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Press release, June 8, 2005: “Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) today introduced the Patent Reform Act of 2005 (63 pages, PDF), legislation to improve the quality of patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and to reform certain patent practices that disrupt the operations of high−tech companies and other businesses. The bill in its …
The 9/11 Public Discourse Project released the Transcript of June 6th Panel Assessing Progress Of CIA And FBI Reform (43 pages, PDF) Featuring: Jamie Gorelick, Richard Thornburgh, John Gannon, Chitra Ragavan. The title is The 9/11 Commission Report: The Unfinished Agenda, Session 1, CIA and FBI Reform. Related news: From Newsweek today, ‘The Threat Is …
Press release, June 7, 2005, Cornyn, Leahy Call For Greater TransparencyIn Congressional FOIA Exemption Attempts -Congress should not establish new secrecy provisions through secret means: “U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday to ensure greater openness in the legislative process. The bill creates additional legislative transparency by requiring that …
Two articles worth reading on state and federal efforts to regulate data brokers in response to the continuing cascade of system breaches, thefts, loss of tapes/drives, and leaks resulting in the release of sensitive personal data: from the Washington Post (reg. req’d), States Keep Watchful Eye on Personal-Data Firms, and from PC World, Policing Information …
CRS Report, Internet: An Overview of Key Technology Policy Issues Affecting Its Use and Growth, April 13, 2005 (47 pages, PDF). [via FAS]
The Proposal to Reauthorize and Expand Parts of the USA PATRIOT Act: Why It’s Unnecessary and, In Some Respects, Dangerous, By Anita Ramastry. Patriot Act Extension Debated at Closed Congressional Meeting American Civil Liberties Union Testimony at an Oversight Hearing on the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001: Section 505 (National Security Letters) and Section 804 …
From today’s LA Times (reg. req’d), Federal ID Act May Be Flawed – The new law could actually increase the risk of a person’s identity being stolen, critics say. Commentary on Ramifications of REAL ID Act From the National Conference of State Legislatures, this table summarizes the act’s driver’s license title
Press release, May 24, 2005: Miller, Schakowsky Launch Unprecedented E-Hearing on United Airlines Pension Plans – Online Hearing is Believed to Be First of Its Kind; Witnesses Invited to Provide Testimony Via Email “Representatives George Miller (D-CA) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) launched an online hearing today which they believed to be the first-ever e-hearing …
Antispyware legislation redux: HR 29 and HR 744 were passed yesterday with only one and four dissenting votes respectively. House Approves Bono Bill to Lock Out Internet’s Spying Eyes Goodlatte Legislation to Combat Spyware Passes House
Statement of Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Director, Congressional Budget Office: The Individual Alternative Minimum Tax, before the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight Committee on Finance, United States Senate, May 23, 2005 (15 pages, PDF): “The number of taxpayers who are affected by the AMT and the revenues that are collected as a result of it have …
“On Thursday, May 26, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence will consider in closed session a draft bill that would both renew and expand various USA PATRIOT Act powers. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has obtained a copy of the draft bill, along with the committee’s summary of it..” [Link] Draft of new PATRIOT Act …
The Internet Spyware Prevention Act of 2005 (I-SPY) Prevention Act of 2005 was approved yesterday by the House Judiciary Committee.
