Stephen Lendman: Internet Freedom and Copyright Reform:

Aaron Swartz's Suspicious Death: The Wall Street Journal headlined "An Internet Activist Commits Suicide." New York's medical examiner announced death by "hanging himself in his Brooklyn apartment." Lingering suspicions remain. Why would someone with so much to give end it all this way? He was one of the Internet generation's best and brightest. He advocated online freedom. Selflessly he sought a better open world. Information should be freely available, he believed. A legion of followers supported him globally. Alive he symbolized a vital struggle to pursue. Death may elevate him to martyr status, but removes a key figure important to keep alive. The New York Times headlined "Internet Activist, a Creator of RSS, is Dead at 26, Apparently a Suicide." He was an Internet folk hero. He supported online freedom and copyright reform. He advocated free and open web files. He championed a vital cause. He worked tirelessly for what's right. Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle called him "steadfast in his dedication to building a better and open world. He is among the best spirits of the Internet generation." Who'll replace him, now that he's gone? He called locking up the public domain sinful. He selflessly strove to prevent it. In July 2011, he was arrested. At the time, he was downloading old scholarly articles. He was charged with violating federal hacking laws. MIT gave him a guest account to do it. He developed RSS and co-founded Reddit. It's a social news site. He was found dead weeks before he was scheduled to stand trial. He was targeted for doing the right thing. He didn't steal or profit. He shared. His activism was more than words. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) defends online freedom, free speech, privacy, innovation, and consumer rights It "champions the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights." On January 12, it headlined "Farewell to Aaron Swartz, an extraordinary hacker and activist." It called him "a close friend and collaborator." Tragedy ended his life. Vital questions remain unanswered. Supporters demand answers. So do family members. They blame prosecutors for what happened.