release has only generated modest revenue, and the game was 
essentially 
-> a flop," referring to the PC game TRON 2.0 released in 2003. He 
added, 
-> "From a fiscal standpoint, it won't be a significant loss to the 
company 
-> if we decide to let them have it." 
-> 
-> Released in 1982, TRON featured a largely electronic musical score 
and 
-> is the first motion picture to extensively use computer-generated 
-> imagery. It is widely regarded among film historians as a significant 
-> landmark in the science fiction genre and in the craft of filmmaking. 
->  
-> © 2000 - 2006 Kuro5hin.org Inc.

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