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Daily Archives: August 4, 2003

EPA Held In Contempt for Destroying E-Docs

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth last week held the Environmental Protection Agency in contempt for destroying electronic documents in violation of a court order issued as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request. [Link]

  • Landmark Legal Foundation v. EPA, Civil Action No. 00-2338, Opinions issued July 24, 2003 by Judge Royce C. Lamberth, Memorandum Opinion & Order (Contempt); Memorandum Opinion & Order (Summary Judgment)
  • Bad News on ID Theft

    ID Theft Continues to Increase: “The number of Americans who fell victim to identity theft in 2002 grew 81 percent over the year before. And incidents reported so far in 2003 suggest a major rise over last year…More than 13 million Americans have fallen victim to identity theft or fraud since January 2001,” according to… Continue Reading

    9-11 Memorial Intelligence Reform Act

    On July 31, Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL) introduced the 9-11 Memorial Intelligence Reform Act, “aimed at overhauling the Intelligence Community to prevent another successful terrorist attack like the tragedy of September 11, 2001.” “Graham said a top priority is the creation of a Cabinet-level Director of National Intelligence, who would be appointed by the President… Continue Reading

    Major Archive of TV News Programs Going Digital

    “The Vanderbilt Television News Archive, the world’s most comprehensive collection of television network news programs, marks its 35th anniversary this week by going digital.” [Link] “Since Aug. 5, 1968, archivists at Vanderbilt University have preserved on videotape and indexed nearly 40,000 hours of network news just as they aired on television sets throughout the nation….the… Continue Reading

    Non-Profit Fights Spam

    The Inbox Defense Task Force is “a non-profit legal research organization dedicated to tracking down the true identities of spammers.” The organization lists the following goals on its website: Find the Spammers; Create Courtroom-Quality Documentation; Enable Prosecution and Private Legal Action. A lengthy review of this organization’s work, by Keith H. Hammonds, a Fast Company… Continue Reading

    ACLU Report on Patriot Act

    Unpatriotic Acts: The FBI’s Power to Rifle Through Your Records and Personal Belongings Without Telling You, July 2003, from the ACLU. The focus of this 26 page report (pdf) is an examination of, along with related resources and legal documents on, Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, “which gives the FBI unprecedented access to… Continue Reading

    What is the Liability of ISPs?

    Defamation Immunity On The Internet, by John W. Dean: “Recently, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unwisely held, in Batzel v. Cremers, that a federal statute immunizes certain statements on the Internet from defamation liability. But Judge Ronald M. Gould dissented, urging a closer look at the consequences of the ruling.” Continue Reading