Penn State President Graham Spanier has assumed a high-profile role in attempting to broker an agreement in the escalating battle over student use of networked file sharing applications and the increasingly aggressive entertainment industry response to pursue, identify and punish individuals who they believe are engaged in digital piracy. Mr. Spainer has apparently suggested that the issue could be mitigated by the payment of a yearly downloading fee to the recording industry.
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Daily Archives: May 16, 2003
Resources on Search Engine Terms
From Microdac News, several recommendations for directories and glossaries of search engine terms, including Search Engine Directory (free) and the Search Engine Yearbook ($$). Continue Reading
Survey on Consumer Use of Web and E-Mail for Health Info
From the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), this new survey (abstract only available free), Use of the Internet and E-mail for Health Care Information concludes that “Although many people use the Internet for health information, use is not as common as is sometimes reported.” Continue Reading
Hearing on P2P File Sharing and Privacy Issues
On May 15, the Committee on Government Reform held a hearing titled “Overexposed: The Threats to Privacy and Security on File Sharing Networks.” Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) Associate Director Alan Davidson’s testimony presented a two-pronged position – privacy and digital rights: “A broad public education effort and better software practices are needed in… Continue Reading
KM in a Large Metro Area Library Consortium
From this month’s InfoToday 2003, a pdf handout, “Knowledge Management at the Library,” from the Northern Suburban Library System, a “consortium of over 650 academic, public, school, and special libraries” in Illinois. Continue Reading
Report on Extensive UK Data Collection Program
From Privacy International’s Know Your Data Campaign: “Many of the companies that supply Britains communications services the landline services, cable companies, mobile operators and Internet Service Providers are accumulating a vast amount of personal information about their customers. This “communications data”, which is currently stored for up to seven years, may relate to… Continue Reading
USPTO and Accessibility Compliance
“The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the first federal agency to fully comply with the provisions of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, requiring that all federal agencies’ electronic information is accessible to people with disabilities and is comparable to the information and access provided… Continue Reading
Multiple Lawsuits on DVD Copying Software
U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston, Northern District of California, in a hearing of 321 Studios v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (C-02-1955.e), is reported to be substantially persuaded in favor of copyright holders as she considers whether it is fair use for consumers to continue to purchase and use a $50 (after rebate) DVD duplication software application… Continue Reading
