March 31, 2004
New DOJ Task Force on Copyright Violations
Ashcroft creates task force for copyright violations (The agency press release.)
Feds Crank Up Heat on P2P
See also the Piracy Deterrence and Privacy Act of 2004 (H.R. 4077), "to enhance criminal enforcement of the copyright laws, to educate the public about the application of copyright law to the Internet," passed today by the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.
Data Mining Through Social Networking
Alex Pentland offers a persuasive argument in support of the value of data mining from workplace spoken conversations. He is involved in conducting research in this arena as the director of the Human Dynamics research group at the MIT Media Lab.
Senate Judiciary Filegate Scandal Update
Manuel Miranda, the former Counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, resigned his position on February 23, 2004 subsequent to the furor that resulted in response to his involvement in unauthorized access to thousands of Democratic computer files from the Senate Judiciary Committee server. This Legal Times article provides background on Mr. Miranda's past work and activities, as well as comments by partisan sources and computer law experts concerning a potential federal indictment.
Online Survey of KM Practices in Law Firms
Matthew Parsons, author of the upcoming book Effective Knowledge for Law Firms (June 2004) sends news of his online survey of knowledge management practices in law firms, which he states is "not sponsored by, or affiliated with, any vendors and the research report will be available without charge."
"The objective of the survey is to provide information to law firms and legal KM professionals about current practices, roles, leadership turnover, resources and structures for KM in law firms. In addition, the study enables legal KM professionals to identify areas for KM research that would be most valuable for their initiatives and for their firms."
The link to the survey, which is open until April 30, is here.
March 30, 2004
Web Institute on Using Canadian Gov't Publications
Choosing and Using Canadian Government Documents and Government Information on the Web - Instructor: Jeff Moon, Head, Documents Unit, Queen's University Library. (six weeks, begins April 5, $). [thanks to Rita Vine]
Science Advisor to President Works Amidst Controversy
From today's New York Times, At the Center of the Storm Over Bush And Science is a profile of the President's science advisor, who offers few insights to the public concerning the positions he advocates.
Related references were posted on February 19, Leading Scientists Issue Report on Gov't Control of Scientific Data
FCC Proposed Reg on VoIP
From the March 29, 2004 Federal Register: Review of Regulatory Requirements for IP-Enabled Services:
"This document seeks comment on issues relating to services and applications utilizing Internet Protocol (IP), collectively referred to here as 'IP-enabled services.'' These services include, but are not limited to, voice over IP (VoIP) services, other communications capabilities utilizing the Internet Protocol, software-based applications that facilitate use of those services, and future services using IP expected to emerge in the market. As customers begin to substitute IP-enabled services for traditional communications, the
Commission seeks comment as to the rate and extent of that substitution. Further, comments are requested on IP-enabled services presently available, expected future development of such services, how to distinguish among such services, and what regulatory requirements, if any, should apply to IP-enabled services."
Rice to Provide Public Testimony, Pres. & VP Will Do So In Private
As reported by AP, Rice to Testify in Public Under Oath. The statement by the 9/11 Commission indicates this agreement is "consistent with [their] mandate to provide a full and complete accounting of the terrorist attacks of September 11."
President Announces Rice to Provide Public Testimony to Commission Letter from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales Re: Public Testimony Under Oath From National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice Before the 9/11 Commission (March 30, 2004)
See also this CRS report: Presidential Advisers' Testimony Before Congressional Committees: A Brief Overview, by Harold C. Relyea and Jay R. Shampansky, April 5, 2002.
A look at Bush's reversals
9/11 Commission press release of April 1 on testimony of Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
Report on Facilitating Electronic Access to Government Documents
As posted on law-lib by GPO's Judith C. Russell:
From the Working Group on the Categorization of Government Information (CGI), which is part of the Interagency Committee on Government Information (ICGI), the first draft of a paper, Defining What Government Information Is to Be Categorized (as required by the E-Government Act of 2002, specifically Sec. 207 - Accessibility, Usability, and Preservation of Government Documents).
GAO Provides Uneven Scorecard on E-Gov Initiatives
Electronic Government: Initiatives Sponsored by the Office of Management and Budget Have Made Mixed Progress, by Linda D. Koontz, director, information technology, before the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, and the Census, House Committee on Government Reform. GAO-04-561T, March 24. Highlights.
Of OMB's 25 e-government initiatives, kudos go to Grants.gov, "This site allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive grant opportunities from all Federal grant-making agencies." On the other hand, Project SAFECOM, which was to "connect wireless first responder systems across federal, state and local agencies," has been stalled for two years.
March 29, 2004
Commentary on the Growing Concern With E-Voting Technology
How E-Voting Threatens Democracy: Activitist Bev Harris has put e-voting security issues high on the agenda of states and localities throughout the country.
Lessig's New Book on Copyright Law and the Internet
Free Culture, by Lawrence Lessig: How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity:
Use this link to download a free pdf version of the book, under a Creative Commons license. The book is also available in nine other formats, to date, via this link.
Reviews of the book are here.
GPO to Adopt Document Encrytion Technology
GPO signs on to using PKI:
"The Government Printing Office by mid-summer will authenticate government documents using a public-key infrastructure and digital signatures. Judy Russell, the GPO’s superintendent of documents and managing director of information dissemination, yesterday said the office will apply the technology to all documents agencies submit to www.gpoaccess.gov."
