In the Federal Court at San Jose Thursday morning, Russian programmer Dmitry Sklyarov and his employer, Elcomsoft, were each arraigned on five counts of copyright violation. This is the first time that Elcomsoft as a corporate entity has been charged. Both Sklyarov and Elcomsoft CEO Alex Katalov were represented by Attorney Joseph Burton and pled not guilty to all charges. According to an indictment which was released Tuesday, Sklyarov faces up to twenty-five years in a US prison and $2,250,000 fine, while Elcomsoft faces a fine of up to $2,500,000. The next scheduled court appearance is next Tuesday, September 4th, in front of Judge Ronald M. Whyte, who has also ruled in several other technology-related cases.

A legal fund has also been created for those wishing to contribute money directly to Dmitry's legal defense. Checks, payable to "DMH Escrow Agent for Dmitry Defense Fund", can be sent to:
The Dmitry Defense Fund
c/o Duane, Morris & Heckscher LLP
100 Spear Street, Suite 1500
San Francisco, CA 94105
USA

Also on Thursday, there was a worldwide day of protest regarding Sklyarov's case. The largest-ever Free Dmitry protest was held in San Francisco to coincide with the LinuxWorld conference. Among the attendees was Richard M. Stallman of the Free Software Foundation. Events were also held in Moscow, Chicago, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, London, and Black Rock City (home of the Burning Man event). The next national event that activists are planning is a letter-writing day on September 8th.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
EFF Press Release
freesklyarov.org