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
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Monthly Archives: June 2003
Anti-Spam Crusade Unites Generally Divided Groups
Congress Finds Rare Unity in Spam, to a Point. Promises abound that this will be the year when Congress enacts anti-spam legislation, as bi-partisan support, consumer demand and corporate frustration have reached a crescendo. See my related postings on current legislation here and here, and this June 20 article, Senate Once Again Backs Stringent Penalties… Continue Reading
A Review of Internet Copyright Issues
From today’s Washington Post, Overview: Short History of Copyright in the Digital Age, Internet Sparks a Copyright Fire. From the battles between the entertainment industry, “fair use rights” advocates, consumers and copyright holders, this article touches on the complex, high-stake issues, legislative initiatives and key players making news in this arena. Continue Reading
“Clustering” Search Engine Worth a Review
Vivisimo, co-winner of the 2002 Search Engine Watch award for Best Meta Search Engine, is featured in this new article, CMU (Carnegie Mellon) trio develops Internet search tool that sorts results in helpful clusters. (via Search Engine News). For more information, see the company’s Clustering Engine webpage. Continue Reading
New Net Filtering Study Released
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Online Policy Group (OPG) yesterday announced the release of their joint report, Internet Blocking in Public Schools, A Study on Internet Access in Educational Institutions. “The study found that blocking software overblocked state-mandated curriculum topics extensively — for every web page correctly blocked as advertised, one or more… Continue Reading
Microsoft and Privacy Initiative
Microsoft’s press release: Microsoft Hires Peter Cullen as Chief Privacy Strategist – Internationally Recognized Privacy Industry Leader Brings Extensive Consumer Protection Experience to Microsoft. See also Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft White Paper, October 2002, and One year on, is Microsoft ‘trustworthy’? Continue Reading
Decision on FEC and First Amendment
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a ruling on June 20 in AFL-CIO v. FEC, terminating the Commission’s “public release of all investigatory files not exempted from the Freedom of Information Act.” See this article for more information – Appeals court blocks FEC from documents release. Continue Reading
New International Law Database
Announcement from Jill McC. Watson, The American Society of International Law: The Electronic Information System for International Law (EISIL) database is a collaborative project created by The American Society of International Law with the support of the Mellon Foundation…you can browse through outlines of each subject category. They contain links to primary documents, recommended web… Continue Reading
Philly’s High-Tech Court
Philadelphia’s High-Tech Courtroom: “Courtroom 625, the pride and joy of the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, is equipped with everything the savvy trial attorney could need to present a state-of-the-art, multimedia case to a judge and jury. A video presentation system with plasma screen monitors, document cameras, a DVD and a videotape player, computer connections, and… Continue Reading
Ashcroft Asserts Clarification on Patriot Act
American Libraries Online has an interesting article on AG Ashcroft’s June 19 presentation at the Aspen Institute Journalism and Homeland Security conference. Ashcroft is quoted as stating the following: “The Patriot Act simply does not allow federal law enforcement free or unfettered access to local libraries, bookstores, or other businesses…We need the help of the… Continue Reading
New Book on History of the Library
Library: An Unquiet History, by Matthew Battles. See the review in Newsday: “The charm of Battles’ book lies in its historical sweep and its appreciation for the browser’s delight. Cicero to Swift, Bacon to Borges – this is a book full of breezy learnedness. An earnest and passionate bibliophile, Battles traces the varied forms of… Continue Reading
Public Interest Registry to Manage Dot-Org
“Public Interest Registry (PIR) is a not-for-profit corporation created to manage the .ORG registry. PIR looks forward to serving the .ORG community by providing superior technology; new services designed for noncommercial registrants; and responsive, responsible stewardship. PIR has established its new .ORG Advisory Council. The council will focus on .ORG policy, outreach, and service issues.” Continue Reading
