Jon Johansen, the Norweigan teenager who helped develop DeCSS — a piece of software that allowed him to watch the DVDs he'd bought in France on the DVD player he'd bought in Norway — has finally been acquitted. Pending appeal.
The three-member Oslo City Court found Johansen, now 19 and a household name as DVD-Jon in Norway, innocent on all counts in a unanimous 25-page ruling in the latest setback for the film industry's drive to prevent film copying.
"I'm very satisfied. We won support on all points. I had figured that we could win, but it can go either way," said Johansen after the verdict was read out.
The prosecution said it would decide in the next two weeks whether to appeal. Johansen said he expects another round because this is the first such case in Norway…
Prosecutors had called for a 90-day suspended jail sentence, confiscation of computer equipment and court costs, all of which were rejected in the ruling.
(Thanks, Jim!)
