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Monthly Archives: October 2002

Impediments to Digital Rights Controls

An interesting interview with Jeffrey Hunker, dean of the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University that focuses on what is at stake in the battle over digital rights management from the perspective of consumers and industry. Privacy, security, and revenue are key factors. Continue Reading

State Impediments to E-Commerce

Testimony by the FTC before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 26 is here, and the agency’s follow-up workshop, Possible Anticompetitive Efforts to Restrict Competition on the Internet, held October 8-10, provides additional documentation. Continue Reading

Lifting of Copyright Restrictions for Distance Learning

The Senate and the House have approved DOJ spending via The 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act that now awaits the President’s signature. Bundled into this authorization is a revision to Section 110(2) of the U.S. Copyright Act, called the Educational Use Copyright Exemption. The title of the Senate version is “Technology, Education… Continue Reading

Online Property Records Controversy

Some government officialsin Waukesha County, Wisconsin are re-evaluating their decision to provide online access to property records via their website . The privacy and safety of homeowners are at issue, but others argue that restricting this information amounts to censorship and a violation of the state’s open records law. Continue Reading

Colleges and Universities Discourage File Sharing

Students are taxing the capacity of high speed Internet connections provided by their colleges and universities through unrestricted downloading, without appropriate permissions or fees, of audio, video and text files. The ubiquitous RIAA has informed college presidents about the “theft of copyrighted works that is plaguing college campuses.” The associations representing college and university presidents… Continue Reading