From the Reed Elsevier press release: Reed Elsevier Group plc today announced that its global legal division, LexisNexis, has entered into a definitive agreement to buy the public records business of Dolan Media Company. Dolan Media is a leading provider of US electronic public records information, including bankruptcies, civil judgements, federal and state tax liens… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: June 2003
FISA and the Patriot Act
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Before and After the USA PATRIOT Act, from the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, June 2003 (via Secrecy News). “…care must be taken to ensure that the new tools provided by Congress in the USA PATRIOT Act are employed within the constraints of the Constitution. The Supreme Court has said “the police… Continue Reading
Cook County Circuit Court Implements Major Tech Improvements
The Circuit Court of Cook County (IL) has migrated from an antiquated information system that “ran all of its operations on a 1980’s era mainframe, did not use e-mail or voicemail and provided only limited public Internet access,” to a new, networked IT infrastructure that will manage the court’s “2 million cases a year.” Continue Reading
Chicago Bar Association Announces New Portal
The Chicago Bar Association (CBA) launched a new portal that provides a member customizable homepage, access to case law resources, legal news, court forms, bar committee announcements, and more. Continue Reading
AlltheWeb Vs. Google – Is there really a contest?
AllTheWeb Now A Better Search Experience Than Google. Includes a summary of features tested. Continue Reading
Introduction of Public Domain Enhancement Act
Reps. Lofgren and Doolittle Announce the Public Domain Enhancement Act to Address the Need for Copyright Reform. From the press release of June 25: Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose, CA) and Rep. John Doolittle (R-Rocklin, CA) introduced the Public Domain Enhancement Act, addressing the need to reform copyright laws identified in the recent Supreme Court… Continue Reading
RIAA Prepares for Extensive Legal Action Against File Sharers
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… Continue Reading
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
