(oops. -ringo)
To: ringo@MIT.EDU From: edit@playboy.com (playboy editorial) Dear Ringo: What follows can be considered a position statement on the illegal use of our copyrighted images. It is against the law to distribute copyrighted material without permission and Playboy aggressively protects its copyrighted images and text. Playboy has not created or authorized the creation of any gifs containing nudity or partial nudity. If you suspect that a digitized photo originated in Playboy, we advise that you delete it. Playboy produces the Playboy Electronic Datebook, a personal information manager for Windows that includes over 50 images taken from the pages of Playboy Magazine. In late 1992, Congress passed and President Bush signed the Software Copyright Protection Bill. The measure significantly increased the penalties for violating software copyrights, making violations a felony instead of a misdemeanor. It mandates prison terms of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 for those convicted of distributing at least 10 copies of a copyrighted software program without permission, or any combination of programs with a retail value greater than $2,500. We sincerely hope that your sense of fair play and ethics will dictate your actions. If you know of someone who is violating Playboy's copyrights, please call us at 312 751 8000, extension 2724. Thank you.