EFF: miniLinks

July 11, 2004 - July 17, 2004 Archive

July 15, 2004

CAPPS II Cancelled

Gargantuan news. From USA Today: Asked Wednesday whether the program could be considered dead, Ridge jokingly gestured as if he were driving a stake through its heart and said, "Yes."

» link | Posted at 11:23 AM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Surveillance

Understanding the Media Monopoly

This is a great introduction to the FCC's controversial media ownership rules (or lack thereof). Required reading.

» link | Posted at 12:02 AM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Free Culture | Free Speech

July 14, 2004

Big Content/Big Tech Form New DRM Consortium

The new conglomeration will focus on finding ways to jam Hollywood-friendly restrictions into home networks.

» link | Posted at 11:59 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: DRM

NH Stays Chat Tax After Public Outcry

Democracy in action.

» link | Posted at 11:54 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Telecom Policy

DoJ Provides Partial List of PATRIOT Uses

The Department of Justice provided a list of 35 incidents where it used the Act, but it's far from a full accounting of PATRIOT's impact.

» link | Posted at 11:46 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: USA PATRIOT

Breaking Down Councilman

Orin Kerr has a wonderful post on why the decision is such bad news for privacy.

» link | Posted at 11:15 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Privacy | Surveillance

July 13, 2004

Bionic Mexican Politicos Vow to Fight Crime

We're totally serious. Mexico's attorney general says that a microchip implanted in his arm - and the arms of other staffers - gives him access to a futuristic crime database and allow him to be located if kidnapped.

» link | Posted at 10:56 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: RFID

"American Retailers Walk into a Bar..."

... A bar code, that is. That's bad, but if you forgive us we'll tell you about this NY Times story and the coming abandonment of America's Universal Product Code in favor of the European Article Numbering Code.

» link | Posted at 08:59 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Misc.

Canadian P2P Redux

The RIAA's Canadian analog - CRIA - appealed a recent ruling that essentially legalized P2P in America's Hat [Ed. Note: We kid because we love].

» link | Posted at 08:55 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: International IP | P2P

100% Increase in Number of Files Downloaded Over P2P

Two new studies suggest that file sharing is booming, despite a yearlong campaign of lawsuits and congressional saber-rattling.

» link | Posted at 08:53 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: P2P

Tithing Lines, Taxing Chat

New Hampshire may tax a range of Internet services from chat rooms to voice-over-IP telephony. About that "live free" stuff...

» link | Posted at 08:44 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Telecom Policy

The Evils of... Used Books?

Publishers are scared that easy-to-find offerings from used-book vendors will sink the industry.

» link | Posted at 08:41 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: Copyright

Coverage of E-Voting Day of Action

There's too much coverage to put in a single miniLink, so here are a few for your reading pleasure.

Posted at 08:28 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: E-Voting

Gov't Says Elections Will Be Held On Time

After a week of speculation about potential delays, the nation's top election official assured the public that the November elections will be held as scheduled.

» link | Posted at 08:20 PM by Ren Bucholz | Permalink | Other Links: E-Voting

Another Dispatch from the Copyright Wars

Dan Gillmor's Sunday column looks at recent developments - good and bad - in the legislative battles over copyright reform.