Libertarians: Drop Russian hacker charges

The case of Russian hacker Dmitry Sklyarov, charged with illegally trafficking technology that can be used to subvert copyrights, is attracting attention outside of the tech sphere. The Libertarian Party of San Francisco has joined the growing list of groups calling on federal prosecutors to drop the charges against him. Sklyarov was arrested after giving a speech at a hacker convention in Las Vegas about his company's technology, which can be used to crack Adobe Systems' eBooks. "This case demonstrates the immediate dangers of big government," San Francisco Libertarian Party member Christopher Maden said in a statement announcing his party's opposition to the charges. "In order to protect these anemic security mechanisms, businesses and governments will rely on the brute power of the courts to keep those who understand from sharing their knowledge." Sklyarov is free on $50,000 bail.