Once again Judge John D. Bates (United States District Court for the District of Columbia) has ruled (55 page pdf) that Verizon Internet Services must reveal, within fourteen days, the name of an anonymous customer accused of using a peer-to-peer file sharing application (KaZaA) to pirate copyrighted songs. The judge’s earlier ruling of January 21… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Digital Rights
Web Site Accessibility and Digital Rights
Joe Clark, author of Building Accessible Websites, published a white paper on Accessibility implications of digital rights management in which concludes, “Digital rights management, as currently designed, will harm people with disabilities and others who rely on accessibility features.” See also Fiddling with the Internet Dials: Understanding Usability. Continue Reading
The Rise and Fall of Napster
All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning’s Napster, was reviewed in the Sunday Washington Post as “a richly reported behind-the-scenes account of the rise and fall of Napster Inc., the online music-swapping phenomenon.” From the Boston Globe, see also this article by the book’s author, Joseph Menn, The Man Who Hijacked Napster,… Continue Reading
DOJ Backs Music Industry In Privacy Case
On April 18, the DOJ filed a brief with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that supports the RIAA’s case against Verizon to compel the release of personal customer data of an individual who allegedly engaged in Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) violations through file swapping. The DOJ contends the government’s position… Continue Reading
Piracy, Digital Copyright and the Movie Industry
Two recent articles focusing on the digital rights controversy merit noting: The Pirates Among Us: “The entertainment industry is battling the illegal distribution of copyrighted music and movie files-and will stop at nothing to enlist your help.” Pirates and Posses: The Battle over Digital Copyright by James L. Gattuso, Bruce Mehlman, Alec French, Gary Shapiro,… Continue Reading
Appeal of Norway DVD Piracy Case Scheduled
From Reuters, this announcement that the new trial of Jon Johansen has been scheduled for December 2. He posted to the Web the code to facilitate mass copying of DVDs, and his first trial ended in an acquittal. Continue Reading
Digital Millennium Copyright and Competition
Copyright Versus Consumers’ Rights: How Companies are Using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to Thwart Competition, March 25. From the article: “Unlike in prior DMCA disputes, the object of Lexmark’s DMCA claim is not to prevent piracy of a copyrighted work. Instead, it is to prevent rivals from offering cheaper cartridges for Lexmark’s printers. This… Continue Reading
EFF and Breaking News
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) launched a Breaking News page to notify readers about specific digital rights related issues that the organization is tracking. Continue Reading
Digital Consumer Right-To-Know Act
S.692, A bill to require the Federal Trade Commission to issue rules regarding the disclosure of technological measures that restrict consumer flexibility to use and manipulate digital information and entertainment content. Sponsor: Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] (introduced 3/24/2003). See Wyden’s press release here. Continue Reading
Uncertainly Concerning TEACH Act and Copyright
Slow Start for Long-Awaited Easing of Copyright Restriction describes the challenges faculty are facing in their efforts to properly comply with copyright requirements for distance learning stipulated by the TEACH Act. The article includes a helpful guide for professors, Copyright Checklist for Online Courses, produced by North Carolina State University. Continue Reading
RIAA Expands Efforts to Stop File Swapping
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been pursuing a high-profile campaign against P2P file sharing that stretches from college and university campuses to the cubicles of corporate America. On March 12, RIAA President Cary H. Sherman sent letters to 300 companies warning that “significant legal damages” could result from employers and employees who… Continue Reading
Cybercrime, File Sharing and College Students
On March 13, the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property held an Oversight Hearing on “International Copyright Piracy: Links to Organized Crime and Terrorism” Links are as follows to the:Witness List, John Malcolm, Rich LaMagna, Joan Borsten Vidov, Jack Valenti. Although not a focus of the hearing, campus-wide file sharing was mentioned. See… Continue Reading
