Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced yesterday that the Senate Commerce Committee approved an amendment that would put into place Congressional oversight of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) controversial Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II). The CAPPS II system is at the center of a contentious battle between advocates of the privacy and civil liberties… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: March 2003
Marked Increase in Use of Search Engines
According to a survey of global Internet usage and search engine referrals by WebSideStory, Inc., web users are increasingly likely to go directly to sites from which they seek specific information, rather than to rely on secondary links. In addition, “…search engines apparently are becoming the card catalog to the Web,” with usage showing significant… Continue Reading
ABA Approved Guidelines for Legal Website Providers
From the ABA’s elawyering webzine, Best Practice Guidelines for Legal Information Web Site Providers. The guidelines were approved by the House of Delegate and updated on March 11. Continue Reading
March 16 is Freedom of Information Day
From the American Library Association: “On Freedom of Information Day, March 16, the American Library Association urges libraries and librarians across America to join in celebrating the public’s “right to know” by sponsoring activities to educate their communities about the importance of promoting and protecting freedom of information.” Continue Reading
Nebraska State Law Library Targeted for Closure
As reported by the Omaha-World Herald, the Nebraska State Law Library is in jeopardy of losing its funding due to budget cutbacks, although the library has the support of the Supreme Court judges. Continue Reading
Erosion of Civil Liberties Post 9/11
From the Lawyer’s Committee on Human Rights, a new report, Imbalance of Powers, How Changes to U.S. Law and Policy since 9/11 Erode Human Rights and Civil Liberties (PDF), focuses on the following areas: (1) Open Government; (2) Right to Privacy; (3) Treatment of Immigrants, Refugees and Minorities; and (4) Security Detainees and the Criminal… Continue Reading
GAO Report on OMB's E-Gov Initiatives
Electronic Government: Success of the Office of Management and Budget’s 25 Initiatives Depends on Effective Management and Oversight, by Joel C. Willemssen, managing director, information technology, before the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, and the Census, House Committee on Government Reform. GAO-03-495T, March 13. The report Highlights are here. From CIO Magazine’s March… Continue Reading
Cybercrime, File Sharing and College Students
On March 13, the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property held an Oversight Hearing on “International Copyright Piracy: Links to Organized Crime and Terrorism” Links are as follows to the:Witness List, John Malcolm, Rich LaMagna, Joan Borsten Vidov, Jack Valenti. Although not a focus of the hearing, campus-wide file sharing was mentioned. See… Continue Reading
Kansas Considers Library Net Filters
The Kansas House Committee on Federal and State Affairs is considering HB 2420, requiring the installation of Internet filters on all public library computers accessible to those under the age of 18. According to this letter to the committee from the state’s budget director, the yearly cost “would be approximately $573,750 to purchase filtering devices… Continue Reading
Sen. Leahy Introduces New FOIA Legislation
On March 12, Senator Patrick Leahy(D-VT), joined by Senators Levin (D-MI), Jeffords (I-VT), Lieberman (D-CT) and Byrd (D-WV), introduced new legislation, S. 609, the Restoration of Freedom of Information Act (“Restore FOIA”). See Leahy’s statement here. See Levin’s statement here. See also this Letter to Senate leaders on the Restoration of Freedom of Information Act… Continue Reading
Legal Protection of Digital Information
Professor of Computer Science Lee A. Hollaar has made available, at no fee, virtually the entire text of his treatise, Legal Protection of Digital Information, published by BNA. The Table of Contents provides direct links to each chapter and respective sections therein, which include the following topics: Copyright Overview, Software, Copyright, Digital Copyright, Patent Overview… Continue Reading
Blog for College and University Attorneys
Check-out UnivAtty, a new blog launched this month by attorney Chris Holmes, of the Office of General Counsel at Baylor University, in Waco, Texas. The postings so far are on topics such as copyright, licensing, DMCA and file sharing. Continue Reading
