From a June 25 Recording Industry Association of America press release: “Starting tomorrow, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) will begin gathering evidence and preparing lawsuits against individual computer users who are illegally offering to “share” substantial amounts of copyrighted music over peer-to-peer networks….The RIAA expects to use the data it collects as the basis for filing what could ultimately be thousands of lawsuits charging individual peer-to-peer music distributors with copyright infringement. The first round of suits could take place as early as mid-August.”
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Daily Archives: June 25, 2003
Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Website Publishers In Libel Case
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (“The nation’s largest — and most controversial — appeals court…”) ruled in favor of website publishers in Batzel v. Cremers (41 page pdf), stating that “providers and users of interactive computer services…..are immune from liability for defamatory or obscene speech…when the material is provided by someone else.” See the… Continue Reading
FTC’s Efforts to Combat ID Theft
FTC Outlines Steps to Assist Identity Theft Victims. Prepared Statement of the Federal Trade Commission on Identity Theft: Prevention and Victim Assistance, Presented by J. Howard Beales, III, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Before the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee, United States House of Representatives, June 24, 2003. Continue Reading
American Library Assoc. Wants More Info On Net Filters
From this AP article: “The nation’s librarians, set back by a Supreme Court ruling upholding requirements for Internet filters to block p*****graphy, plan to step up pressure on software vendors to disclose more about how their products work.” Related articles worth a look: Questions and Answers on Web Filtering and this EFF webpage on Examples… Continue Reading
Wyden Pursues TIA Investigation
According to Declan McCullagh’s News.com article, Sen. Ron Wyden continues to shine a spotlight on the Pentagon’s TIA surveillance program as he relentlessly pursues the answers to specific questions regarding “the project’s scope, its implications for privacy and civil liberties, and which private-sector and government databases would be linked into the system.” Sen. Wyden’s June… Continue Reading
New Policy Report on Online Privacy
New Annenberg Report Examines Americans Understanding of Online Privacy – “Do Americans understand the purpose on internet privacy policies? Do they know how websites use information about them? Do they trust government to protect their personal information?” Press release The report, 37 pages in pdf, Americans and Online Privacy, The System is Broken, A Report… Continue Reading
Florida Privacy Suits On Personal Data Collection
Major Information Brokers Face Class Action for Invasion of Privacy. Class actions lawsuits filed May 30, 2003 in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida W. Palm Beach. docket in 03-CV-80490, Levine v. ChoicePoint, Inc. et al docket in 03-CV-80491, Levine v. Reed Elsevier, Inc. Docket sheets courtesy of CourtExpress.com Continue Reading
