From Reuters:
The European Union has reached a draft deal to resolve a spat holding up a sweeping reform of the bloc’s telecom sector, lawmakers and diplomats said on Tuesday.
The battle over handling copyright abuse has emerged as a final sticking point between EU states and the European Parliament, which have a joint say on the [...]
Archive of entries posted on April 2009
EU reaches draft deal over Internet spat
UK Government shifts onus on ISPs to retain communications data
From Information World Review:
The Home Office has moved away from its original plan of a centralised database for storing everyone’s email, social networking and other web activity. Instead, it wants all communications service providers to hold data required by the public authorities.
The idea of a centralised “super database” was mooted last October as part of [...]
100 Days of Obama Internet Policy
From Public Knowledge:
Once in a while, we must bow to tradition. One of those is the irrelevant, but inescapable, evaluation of the president after 100 days in office.
The Obama Internet and tech agenda came roaring out of the transition and Inauguration under a full head of steam. Now, more or less creeping along, bogged down [...]
Publicly funded research for a price
From Marketplace:
Publicly funded research doesn’t seem so public when the public has to pay to read the results in a journal. A proposed law would help publishing companies preserve their business models, but it would limit public access to the research. Janet Babin reports.
Free Speech Groups Criticize Dismissal of Wisconsin Library Board Members
From Publishers Weekly:
Four members of a library board in West Bend, Wis., were dismissed last week for refusing to remove controversial books from the library’s young adult section—and yesterday, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the National Coalition Against Censorship, the Association of American Publishers and PEN American Center criticized the firings.
The groups sent [...]
Justice Dept. Opens Antitrust Inquiry Into Google Books Deal
From the New York Times:
The Justice Department has begun an inquiry into the antitrust implications of Google’s settlement with authors and publishers over its Google Book Search service, two people briefed on the matter said Tuesday.
Lawyers for the Justice Department have been in conversations in recent weeks with various groups opposed to the settlement, including [...]
Judge delays Google books hearing
From the Mercury News:
A federal judge Tuesday postponed a hearing to determine the fairness of the Google Book Search settlement, a landmark court case involving Google and a group representing the nation’s authors and publishers.
U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York said he was moving the date of the hearing from June 11 to [...]
Intellipedia Celebrates Third Anniversary with a Successful Challenge
From the CIA:
During a typical workday, Intellipedia—the Intelligence Community’s version of Wikipedia—receives about 5,000 contributions. The third anniversary of Intellipedia on Friday, April 17, was anything but a typical workday. Intellipedia users broke the record for contributions in one day with 15,046 edits.
Taking Stock
From the White House blog:
A lot of people were taking stock today of the change that the President has so far. But throughout the federal government change has been unfolding at the agency level in thousands of ways you have likely never even heard about. Take a look at the agency reports for whatever issues [...]
On Transparency, Obama Succeeds and Disappoints in First 100 Days
From the Brennan Center for Justice:
Today, the Brennan Center for Justice releases a new report card evaluating President Obama’s record of transparency in national security matters during his first 100 days in office.
“There’s a clear pattern here,” says Elizabeth Goitein, Director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Project. “In most areas, the President [...]