Google’s Plans for Blogger
According to Dan Gillmor, “Google co-founder Sergey Brin said there were no plans to segregate weblog content from the main search engine results.”
More on the DARPA Surveillance Program
From AP: Pentagon readies massive spy system, “To thwart terrorists, the Pentagon is developing a computer surveillance system that would give U.S. agents fingertip access to government and commercial records from around the world that could fill the Library of Congress more than 50 times.”
Gov’t Surveillance Programs in Spotlight
Today’s Wall Street Journal article, Data Collection Is Up Sharply Following 9/11 (subscription req’d), documents examples of the rapid acceleration and increasing sophistication of text mining programs created by private contractors to populate huge, searchable database systems. Used on both a state and federal level, these systems, which are increasingly linked via network applications, are …
Colorado Super DMCA Bill Vetoed
The EFF reports that on May 21, Colorado Governor Bill Owens vetoed House Bill 1303, the so called Super DMCA legislation for which the Motion Picture Association provided the draft model language used in state legislatures throughout the country.
Digital Rights Management: For Better Or For Worse?
Mark Stamp provides a thorough, enlightening commentary on DRM, examining applications, value and the associated controversy on the topic as it impacts commercial and consumer users in the areas of privacy and copyright.
Oregon Net Filter Bill Controversy
The USA Today reported on the status of Oregon House Bill 3101 which would eliminate state funding for libraries that refuse to install net filters for public access use of the Internet. Apparently “legislative counsel said it (the bill) is unconstitutional,” placing at least a temporary hold on this legislative initiative.
Hearing on Spam
Today the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation held a hearing on Spam (Unsolicited Commercial E-Mail). “Description: Members will hear testimony relating to potential legislative, technical, and other approaches to curtailing unwanted spam. Senator McCain will preside.” The committee provides the full-text of available testimony via this main link. See also, Microsoft Proposes Law …
USPTO Releases Report on Protecting Ditigitzed Works
On May 20, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), submitted to Congress, as required by the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002, its report, Technological Protection Systems for Digitized Copyrighted Works (pdf).
House Cmte Action on Copyright Act (CARP)
On May 20, the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property conducted a markup of H.R. 1417, the “Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2003.” See also the following statements on CARP made before the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Committee on the Judiciary, April 1, 2003 Statement of Marybeth …
Access to Gov’t Documents After 9-11
Miriam Drake, Professor Emerita, Library, Georgia Institute of Technology has published part one of a two part article, Government Doublethink: Protection or Supression in Information, in which she reviews and addresses government efforts, through regulation and policy initiatives, to remove a range of documents from the public arena based on national security concerns.
FTC Testimony on Fair Credit Reporting Act
From the FTC press release: Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission on The Fair Credit Reporting Act, Presented by J. Howard Beales, III, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate: Text of Commission Testimony [PDF 64KB].
Judiciary Cmte Oversight on Patriot Act and Terrorism
From a May 20 Judiciary Committee news advisory: “House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) released the answers received last week from the Justice Department regarding the USA PATRIOT Act and the war on terrorism. Chairman Sensenbrenner and Rep. Conyers wrote Attorney General John Ashcroft on …