Google Adds New Alerts and Personalized Web Search
Google launched a subtle redesign of their site this Sunday. Result screens now use predominantly blue and green colors, the tabs are gone, the shopping site Froogle has a more prominent position on the main page, and additional services are accessible through clicking More. Other enhancements include the following:
"Google Web Alerts (Beta) are sent by email when there is new information on the web matching the search you specify." (FAQ) See also this posting from Research Buzz for Tara's take on the new features.
"Google Personalized web search delivers custom search results that are based on a profile you create describing your interests." (FAQ)
Numrange Searches: "Numrange can be used to specify that results contain numbers in a range you set. You can conduct a numrange search by specifying two numbers, separated by two periods, with no spaces. Be sure to specify a unit of measure or some other indicator of what the number range represents."[
Link, and scroll down to this feature.]
Take a look at this page, which illustrates the plethora of Google search services and tools using icons.
And don't forget, What's New from Google, with additional news.
Clarke Calls for Release of All Classified Testimony
Amidst allegations by Republicans that the testimony of former National Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Richard Clarke, to the 9/11 Commission, contradicts previous classified testimony provided by him to the House and Senate Intelligence committees in July 2002, Clarke called for the release of all his classified testimony from that date.
For context and perspective, this article from Time.com, August 4, 2002: Could 9/11 Have Been Prevented?
New Legislation to Combat File Sharing
Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation Act of 2004 (Introduced in Senate on March 25, 2004) [S. 2237]
Leahy-Hatch Bill Takes Aim At Copyright Infringement
Congress Moves to Criminalize P2P
Remarks by bill co-sponsor Sen. Hatch.
Rice Continues to Refuse Public Testimony
According to Reuters, National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice continues to refuse to testify in public before the 9/11 Commission despite repeated requests by the panel for such testimony, which she has already provided in private.
Rice Rejects Calls for Public Testimony: From her 60 Minutes interview, Sunday, March 28: "Nothing would be better, from my point of view, than to be able to testify. I would really like to do that. But there is an important principle here ... it is a longstanding principle that sitting national security advisers do not testify before the Congress."
This afternoon, Reuters reported W.House Looks for Rice Compromise with 9/11 Panel
Fact Check: Condi Rice's 60 Minutes Interview
March 26, 2004
Consolidated Terror Watch List One Year Past Deadline
March 24, 2004 - Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism Joint Hearing: "Progress in Consolidating Terrorist Watchlists -- the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC)." [Link]
Fact Sheet, The Terrorist Screening Center
Dec. 4 target set for terrorist list
For reference, see U.S. Still Lacks Consolidated Terror Watch List
Prepared Statement of Jerry Berman, President of the Center For Democracy & Technology before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security of the House Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security Progress in Consolidating Terrorist Watchlists - The Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), March 25, 2004.
March 25, 2004
Richard Clarke's Testimony to 9/11 Commission
From March 24, the text (in pdf) of former National Coordinator for Counterterrorism, National Security Council, Richard Clarke's testimony before the eighth public hearing held by the 9/11 Commission, as well as the CNN transcript of his testimony.
Library of Congress to Undertake Major Update of Global Legal Information Network
From the AALL press release:
"The Law Library of Congress has awarded a five-year contract to develop and implement major enhancements to the Global Legal Information Network (GLIN). The improvements are necessary to respond to the challenges of globalization and an increasing demand for online legal research resources. Initial designs for the upgraded GLIN system are expected to be unveiled this August."
Instant Messages Used to Deliver Spam
When Instant Messages Come Bearing Malice. According to this article, there are over 160 million instant messaging (IM) accounts worldwide, and users are increasingly the target of spam, hackers and phishing.
Guide to Finding Federal Gov't Info on the Web
How to Effectively Locate Federal Government Information on the World Wide Web. Authors: Sherry DeDecker and Patricia Cruse, University of California. Updated: January 6, 2004.
Finding Aid to Bush Papers When Governor of Texas
The Memory Hole has published links to the Inventories of George W. Bush's Gubernatorial Papers, held by the Texas State Archives.
Coalition Sponsors New Website With Focus on Access to Gov't Docs.
A coaliton comprised of library associations and advocacy groups with a strong interest in freedom of information, has launched a new website, still under construction, called OpenTheGovernment.org. The group is seeking public contributions of the "ten most wanted government documents" to be posted to the site. Areas of interest include national security, environment, health and safety, public trust and accountability, and democracy.
March 23, 2004
beSpacific Will Return to Weekday Updates on March 29
March 22, 2004
Continued Questions on Administration Handling of Info
When Spin Spins Out of Control:
"From scientific data to health facts to intelligence in the war in Iraq, the Bush White House has been dogged by a string of high-profile controversies over how it handles information."
March 19, 2004
Tracking Federal Campaign Contributions
FundRace2004's searchable database provides information on federal election campaign contributions made by individuals in the amount of $200 and above. Users may search by a combination of address and zip code (results on zip code alone result when no data is available by specific address), or by last name or first and last name combination. Search results return Name, Occupation, Employer, Contribution, and Address, as available.
Presentation on Blogging and RSS
Jenny Levine and Steven Cohen's 110 page pdf presentation, from the 2004 Computers in Libraries conference.
NSA Issues Final FOIA Rule
DoD: National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS), Freedom of Information Act Program, Final rule, March 19, 2004 [Federal Register]
"This part implements the Freedom of Information Act, as amended. It assigns responsibility for responding to written requests made pursuant to the Act and provides for the review required to determine the appropriateness of classification."
March 18, 2004
Yahoo Adds Enhancements to News Search
What's new with Yahoo! News Search?
"Yahoo! News Search gives you access to over 7,000 news sources from around the world."
