   May 01, 2005 - May 07, 2005 ArchiveMay 06, 2005Broadcast Flag Struck Down!
The federal appeals court today declared that the FCC doesn't have the authority to assert control over any device capable of receiving broadcast transmissions. That means that once you've got your TV show, the FCC can't tell you (or hardware manufacturers) what to do with it. No more broadcast flag! (116K PDF)
May 04, 2005Suspected Terrorists vs. Known Capricorns
Airline passengers soon will be asked to provide their full names and birth dates when they buy tickets, "to make it less likely they'll be confused with known or suspected terrorists." Spot the potential exploit.
Disturbing Images of a Swedish Copyright Infringement Arrest
Photos of a public bust show an unfortunate escalation of hostilities between Swedish police and people protesting the crackdown on filesharing. According to the original report, one man was detained despite claiming to "share" only his own band demos.
Software Patents in Four Minutes
Bill Gates and Richard Stallman - together at last! - in Gavin Hill's snappy animated guide to the problems of software patents.
Fortifying Free Culture
Fort Culture is Downhill Battle's new cache of mini-articles explaining the current issues in copyright and strategies for defending the cultural commons.
Who Needs Products When You've Got Rents?
The New York Times reports on Blackberry manufacturer RIM's $450 million payout to NTP, a company that produces nothing but patent suits.
Cliffs Notes for the Future of Telecom Law
Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn gave a talk on the forthcoming Telecommunications Act; here are Derek Slater's crib notes.
Sensenbrenner Warns EU Not to Put RFIDs in Passports
Wired reports that Congressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) told EU diplomats that there's no need for RFIDs in passports, pointing out that using the unproven, expensive technology would lead to "regrettable" consequences. So who's going to tell the US?
Which Rules Rule VoIP?
The ongoing wrangle among the FCC, the DoJ, and the courts about the legal status of Net phone service providers takes another twist, with a Texas bankruptcy court finding that VoIP is more like an information service than a telecommunications service. Does that mean VoIP will evade wiretap regulations? The battle's far from over.
May 02, 2005Life Without Electronic Free Speech
Michael Geist gives a first-person account of censorship behind the Great Firewall of China.
Film Industry Lobbies to Make EU ISPs Copy Cops
On the so-called Europe Day at the coming Cannes Film Festival, the European Commission plans a talk on how to establish an online film market in Europe -- and according to some onlookers, may use the opportunity to push the film industry agenda of making ISPs bear the burden of copyright enforcement.
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