As expected, the US Department of Justice has appealed a judge’s ruling that the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) is unconstitutional. Aimed at preventing minors from accessing offensive material on the internet, COPA was signed into law by President Clinton last year. But on February 1, US District Judge Lowell Reed agreed with the American Civil Liberties Union and 17 web publishers that the law should not be enforced. The DOJ argues that the law will act as a brown paper wrapping to protect children from pornography. The case is expected to go to full trial in six months time.
