European Parliament News: “New EU data protection rules [EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”)] which aim to give citizens back control of their personal data and create a high, uniform level of data protection across the EU fit for the digital era was given their final approval by MEPs on Thursday. The reform also sets… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Digital Rights
Sci-Hub, BookFi and LibGen defy court order and move to Dark Web
Via Torrent Freak: “A few days ago several large online repositories of free books and academic articles were pulled offline. Sci-Hub, BookFi and LibGen had their domain names taken away after Elsevier beat them in court. However, the site’s operators are not planning to cease their activities and are continuing their operations through alternative domains… Continue Reading
Prominent Authors Join Amicus Brief in Google Book Scanning Case
Via FindLaw via WSJ Law Blog – “Several famous authors filed a brief with the Supreme Court, asking it to hear a lawsuit over Google digital book library. Malcolm Gladwell, Margaret Atwood, Yann Martel, Steven Sondheim and others lent their names to the brief, contending Google is guilty of “massive copyright infringement…One of the writers’… Continue Reading
JSTOR Sustainability Beta
“JSTOR Sustainability is a digital library of academic research covering issues of environmental stress and its challenges for human society…We are currently testing the JSTOR Sustainability beta site with researchers and instructors in advance of launching it next year. We invite you to learn more about JSTOR Sustainability and participate in our beta testing to… Continue Reading
Harvard’s Groundbreaking Project Documenting Online Content Removals Changes Name to Lumen
News release: “Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society is pleased to announce exciting changes to our pioneering Chilling Effects project, including an expanded mission and a new set of international research partnerships. To better reflect this evolution in scope as well as the changes in the landscape over the fourteen years since it… Continue Reading
Library of Congress 2015 DMCA 1201 Rules
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS U.S. Copyright Office 37 CFR Part 201 [Docket No. 2014-07] Exemption to Prohibition on Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems for Access Control Technologies. AGENCY: U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. ACTION: Final rule. “In this final rule, the Librarian of Congress adopts exemptions to the provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act… Continue Reading
European Court of Justice
Decision of Europe’s top court on the validity of data transfer regime between the EU and US Continue Reading
EFF – Europe Blocks Progress for Libraries and Educators at WIPO
EFF – “Last week negotiators from around the world came together as the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) standing committee on copyright (SCCR) resumed consideration of its two current work items: the on-again, off-again broadcasters’ rights treaty, and the harmonization of minimum copyright limitations and exceptions for libraries, archives, and education. EFF has opposed the… Continue Reading
Report – Who Has Your Digital Back?
Who Has Your Back? 2015: Protecting Your Data From Government Requests. July 2, 2015 | By Parker Higgins: “We live digital lives—from the videos shared on social networks, to location-aware apps on mobile phones, to log-in data for connecting to our email, to our stored documents, to our search history. The personal, the profound, and… Continue Reading
Robots, Pirates, and the Rise of the Automated Takedown Regime
Carpou, Zoe, Robots, Pirates, and the Rise of the Automated Takedown Regime (April 6, 2015). Available for download at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2591187 “The notice-and-takedown provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act has become increasingly controversial, particularly with the ever-increasing use of “robo-takedown” requests — an automated procedure by which a copyright holder locates allegedly infringing content… Continue Reading
Boing Boing’s Doctorow leads campaign to ban digital locks on ebooks, music
James Bridle – UK Guardian: “In my last column I wrote about Tesco’s graceful exit from the ebook business, offloading its customers – and their precious libraries – to Kobo. While applauding the commitment to preserving customers’ purchases, it remains a shame that this sort of transfer is even necessary. Storing books – or anything… Continue Reading
EFF – Automakers Say You Don’t Really Own Your Car
News release: “EFF is fighting for vehicle owners’ rights to inspect the code that runs their vehicles and to repair and modify their vehicles, or have a mechanic of their choice do the work. At the moment, the anti-circumvention prohibition in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act arguably restricts vehicle inspection, repair, and modification. If EFF… Continue Reading
