Arthur Andersen records sought in UnCover case

[Irvin Muchnick <irvmuch@xxxxxxxxx>]

ARTHUR ANDERSEN?S ROLE
IN CLASS-ACTION COPYRIGHT CASE
SOUGHT IN SEALED COURT RECORDS

OAKLAND, California -? The opening of records with
information about the Arthur Andersen accounting firm?s
role in the $7.25 million settlement of an authors?
class-action copyright infringement lawsuit is being sought
here in United States District Court.

Acting on behalf of freelance journalist Irvin Muchnick,
San Francisco attorney Roy S. Gordet filed a motion with
Senior Judge D. Lowell Jensen on May 13 for public access
to previously sealed documents in Ryan v. CARL Corp., a
case settled two years ago. Muchnick, a former assistant
director of the National Writers Union, was later a
consultant to plaintiff class counsel in the Ryan case. The
first class action of its kind in the history of American
jurisprudence, Ryan involved claims by freelance magazine
and journal authors against the owners of the UnCover
document-delivery service.

?We?re seeking to create a comprehensive public record of
the distribution of the multimillion-dollar Ryan settlement
fund,? Gordet said. ?My client has written critically of
Arthur Andersen?s performance as claims administrator. The
open portion of the case file indicates that Andersen
charged the class $500,000. A review of the sealed
documents would help answer the question, ?Exactly what did
writers get in return???

Muchnick added: ?We already know of at least one serious
mistake by Andersen during the processing of claims, and
the firm?s connection to the Enron scandal points clearly
to the need for the highest level of public scrutiny of
everything else it has been up to. Without prejudging the
contents of these secret files, I?m from Missouri and I?m
respectfully asking the court to ?show me?.?

Irvin Muchnick?s writings about the Ryan case and related
authors? rights issues are collected at the website
?Electronic Rights & Wrongs,?
<http://www.geocities.com/irvmuch/home.html>.
The site table of contents can be viewed at
<http://www.geocities.com/irvmuch/contents>. Items there
include:

·	?Arthur Andersen and Me?
<http://www.geocities.com/irvmuch/arthuran.html>

·	Muchnick?s letter to Judge Jensen (March 6, 2002) and
Judge Jensen?s response (April 17, 2002)
<http://www.geocities.com/irvmuch/judgejen.html>

·	The court motion of May 13, 2002
<http://www.geocities.com/irvmuch/motion.html>

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