Petitions seek amendment to Patriot Act to protect reader privacy

SEATTLE (AP) -- Booksellers, librarians and writers want Congress to amend a section of the USA Patriot Act to protect people's privacy when it comes to books they buy or check out from the library.
"To our knowledge, there is not a single association, organization or company in our entire industry that supports Section 215 as it exists today," said Phillip Bevis, founder of Arundel Books, which has stores in Seattle and Los Angeles and sells books online.
Section 215 does not specifically mention bookstores or libraries, but permits secret warrants for "books, records, papers, documents and other items" from businesses, hospitals or other organizations.
The Campaign for Reader Privacy is trying to collect a million signatures on petitions calling for amendment of the law. Bevis designed the Web site for the campaign, sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association and PEN -- poets, playwrights, essayists, editors and novelists -- American Center, a writers group.
The book industry isn't afraid of Section 215 -- "our customers are," Bevis said.
Warrants obtained under Section 215 must be approved by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees investigations of individuals or groups the United States believed to be terrorists or spies.