TSA to Get Privacy Czar
From UPI: "Acting chief of the Transportation Security Administration, David M. Stone told lawmakers that he would shortly appoint a special privacy officer and an external privacy oversight board to calm public fears about the Big Brother character of the agency's computerized passenger threat profiling system.
Press release: "The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released a video entitled Monsters of Privacy to mark the first Congressional hearings on the status of a controversial airline passenger profiling system and to help educate the public about a broad range of threats to personal privacy."
New Digital Law and Technology Journal
From the AHRB Research Centre for Studies in Intellectual Property and Technology Law based in the School of Law at the University of Edinburgh, a new web-journal, SCRIPT-ed, which "will offer articles of up to 10,000 words in length containing detailed comment and analysis on the law/technology interface." [Link from Marcus Zillman]
SCRIPT-ed, Issue 1, March 2004
From the first issue: Property, Privacy and Personality Research Stream - Comparative Aspects of Personality Rights: Research Project and Case Studies
See also the associated Personality Database that addresses personality rights and laws in Australia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
March 17, 2004
New Database on Bush Administration Statements on Iraq
From Rep. Henry Waxman, Ranking Member, Committee on Government Reform, this searchable database comprises "237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq...made by "five officials (President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice) in 125 public appearances in the time leading up to and after the commencement of hostilities in Iraq."
Link to the database methodology.
Well Deserved Spotlight Shines on Expert International Librarians
From the press release: "On a monthly basis during 2004, the Infopro Web site will spotlight a law librarian from a different country. This month, our spotlight is on Moyra McAllister, National Library Manager at Blake Dawson Waldron in Australia.
See also last month's spotlight on the world renowned Lyonette ('Lyo') Louis-Jacques of the University of Chicago's D'Angelo Law Library.
Commentary Advocating Auction of Top Level Domains
An Economic Analysis of Domain Name Policy, by Karl M. Manheim and Lawrence B. Solum.
From the abstract: "Based on the telecommunications experience, the best method for ICANN to allocate new Top Level Domains would be to conduct an auction. Many auction designs are possible. One proposal is to auction a fixed number of new Top Level Domain slots each year. This proposal would both expand the root resource at a reasonable pace and insure that the slots went to their highest and best use. Public interest Top Level Domains could be allocated by another mechanism such as a lottery and their costs to ICANN could be subsidized by the proceeds of the auction."
HHS OIG To Review Claim Medicare Cost Data Withheld From Public
HHS Secretary Thompson Calls for Investigation Into Whether Medicare Actuary Was Pressured To Withhold Estimates.
From the New York Times: Inquiry Ordered on Medicare Official's Charge
Mysterious Fax Adds to Intrigue Over the Medicare Bill's Cost
The Actuary and the Actor: "Actors were hired by the Department of Health and Human Services to pose as television journalists purveying faux upbeat "news" segments about the expanded Medicare coverage."
Website That Shortens URLs
From Wired, Honey, I Shrunk the URL, a review of a free tool that I use regularly, called TinyURL.com, to quickly and easily shorten the length of inordinately long urls.
Google Launches New Search For Local Services
See Google Local Search (beta), "Find local businesses and services on the web."
From the Google press release: "This new feature enables users to find relevant local information with neighborhood business listings, maps, directions, and useful web pages."
See also Yahoo's Smart View, introduced March 9.
Testimony From CAPPS II Hearing Today
"The purpose of this hearing is to determine the status of the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II), and the progress made in addressing concerns regarding privacy, due process, accuracy, and the effectiveness of the system." [Link]
The Transportation Security Adminstration's CAPPS II, by Paul Rosenzweig (Senior Legal Research Fellow in the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation), Testimony, March 17, 2004, before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation.
Testimony of other witnesses: Admiral David M. Stone, Acting Administrator, Transportation Security Administration; Mr. James C. May, President and Chief, Executive Officer, Air Transport Association; Mr. Kevin Mitchell, Chairman, Business Travel Coalition; Mr. David Sobel, General Counsel, Electronic Privacy Information Center.
Aviation Security: Challenges Delay Implementation of Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System, by Norman J. Rabkin, managing director, homeland security and justice, before the Subcommittee on Aviation, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. GAO-04-504T, March 17. Highlights
TSA to require passenger data and issue privacy rules
March 16, 2004
GAO Report on Federal Agency Data Security
Information Security: Continued Efforts Needed to Sustain Progress in Implementing Statutory Requirements, by Robert F. Dacey, director, information security, before the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, and the Census, House Committee on Government Reform. GAO-04-483T, March 16. Highlights.
NC State Univ. Scientists Develop Ultra-High Speed Net Access
From the University press release:
"Researchers in North Carolina State University’s Department of Computer Science have developed a new data transfer protocol for the Internet that makes today’s high-speed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connections seem lethargic. The protocol is named BIC-TCP, which stands for Binary Increase Congestion Transmission Control Protocol. In a recent comparative study run by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), BIC consistently topped the rankings in a set of experiments that determined its stability, scalability and fairness in comparison with other protocols. The study tested six other protocols developed by researchers from schools around the world, including the California Institute of Technology and the University College of London."
For Europeans, Google is Overwhelming Search Engine Choice
From Nielsen/MetRatings, 55 Million Europeans Using Google Online. MSN Search and Yahoo Search are distant second and third user choices.
PC World Reviews Sites, Engines, Tools and Resources for Researchers
Beyond Google - "The Web is so full of useful info that no search engine can find it all. But a multitude of specialty sites deliver shopping advice, reference databases, leisure-time ideas, and more--fast."
