Online Privacy's New Hot Button: Access
Privacy from Companies
11/29/2000; 4:41:51 PM

'Forget the opt-out, opt-in debate: The thorniest online privacy issue on Capitol Hill is whether Web retailers, network advertisers, and other companies should be required to provide consumers with the ability to access, correct, and delete their personal data from the firms' databases. "If the health-care industry can figure out how to provide access in a fair way, then we will have a framework for financial firms, online retailers, and everyone else," says Lawrence Ponemon, the head of Pricewaterhouse Coopers' privacy compliance unit.'

Why Software Will Never Stop Sucking
Personal Commentary
11/29/2000; 1:04:36 PM

OK, I can't resist, the events of the last few days in my personal life (setting up computers for a few people) have forced me to comment on this.  A few days ago, Doc Searls said on his weblog,

'It's easy to operate a car or a house without being a mechanic or a carpenter, even though it helps to have those skills. Can't the same be true for PCs? Will it be? How?'

DMCA Faces Last Big Test
DMCA
11/29/2000; 12:01:36 PM

'On Wednesday, the U.S. Copyright Office will hold its final mandatory hearings in Washington, D.C. with representatives from the library associations and webcasting, content and digital music industries....

'This hearing will seek to clarify two points of the law: whether the "first sale doctrine," which allows activities like the legal sale of used books, should apply in a digital age; and whether users should be allowed to make a digital, archived copy or adaptation of content -- be it music, video, or software application files -- to use on another machine such as a portable MP3 player....

Cyberspace Wins Free Speech Ruling
Free Speech
11/28/2000; 11:41:21 PM

''Cyberspace Communications, Inc., and several other plaintiffs won a favorable ruling in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals recently in the Cyberspace v. Engler lawsuit to overturn an unconstitutionally broad Internet censorship law. The 2 page ruling affirms an injunction against enforcement of the law while the case is tried.''

The "Engler" in question is Governer Engler of my home state of Michigan. From the lawsuit info page:

Yahoo! Nazi tech expert backtracks
Country Watch: France
11/28/2000; 5:23:37 PM

'One of the three Internet experts that decided it was technically possible to prevent French users from accessing parts of Yahoo! US' auction site has posted an apology on his own Web site, saying that the solution is "half-assed and trivially avoidable". '

BT still chasing cash for hyperlink patent Patents11/28/2000; 5:09:31 PM

'BT is still trying to extract megabucks from US ISPs following the telco's patent claim to hypertext links - and it's prepared to taken legal action if those fingered don't cough up. 'The telco also refuses to discuss the cases of others who believe they created hypertext before BT patented its version in 1976, despite film footage which many believe undermines BT's claim....

PA Court Establishes Protections For Online Critics
Free Speech
11/28/2000; 4:11:49 PM 'In a ruling that establishes new protections for anonymous online authors, a state court judge here said today that public officials and others cannot use frivolous defamation lawsuits to ferret out the identity of their critics....

'"Until today, a public official or employer claiming defamation could get a court to disclose the name of an anonymous Web author simply by filing a lawsuit," said ACLU National Staff Attorney Ann Beeson, who litigated the case along with attorneys from the ACLU of Pennsylvania's Greater Pittsburgh Chapter.'

Judge Orders Sex.com Returned
General IP Issues
11/28/2000; 1:57:40 PM

'Adding a definitive chapter to one of the seamiest and steamiest disputes in Internet legal history, a federal judge ordered the domain name sex.com be returned to the man who registered it six years ago.'

The most fascinating domain theft story finally comes to a close... hopefully.

Bertelsmann Eyes Napster Pact
Music & MP3
11/28/2000; 1:48:22 PM 'German media giant Bertelsmann said on Monday it had begun talks with other music majors on a business model for its song-swap partner Napster and was hopeful they would join the ground-breaking alliance.

'"It's all worked out. We have a model," Bertelsmann eCommerce Group chief executive Andreas Schmidt said. "We are bringing it forward now to the other parties ... hearing their concerns, getting their input."'

Should ISPs Be Allowed To Delete Your MP3s?
Free Speech
11/24/2000; 7:26:27 PM A slashdot article.  Can ISPs unilaterally delete your information from their servers without even notifying you, even if there's nothing whatsoever illegal about it, simply because... it makes them nervous?  Well, today, the answer seems to be yes.  I think this is a perfect example of what you get when you start holding ISPs responsible for what their customers do.