You mean to tell me that it is legal for corporations from the private sector to team up with local law enforcement officials in efforts to spy on innocent members of our society? You also mean to tell me that the synthesis of law enforcement authority and the drive of for-profit [...]
Among the myriad of reports on the USTR's legally dubious decision to place Canada on the Priority Watch List, one from Reuters is particularly noteworthy as it includes a reaction from Industry Minister Tony Clement's spokesperson. Darren Cunningham is quoted as saying "we are looking forward to doing consultations on copyright this summer." This is very important for several reasons. First, it confirms the timeline for the next copyright bill as being the fall at the earliest. Second, it suggests that the Government will not simply cave to U.S. pressure and quickly reintroduce a duplicate of the much-criticized Bill C-61. Third – and most importantly – it opens the door to actual copyright consultations before coming forward with a bill. Given that the last time a Canadian government consulted on copyright was 2001, a consultation is long overdue.
The National Business Review in New Zealand reports that that country's government plans to freeze any further reforms of its copyright law with the view to rewriting it for the digital age from scratch. (hat tip: Creative Freedom NZ)
Update: Mark Harris and Rick Shera cast doubt on this NBR report.
(Originally posted on ACSBlog.)
During the last general election there was much discussion about the power of the executive branch. One great power that the executive branches of the federal government and most states have is the power to grant clemency.
The ability to examine a person’s life and decide to [...]
(Originally posted on Feministing.)
It’s only been 100 days, but already reproductive freedom has come a long way. The first 100 days of the Obama administration have brought us more victories than we had in the eight years of the previous administration, and now seems like a good time to recognize and [...]
A music only torrent indexer, Coda.fm stands out from other sites with its clean design and innovative features. One of these features is a link to buy the various albums on Amazon, after downloading them on BitTorrent and enjoying the sample. Surprisingly enough, Amazon objects to getting business this way and has taken action.
A music only torrent indexer, Coda.fm stands out from other sites with its clean design and innovative features. One of these features is a link to buy the various albums on Amazon, after downloading them on BitTorrent and enjoying the sample. Surprisingly enough, Amazon objects to getting business this way and has taken action.
Well, what an afternoon of debate it was on the House floor yesterday. After sitting through literally hours of debate during the House Judiciary Committee consideration of the legislation last week, I thought I had heard it all. Little did I know that I would have the good [...]
(Originally posted on Daily Kos.)
With state legislatures back in session, we’re renewing the fight to take corporal punishment out of public schools. There’s a bill pending in Ohio to do just that. Here’s our letter supporting this crucial step to protect Ohio’s kids.
In recent months we’ve also seen bills introduced in other states limiting corporal [...]
The immensely popular BitTorrent client uTorrent recently added a Google powered torrent search engine to its website. This added search capability used Google’s custom search program and allowed visitors to search for .torrent files on Google. For reasons unknown, Google appears to be blocking the use of its search technology on the site.
The immensely popular BitTorrent client uTorrent recently added a Google powered torrent search engine to its website. This added search capability used Google’s custom search program and allowed visitors to search for .torrent files on Google. For reasons unknown, Google appears to be blocking the use of its search technology on the site.
What a difference an evening has made for hate crimes!
Late the night of April 28, 2009, the White House released a statement by President Barack Obama in support of a House bill to strengthen protections against hate crimes. The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act would authorize the U.S. Department of [...]