Saturday, October 05, 2002

Copywrong: Why the Digital Millennium Copyright Act hurts the public interest, by Mike Godwin (a review of Digital Copyright: Protecting Intellectual Property on the Internet, by Jessica Litman), in Reason. 10:40:16 PM    comment []

Lofgren Vows To Protect Consumers In The Fight Over Digital Rights Management (“Digital Choice and Freedom Act of 2002" press release). Specifically, the proposed legislation will: Allow lawful consumers to make backup copies and display digital works on preferred digital media devices. Protect lawful consumers by prohibiting shrink-wrap licenses that limit their rights and expectations. Clarify that lawful consumers can sell or give away their copies of digital works, just like they can with traditional hard media. Protect lawful consumers by permitting them to bypass technical measures that impede their rights and expectations. Provide flexibility for content owners to develop new and innovative ways to protect their content and enable lawful uses. For example, Lofgren’s bill will allow consumers to make copies of purchased digital media for use in their car, computer or mobile device. Compare and contrast, if you will, the The Consumer Technology Bill of Rights (commentary deleted): 1. Users have the right to "time-shift" content that they have legally acquired. 2. Users have the right to "space-shift" content that they have legally acquired. 3. Users have the right to make backup copies of their content. 4. Users have the right to use legally acquired content on the platform of their choice. 5. Users have the right to translate legally acquired content into comparable formats. 6. Users have the right to use technology in order to achieve the rights previously mentioned. Not bad. Not bad. But let's see what happens . . . 4:39:18 PM    comment []

Brian has discovered that Salon readers read! :) (See also for further context.) 2:39:42 PM    comment []

How did the events of Sept. 11 affect our notions of God, of evil, and of the potential for darkness within religion itself? Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero (PBS Frontline). 2:39:41 PM    comment []

Information for Sale: My Experience With Google Answers, by Jessamyn West, Proprietor, librarian.net. 2:39:39 PM    comment []

Internet Users Not Bound by Hidden License Agreements, report of a 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling by Mark Hamblett, New York Law Journal (at law.com). [W]here consumers are urged to download free software at the immediate click of a button, a reference to the existence of license terms on a submerged screen is not sufficient to place consumers on inquiry or constructive notice of those terms, 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor said in Specht v. Netscape Communications Corp., 01-7860. 2:39:35 PM    comment []

United Nations Security Council Resolutions Currently Being Violated by Countries Other than Iraq, by Stephen Zunes, Middle East Editor for Foreign Policy in Focus. 11:22:10 AM    comment []

Not cannery yet, but soon to be . . . Lynda Barry's new comic, Boomeranged. [Salon.com] 7:29:46 AM    comment []

World's greatest computer hacker [Christian Science Monitor] 7:24:55 AM    comment []

CFP2003: The Thirteenth Conference on Computers, Freedom & Privacy Freedom to Move, Think and Speak! New York, NY April 1-4, 2003 CALL FOR PROPOSALS http://www.cfp2003.org/submissions/ (Info about CFP2003 may be had at http://www.cfp2003.org/ and info about the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conferences may be found at http://www.cfp.org/ ) 7:21:33 AM    comment []