New GAO Report Evaluating 18 Forms of Cybersecurity Technology
Information Security: Technologies to Secure Federal Systems. GAO-04-467, March 9. Highlights.
See also GAO offers security guide.
March 15, 2004
E-Gov Sites Effectively Compete With Private Counterparts
The current American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Government Report is available in two parts, one presenting Fourth Quarter Scores (Last Update: February 18, 2004) Retail, Finance/Insurance, E-Commerce, and one presenting Recent E-Government Scores for Q1 2004. The studies indicate that some e-gov sites register user satisfaction that meets that of widely known e-commerce sites such as Amazon.
"Health and recruitment are two high-potential, high-impact areas of e-government....These agencies (Health and Human Services' MedlinePlus and OPM's USAJobs) are showing they are up to the challenge of actively competing with the private sector." [Link]
FDA Consumer Magazine
The new issue of FDA Consumer Magazine is now available, Volume 38, Number 2, March-April 2004.
Includes a link to current updates from fda.gov - "Places of interest on FDA's Website and other government and health-related sites."
New Search Feature Added to Internet Archive
Recall is a beta search engine at the Internet Archive that indexes the text of over 11 billion pages. A presentation about this technology can be downloaded.
Database of Canadian FOI Requests
Through foi.net, users may "search a database of requests for information filed with departments and agencies of the Canadian government under Canada's Access to Information Act. It contains descriptions of most requests filed since January 1, 1999."
DOJ Requests Increased Monitoring for Web and IM Communications
"In a 75-page petition to the Federal Communications Commission, the Justice Department called for Internet broadband and online telephone providers to be required to provide access for wiretaps and other monitoring of voice communications." [Link]
Prosecutor Requested to Investigate Unauthorized Access to Senate Judiciary Cmte. Computer Files
From Talking Points, a copy of a letter to AG Ashcroft signed by six Senators in response to the Report on the Investigation into Improper Access to the Senate Judiciary Committee's Computer System.
New Study Reviews Corporate Cost of Privacy Compliance
IBM commissioned a privacy study by the Ponemon Institute, the results of which are detailed in this press release.
The "survey of 44 U.S.-based multinational organizations and revealed that while privacy protection is growing in importance for businesses, investments in privacy initiatives are significantly lower when compared to other corporate compliance initiatives, such as environmental or ethics programs. For example, when compared to spending on environmental programs, the study shows that 95 percent of respondents feel that their organizations spend less on privacy than on environmental initiatives."
Government Gazettes Online From Around the World
Government Gazettes Online: "This website attempts to list all online government gazettes and their characteristics to aid researchers. A description of the contents and coverage are included for each gazette." The listing is alphabetical by country, and includes the gazette title, url, languages, free or fee, range of coverage, format of, and an abstract about, respective content.
March 13, 2004
March 12, 2004
Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web
A terrific database from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, it currently comprises links to over 2,900 exhibitions, browsable by alphabetical title list, exhibition name, institution and subject terms. [Metafilter]
From among the site's eclectic, whimsical and content rich resources: Gutenberg and Beyond: Books, Libraries, and Changing Technology, Memories of Picnics and Thomas Edison: A Lifetime of Invention.
The Memory Hole Launches Blog
The Memory Hole launched a companion blog on March 10, where the author will focus on breaking news and information.
FTC Issues Alert about Identity Theft Scam
From the FTC press release: "A new Spam Scam Alert from the Federal Trade Commission could help consumers avoid becoming identity theft victims."
Is Someone "Phishing" for Your Information?
More States Withdraw Participation In Crime Database
AP reports that New York and Wisconsin have withdrawn their participation in the Multistate Anti-TeRrorism Information EXchange (MATRIX) program. The program now has only five remaining state participants. My other postings on MATRIX.
See also A Dual-Edged Sword: Providing Information, Stealing Privacy, "In the case of Matrix and its ilk, our time-honored standards of privacy are at stake, and they're rapidly deteriorating. We can shape this new technology, or let it shape us."
Significant Corporate Problems With Records Retention
Press release from AIIM: American Companies Fail To Address Retention of Email and Electronic Records - Survey Finds "e-Records" Policies Non-Existent in Almost Half of Companies [Link]
"Nearly half of American companies have not adopted records retention policies for email and other electronic documents, despite the serious issues raised about corporate records keeping over the past two years.
In a new survey of 2,200 records managers, 47 percent said their company does not include electronic records in its retention and destruction schedules. Nearly 6 in 10 companies (59 percent) reported having no formal policy concerning the retention of emails.
Even more disturbing, 46 percent of companies reported having no system for placing holds on records in the event of pending litigation or a regulatory investigation leaving open the possibility that records critical to a legal matter could be destroyed. Moreover, 65 percent said their company's hold order policy, if one existed, did not include electronic records."
Electronic Records Management Survey: A Call To Action by AIIM and ARMA International: Executive Summary; Full-text of survey results require user registration.
Hearing on Copyright Act Section 115, Compulsary License
United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, Committee on the Judiciary, March 11, 2004 Hearing on "Section 115 of the Copyright Act: In Need of Update?
Witness List; Testimony of: Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Marybeth Peters (LC), Carey Ramos (NMPA), Cary Sherman (RIAA), and Jonathan Potter (DiMA).
March 11, 2004
Amicus Brief in Cheney Energy Task Force Case
Press release: "The National Security Archive, together with America's leading library and archival associations and four public interest groups, filed a joint amicus brief today in the U.S. Supreme Court case brought by Vice President Richard Cheney to prevent discovery into the makeup of his controversial energy policy task force."
