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Convicted Murderer To Wikipedia: Shhh!

By Jennifer Granick on

In 1990, Bavarian actor Walter Sedlmayr was brutally murdered.  Two of his business associates were convicted, imprisoned for the crime, and recently paroled.  Who killed Sedlmayr?  Its a matter of public record, but if one of the men and his German law firm gets their way, Wikipedia (and EFF) will not be allowed to tell you.  A few days ago, the online encyclopedia received a cease and desist letter from one of the convicts—represented by the aptly named German law firm Stopp and Stopp—demanding that the perpetrator's name be taken off of the Sedlmayr article page.

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Published in: Blog , Privacy , Notice by Design