Question on selling information

[Steve E]

My state is Ohio. I have question regarding selling a document, either by direct sales through advertisements or through a web site. I believe that selling information if protected under the freedom of information act. The question I have is, would selling a document explaining how to do something illegal, be legal. I've seen companies selling information on how to make illegal devices, how to break into computers or phone systems. The document I would like to sell is along the same lines.

Can I sell a document explaining how someone could make or modify something, that would benefit them financially, but if they got caught, it would be a federal offense?

I think I'm in the right forum, but if not let me know.
Thanks,
Steve E.

 

[racer72]

Possession of information that can be used to break the law is illegal. So is selling the info. The Freedom of Information Act has nothing to do in this situation. The FIA concerns a citizens rights to obtain information from government agencies. Occasionally you will hear about kids building a bomb from information obtained on the internet. The kids get busted and it makes the 5 o'clock news. You never hear about the website owner that busted too and probably gets a stiffer sentence than the kids that built the bomb. It can be done though (especially on the internet) if you know the tricks (overseas webhosts, remailers, etc) and I even know where to get the information to do it but this is not the forum to dispense that type of knowledge.

 

[T-DESIGNER]

I am not advocating you sell such information, but if Hollywood
can produce fictional movies showing how to break the law,
you might be able to incorporate the information you want
to sell within a larger work of fiction. For example, in the movie
Thelma and Louise, J.D. (Brad Pitt) shows Thelma (Geena Davis)
how to rob a convenience store. The television show, CSI, goes
into great detail on re-enacting crimes for most people's
entertainment, but possibly educational for others.

But then again, law enforcement agencies may have limited
or broad discretionary powers as to whom they pursue.
Perhaps Racer72's statement oversimplified the law, but
if it is illegal to possess information that can be used to break
the law, the police probably have the right to arrest anyone
who walks out of Blockbusters with a copy of Thelma and Louise.
If a law enforcement officer knows you possess information
that can be used to break the law, but the officer makes no
attempt to arrest you, is the officer breaking any laws?
Proabably yes, but proving it in court may be rather difficult.

Posting illegal information on the internet makes it more
likely someone will blow the whistle on you, as well as
making it easy to obtain proof against you.

Some federal laws are passed to protect corporations. If
what you are wanting to sell will do harm to a corporation, a
corporation has the resources, influence, and resolve to
bring civil and criminal action against you.

If you have a video tape of the plane flying into the World
Trade Center, and video tapes of the various news reports
as to how the terrorists schemed to destroy the World
Trade Centers and Pentagon, are you breaking any laws?
If you sell copies of those tapes, are you breaking any laws?


Citizen Brown

 

[charlie neville]

"Possession of information

... that can be used to break the law is illegal." I think this statement a bit over broad. I posses a recipe for making nitroglycerine which sure as hell can be used to break the law, but I don't think I'm subject to arrest for having this information. Neither do I think it illegal to pass it on to others.

"Occasionally you will hear about kids building a bomb from information obtained on the internet." Could one not substitute "library" or "Borders", or numerous other sources here, why must it be the 'internet'?

The 1st amendment is a funny thing, allows quite a bit in terms of exchange of ideas and information with few restrictions, and so far as I know applies to the internet too.

charlie