"Joining the Archive in the brief are the American Association of Law Libraries, the American Library Association, the Association of Research Libraries, the Center for American Progress, Common Cause, People for the American Way Foundation, the Society of American Archivists, and the Special Libraries Association."
Copies of Anti-Spam Lawsuits Filed by Industry
As posted yesterday, AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo and Earthlink filed lawsuits against defendants they allege are in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act.
Complaint and Exhibits (America Online, Inc. v. John Does 1-40) (March 9, 2004)
Complaint and Exhibits (America Online, Inc. v. Davis Wolfgang Hawke, et al. (March 9, 2004)
Complaint (Earthlink, Inc. v. John Does 1-25, et al. (March 9, 2004)
Complaint (Microsoft Corp. v. JDO Media, Inc., et al. (March 9, 2004)
Complaint (Microsoft Corp. v. John Does 1-50 d/b/a Super Viagra Group) (March 9, 2004)
Complaint (Yahoo!, Inc. v. Eric Head, et al. (March 9, 2004)
Commentary on Government Secrecy and Freedom of Information
John Podesta's Remarks at Princeton University, March 10, 2004,
America's Secret History: Securing Our Future By Embracing Open Government.
FTC Seeks Public Comment on Spam
Text of Federal Register Notice, March 11, 2004, Definitions, Implementation, and Reporting Requirements Under the CAN-SPAM Act; Proposed Rule.
Appendix A - Privacy Impact Assessment for the Electronic Public Comment System, The Collection of Public Comments Filed Electronically in the CAN-SPAM Rulemaking Proceeding; Appendix B, Federal Trade Commission Privacy Policy, and
Appendix C, User Notice on the Regulations.gov website.
March 10, 2004
Study on Media Coverage of WMD Issue
Media Coverage of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the latest study from the Advanced Methods of Cooperative Security Program, March 9, 2004, by Susan Moeller.
Summary
Full version (101 pages, pdf)
About the publisher: "The Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) is a research center that pursues policy-oriented scholarship on major issues facing the United States in the global arena."
Illegal Use of Credit Cards on the Net
From the Computer Crime Research Center: Internet fraud: volumes are increasing:
"According to certain data, there are 30 kinds of illegal operations with cards in the Internet. The most widespread are payment using non-existing cards, creating false Internet shops, e-thefts, false payments at gambling websites."
Industry Coordinates Lawsuits Against CAN-SPAM Violators
Microsoft press release, March 10, 2004:
"America Online Inc., EarthLink Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo! Inc. today jointly announced that their collaborative anti-spam industry efforts have resulted in the coordinated filing of the first major industry lawsuits under the new federal anti-spam law, the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Po***graphy and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act of 2003, which went into effect Jan. 1.
The country's four leading e-mail and Internet service providers announced the combined filing of six lawsuits against hundreds of defendants, including some of the nation's most notorious large-scale spammers." (Summaries of the cases are referenced in this press release.)
Internet Providers File Suits to Stop Spammers
Sensenbrenner Commends ISPs for Legal Crack Down on Spam Under New Anti-Spam Law
World's Biggest RAM Drive Purchased by U.S. Gov't
From TechWorld (via Slashdot): "The US government has just bought the world's biggest ever solid state disk from Texas Memory Systems."
"The 2.5TB system is the largest SSD installation in the world so far, without question, the executive VP for TMS, Woody Hutsell, told Techworld....So where is it and what's it to be used for?...What that means in simple English is that the US government has just bought the world's biggest RAM drive in order to speed up cross-checking across several vast databases."
Compromise Reached on EU Data Protection Laws
"Parliament adopted by 439 votes in favour, 39 against and 28 abstentions an own-initiative report on the 1995 Data Protection Directive. The House states firmly that transfers of personal data to third country authorities without consent, such as in the case of the US authorities accessing transatlantic passenger data, seriously infringes EU data protection standards. It considers the progress made over a year of talks with the US on this question to be totally inadequate, and calls for arrangements for data protection in such circumstances to be subject to approval by Parliament in the future." [Link to Report on the First Report on the implementation of the Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC) - Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs]
Text of the Directive
Revenue Provisions from FY2005 Federal Budget Proposal
Description of Revenue Provisions Contained in the President's Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Proposal, February 2004 (JCS-3-04) TEXT, PDF.
Proposal To Merge RSS Syndication Formats
From Dave Winer's blog, this posting proposes a series of talking points on the possible merger of the RSS and Atom syndication formats.
March 09, 2004
Handbook on Military Law
From Secrecy News: "The 2004 Operational Law Handbook published by the U.S. Army JAG Corps provides a comprehensive map of the terrain of military law, from the legal basis for the use of force to domestic operations to the laws governing intelligence and special operations. A copy is posted here (563 pages, 4.6 MB, PDF file).
Yahoo Adds Destination Features to Its Map Tool
New SmartView feature added to Yahoo! Maps and Driving Directions:
See this example, for the location 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, which now provides links in the following categories to services in proximity of this address: food & dining, financial and ATMs, recreation & entertainment, community services, shopping & services, travel & transportation.
The Challenges of Law Firm Marketing
From The Legal Intelligencer, Going the Way of the Market:
"Large law firms seem to go through top marketing professionals like Donald Trump goes through apprentices."
FirstGov Provides Cross-Agency Portals
"Cross-agency portals are gateways that bring together federal information and services from multiple agencies about a particular topic or for a particular customer group."
