ICANN Gets To Keep Its Job
The Department of Commerce has extended its Memorandum of Understanding with ICANN through September 2003. ICANN manages the .com domain, as well as seven other domains (including .name, .museum, .biz and “.info).
Author archives
Rights Groups File Brief With Secret Appeals Court
Surveillance, privacy, a secret court, the Constitution and the fight against terrorism are all elements in a public debate in which the legal ramifications of 9-11 continue to impact the lives of Americans. Civil liberties groups including the ACLU, EPIC and the Center for Democracy and Technology, filed an amicus brief on September 19 with …
Who's Watching You on the Web?
Bay Total Service Provider (BayTSP does not support a functioning web site. So why should you care about this company? Perhaps because they may well indeed know alot about your Web usage. BayTSP is a heavy-weight contractor whose lucrative services involve enforcement of the Digital Millennium Act on behalf of private corporations as well as …
GAO Report on E-Government
Federal government agencies are increasingly leveraging the Internet to disseminate information, communicate with citizens, and provide services that range from the online preparation and filing of tax forms to the preservation of digital archives of public documents. This new GAO report addresses key e-gov issues including user privacy, data security, the expansion of useful services, …
Free Database of Congressional Data
This site, Congress Merge, allows you to quickly and easily access information on your elected representatives from one convenient location. Simply click on the name of your state via a text link or a state map, and obtain bios, web sites, contact info (phone, fax, snail and email addresses), maps and directions to offices of …
Webcasters and Royalty Fees
On October 20, new royalty fees on webcast music will take effect. These fees were determined by the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel. The final rule and order from the Copyright Office were published in the Federal Register on July 8, 2002. Details concerning the rates were published in Appendix A and establish a performance fee, …
The RIAA Battles Verizon Over Customer Data
Unlikely adversaries, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Verizon Internet Services Inc. are tangled in a controversy over alleged music piracy. The RIAA is seeking to enforce a subpoena issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to ascertain the identity of a Verizon customer has allegedly committed copyright infringement …
GAO Releases New Report on the Operation of the USPTO
Today the GAO released the following report: Intellectual Property: Information on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Past and Future Operations. GAO-02-907, published August 23, 2002. Revenues, already booming for this agency, will be even higher as their proposed Strategic Plan calls for an increase in overall fees of 51% for large entities, and 67% …
Debate in Airline Passenger Database Intensifies As Release Nears
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency that was created in the wake of 9-11 (Public Law 107-71), to quote President Bush, to “give all Americans greater confidence when they fly.” On July 19, 2002 there was a hearing on the status of the work of this agency, and among the topics discussed were …
Proposal and Guidelines For The Domain For Children
NeuStar Inc. was chosen as the manager of the new Congressionally mandated (S. 2537) .kids.us domain, and has been embroiled in a dispute with the government ever since over the company’s quest to include e-commerce/revenue generating applications on the site. NeuStar recently released a report seeking public comment on content “guidelines and requirements” for the …
Corporate Web Sites Lag Behind in Attention to Web Site Privacy and Accessbility
A recent Watchfire survey indicates that the use and administration of privacy policies on corporate sites is a requirement, not an option. This press release by Watchfire’s President and COO is a focuses on legislative compliance and industry best practices.
Advocacy Groups Lobby Against Internet Filters
Advocacy groups are lobbying for the repeal of CIPA’s (The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000) web filtering requirements for public libraries that receive federal funds. An ACLU press release and a preliminary research report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) argue that the use of such filters is ineffective in preventing access to harmful …