Current Awareness Monitoring Through Listservs
Library-Oriented Lists & Electronic Serials: "This document is a compilation of electronic discussion lists, distribution lists and serials which are of interest to library professionals and staff."
Report on Proliferation of Video Surveillance in EU
The EU's Article 29 Working Party on data protection has produced a report on "Video Surveillance". The report sets out guidelines under the 1995 Directive on data protection in relation to surveillance by video cameras in public and work places. [Statewatch News Online] The report states that:
"The over-proliferation of image acquisition systems in public and private areas should not result in placing unjustified restrictions on citizens' rights and fundamental freedoms; otherwise, citizens might be actually compelled to undergo disproportionate data collection procedures which would make them massively identifiable in a number of public and private places."
New Tools to Search the Deep Web
From Salon.com: "In search of the deep Web - The next generation of Web search engines will do more than give you a longer list of search results. They will disrupt the information economy." [Link]
GAO Report on DOD Classified Info
Industrial Security: DOD Cannot Provide Adequate Assurances That Its Oversight Ensures the Protection of Classified Information. GAO-04-332, March 3. Highlights.
Microsoft Patent For Mouse Scroll Wheel
Patent 6,700,564 granted March 4, 2004 - Input device including a wheel assembly for scrolling an image in multiple directions:
"Abstract: A computer input device having a housing and an engagable scroll wheel. The scroll wheel is rotatable about an axis to preferably cause vertical scrolling of an image on a display. The rotatable member is laterally movable relative to the housing. A sensor is preferably positioned within the housing for sensing lateral movement of the rotatable member. In response to sensed lateral movement of the rotatable member, the image is horizontally scrolled, preferably in the direction of the lateral movement."
March 08, 2004
New Adobe Technology Speeds IRS Claims
Adobe press release, New Document Services Software Utilizes PDF, Adobe Reader and 2-D Barcode Technology to Help Customers Speed and Simplify Forms Processing:
"Electronic filing is the preferred method of submitting tax forms, but many U.S. taxpayers still choose to file by mail. Technology that allows us to offer fill-and-print tax forms on IRS.gov and our Tax Products CD-ROM will eliminate data entry on the back-end and result in a faster, more effective paper-based process. Tax forms will be processed more quickly, benefiting citizens, and the IRS will save valuable time and resources as well."
White House and Secrecy of Gov't Documents
Bush Administration Thwarts Access - Excerpt from The Buying of the President 2004 Shows the White House's Propensity for Secrecy [Link]
GAO Report on Gaps in Security for Classified Industrial Info
Industrial Security: DOD Cannot Provide Adequate Assurances That Its Oversight Ensures the Protection of Classified Information. GAO-04-332, March 3. Highlights.
"DoD's Defense Security Service (DSS) cannot provide adequate assurances to goverment that its oversight of contractor facilities reduces the risk of information compromise."
Patent Office Rules Against Eolas in IE Patent Claim
Microsoft Wins One in IE Battle
"In a preliminary ruling, the U.S. Patent and Trade Office Friday said the original HTML specs precede a patent for Web page plug-ins owned by Eolas Technologies, invalidating its patent claims against Microsoft. The decision has the potential to block a $521 million payout by the Redmond, Wash.-based software vendor to Eolas -- a spin-off from the University of California. In 1999, Chicago-based Eolas notified the Microsoft that its Internet Explorer (IE) Web browser had invalidated its claims. In August 2003, a jury found that Microsoft did infringe on Eolas' patents."
GPO Plans for a Paperless Future
"GPO officials appeared before the Senate Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee this week [March 4] to request $25 million for digital publishing and distribution technology." [Link]
"Our vision is to move the GPO forward from a predominantly ink-on-paper distributor of printing requirements to a life-cycle manager of digital Government information, electronically collecting, organizing, processing, and protecting the flow of public documents from their origination in Congress and Federal agencies through their dissemination, in perpetuity, to depository libraries and the public."
Medical Records Privacy Under Assault
Administration Sets Forth a Limited View on Privacy
"In a sharp departure from its past insistence on the sanctity of medical records, the Bush administration has set forth a new, more limited view of privacy rights as it tries to force hospitals and clinics to turn over records of hundreds and perhaps thousands of abortions." However, a decision by Judge Phyllis J. Hamlton, U.S, District Court, Nothern District of California, March 5, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., v. John Ashcroft, denied the government's motion for discovery.
Statement by the President, April 21, 2001: "I believe that we must protect both vital health care services and the right of every American to have confidence that his or her personal medical records will remain private."
GAO's Strategic Plan
Serving the Congress and the Nation: GAO's Strategic Plan, 2004-2009. GAO-04-534SP, March 2004.
March 05, 2004
Bill to Limit Outsourcing Introduced in House
On March 4, Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Defending American Jobs Act of 2004, with 50 bipartisan co-sponsors. "This legislation would bar companies from receiving federal grants, loans and loan guarantees if they lay off a greater percentage of workers in the United States than they lay off in other countries."
From eWeek, this additional information about the bill - "The legislation would also require companies that apply for federal grants and loans to declare the salaries of employees in the U.S. and abroad, said Joel Barkin, spokesman for Rep. Bernie Sanders."
Challenges Faced by News Providers
What Newspapers and Their Web Sites Must Do to Survive:
"Longtime online news consultant Vin Crosbie says newspapers and their Web sites must change their approach to publishing news -- online and off -- if they want to successfully compete with the many Web sites and other new information sources vying for readers' attention and loyalty."
Report on Unauthorized Access to Senate Judiciary Cmte. Computer Files
"Report on the Investigation into Improper Access to the Senate Judiciary Committee's Computer System (March 4, 2004). The Report Prepared By The U.S. Senate's Sergeant At Arms On How Two Former GOP Senate Judiciary Committee Staffers Downloaded Thousands Of Democratic Files From The Senate Judiciary Committee's Computer Network On Democratic Opposition To President Bush's Judicial Nominees." [FindLaw]
Report: Part 1 (portions are redacted)
Report: Part 2 (portions are redacted)
GOP Aides Implicated In Memo Downloads
Statement Of Sen. Patrick Leahy, Ranking Democratic Member, Senate Judiciary Committee On the Pickle Report On Stolen Judiciary Committee Computer Files, March 4, 2004.
Former Senate staffers faulted in memo leaks
New York Times: Report Finds Republican Aides Spied on Democrats
9/11 Commission to Hold Series of Public Hearings
CNN reports that the 9/11 Commission will proceed with eight days of public hearings beginning March 23. Testimony is expected from cabinet secretaries from the Clinton and Bush administrations.
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2003
Now available from the Census Bureau, the 2003 Statistical Abstract of the United States: users may download the text, which is published in 31 sections, as well as appendices and associated content, all in pdf.
Calendars of the U.S. House of Representatives and History of Legislation
New from GPO Access on March 4, the addition of the Final House Calendar, 108th Congress, First Session to the searchable database that dates back to the 104th Congress.
Canadian Supreme Court Rules Against Publishers' Copyright Group
From the Supreme Court of Canada, a recent and notable copyright decision of interest to those tracking the course of the Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act (DCIMA):
The Law Society of Upper Canada v. CCH Canadian Limited - and between - The Law Society of Upper Canada v. Thomson Canada Limited c.o.b. as Carswell Thomson Professional Publishing - and between - The Law Society of Upper Canada v. Canada Law Book Inc. and Canadian Publishers' Council and Association of Canadian Publishers, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, Société québécoise de gestion collective des droits de reproduction (COPIBEC) and The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (ACCESS COPYRIGHT) (F.C.)2004 SCC 13 / 2004 CSC 13, March 4, 2004 [Link to decision]
From the text of the decision - "The Law Society does not infringe copyright when a single copy of a reported decision, case summary, statute, regulation or limited selection of text from a treatise is made by the Great Library in accordance with its access policy. Moreover, the Law Society does not authorize copyright infringement by maintaining a photocopier in the Great Library and posting a notice warning that it will not be responsible for any copies made in infringement of copyright."
See also these two articles on the case - one from the Globe and Mail and one from LexisNexis InfoPro News [thanks to T.R. Halvorson for this link].
Press release, Law Society Welcomes Supreme Court of Canada Landmark Copyright Decision." [Link via Louis Mirando]
March 04, 2004
House Approves Extension for 9/11 Commission
Today the House approved, by voice vote, a 60 day extension for the 9/11 Commission to complete its work. Obstacles remain however, including obtaining what the Commission has determined an essential component of the job they were tasked to fulfill - the full and detailed testimony of President Bush, VP Cheney and other key administration personnel.
Amazon Now Delivers Product Info Via RSS Feeds
Amazon.com Syndicated Content now provides users with the option of receiving product updates in hundreds of categories on "the top 10 bestsellers in that category," via RSS feeds.
Using Biometrics to Combat ID Theft
Treasury notice from the March 2 Federal Register:
Public Comment on Formulating and Conducting a Study on the Use of Biometrics and Other Similar Technologies to Combat Identity Theft
For reference, see the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act).
House Passes Copyright Royalty Act
On March 3, the House passed the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 (H.R. 1417):
From the Washington Post, via BizReport, the act "would authorize a judge appointed by the Librarian of Congress to hear royalty disputes, eliminating a system that webcasters say excludes them from the process of determining the amount of money they pay to musicians, songwriters and record companies for broadcasting their music."
With New Acquisition, Ask Jeeves Raises Stakes in Search Engine Competition
Ask Jeeves today announced the purchase, for $150 million in cash in addition to stock, of Interactive Search Holdings, owner of "Web properties and businesses [that] include My Way, My Search, My Web Search, iWon, Excite and the MaxOnline advertising network." [thanks Donna]
For background, see this Information Week article and Smartmoney.com's financial analysis of the deal.
Children's Listbroker Privacy Act
On March 3, Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) introduced the Children's Listbroker Privacy Act to ban the oline distribution and sale of personal data on minors.
"Commercial list brokers routinely advertise and sell detailed information on children, including names, addresses, ages, and other data, for use in marketing. This data is commonly available on children as young as two years old, enabling marketers to target specific demographics such as junior high school, elementary school, or even preschool." [
Link]
Catalog of FDA Approved Drug Products
From the Food and Drug Administraton, Drugs@FDA is a "Catalog of FDA Approved Drug Products; Approved and tentatively approved prescription, over-the-counter, and discontinued drugs; Drug approval letters, labels, and review packages. (updated daily)
Searchable by Drug Name or Active Ingredient, or Browse by Drug Name.
NY Court Rules Against Sale of DVD Decrypting Software
Paramount Pictures, Corp. and Twentieth Century Fox Films, Corp. v. 321 Studios (March 3, 2004):
"A federal judge in New York rules that manufacturing and distributing software for sale that can decode the content scramble system used to encrypt DVDs violates the anti-trafficking provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act." [FindLaw]
Statement of Robert Moore, President and Founder of 321 Studios, in response to preliminary injunction from New York court.
March 03, 2004
Commentary on Eldred v. Ashcroft
How I Lost the Big One
"In this article adapted from his upcoming book, Eldred v. Ashcroft lead counsel Larry Lessig explains how the decision how to argue Eldred was made, and what he believes went wrong." [Link from The Eldred Act]
Database Protection Bill Moves Forward in Congress
See Hands Off! That Fact Is Mine and Weaker database bill gets House committee vote.
See other postings on H.R. 3261, the Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act (DCIMA).
See also the Consumer Access to Information Act of 2004, HR 3872.
From Wired, Hands Off! That Fact Is Mine
Challenges to Finding Credible Health Info on the Web
Press release: "Today URAC and Consumer WebWatch (CWW), a project of Consumers Union, released a report that finds problems with access to credible health information on the Internet and makes expert recommendations for improving access to health information for consumers."
Setting the Public Agenda for Online Health Search, A White Paper and Action Agenda (pdf, 24 pages)
March 02, 2004
New GAO Report Critical of USDA IT Security
Information Security: Further Efforts Needed to Address Serious Weaknesses at USDA. GAO-04-154, January 30. Highlights.
Yahoo Introduces New Program to Mine Deep Web
From the Yahoo press release issued today:
"YAHOO! Search launches new content acquisition program providing more relevant, comprehensive online content for users. Includes telationships with NPR, The New York Public Library,...Wikipedia, a free, multilingual online encyclopedia with articles in more than 50 languages; and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL), the National Science Foundation's online library, with more than 250 collections that improve the way Americans learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics....and...Northwestern University's online OYEZ project [which] contains more than 2,000 hours of Supreme Court audio, including all audio recorded since 1995."
Supreme Ct. Heard Oral Arguments Today on Child Online Protection Act
This Washington Post (reg. req'd) article reviews today's arguments in Ashcroft v. ACLU, No. 03-218.
Child Online Protection Act (original statute); amended statute.
Brief for Petitioner
Brief for Respondents
Will Search Engine Consolidation Herald An End to AltaVista and AllTheWeb?
According to this Pandia article (via Search Engine Guide):
"...we have to announce that the AltaVista and AlltheWeb search engines are going to die. In the near future Yahoo! will replace these unique search engines with data from the new Yahoo! search engine."
Memory Hole Posts 9/11 Audio and Transcripts
audio: Betty Ong's Call from 9/11 Flight 11
"Played at the 9/11 hearings, this is a 4-1/2 minute segment of a flight attendant's call from Flight 11 to an operations specialist." [Link]
9/11 Transcripts and Police Reports
"The Memory Hole has obtained 9/11 documents previously withheld by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. These transcripts of phone calls and radio transmissions, and copies of police reports, were finally released under a federal order resulting from a lawsuit brought by the New York Times. The Times originally sought the actual recordings but eventually settled for transcripts." [Link]
March 01, 2004
9/11 Commission Finally Obtains Extension
Hastert u-turns on Commission:
"Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has dropped his opposition to a 60-day extension requested by a national commission to write a report analyzing the causes of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [the new deadline is July 26, 2004]
Response by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission
Bush to Limit Testimony Before 9/11 Panel
New Report on Copyright Law and Business Innovation
From the Committee for Economic Development:
"Promoting Innovation and Economic Growth: The Special Problem of Digital Intellectual Property, a new CED policy statement is now available. The statement includes an overview of copyright law and business innovation, as well as recommendations for overcoming the challenges inherent in digital media. Developing and testing new business models is a central recommendation set forth by the CED statement."
Press Release; Summary; Full Report (pdf, 101 pages)
From today's New York Times, Report Raises Questions About Fighting Online Piracy
FDA Launches New Website on Heart Health
Welcome to FDA's Heart Health Online:
"This new web site gives you reliable information about the products used to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiovascular disease. It includes full descriptions and patient instructions for many medications, medical devices, and diagnostic tests for cardiovascular disease."
Survey on Internet as Publishing Tool Indicates Content Refreshed Occasionally
From the Pew Internet and Life Project: Content Creation Online: 44% of U.S. Internet users have contributed their thoughts and their files to the online world:
"44% of Internet users have created content for the online world through building or posting to Web sites, creating blogs, and sharing files."
Download the full-text of the report (16 pages, pdf) here.
More Concerns About Security of E-Voting Machines
Electronic Vote Faces Big Test of Its Security:
"Millions of voters in 10 states will cast ballots on Tuesday in the single biggest test so far of new touchscreen voting machines that have been billed as one of the best answers to the Florida election debacle of 2000. But many computer security experts worry that the machines could allow democracy to be hacked."
For reference, see my other posting on e-voting.
Democratic Cmte. Releases Report on Homeland Security Gaps and Remedies
Prepared by the Democratic Members of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security, February 2004:
"America at Risk: Closing the Security Gap acknowledges that although the United States is safer than it was before September 11, significant security gaps remain. This 135-page report released on the first anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security identifies shortcomings in our homeland security efforts and recommends specific actions to ensure America is as safe as it can be from terrorist attack."
Full Report; Report Cover; Member and Staff List; Dedication; Table of Contents; Executive Summary; Introduction.
Impact of E-Mail Security Issues on Gov't, Corporations and Home Users
House Government Reform Hearing: You've Got Mail - But is it Secure? An Examination of Internet Vulnerabilities Affecting Businesses, Governments and Homes. October 16, 2003. Serial No. 108-95. GPO Stock No. 552-070-30848-2.
Text; PDF (96 pages)