EFFector Vol. 14, No. 11 June 2, 2001 editor@eff.org
A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424
IN THE 171st ISSUE OF EFFECTOR (now with over 27,500 subscribers!):
* EFF Answers Court Queries in DVD Decryption Free Speech Case
* Schools & Libraries Have Time for CHIPA Decisionmaking
* EFF Housewarming Party and BayFF at our New Location on Shotwell
Street
* California Internet Blocking Bill Dies in Committee
* Know Where EFF Can Find a Conference Table in the SF Bay Area?
For more information on EFF activities & alerts: http://www.eff.org
To join EFF: http://www.eff.org/support/
EFF is a member-supported non-profit. Please sign up as a member
today!
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EFF Answers Court Queries in DVD Decryption Free Speech Case
2600 Magazine Relies On New Supreme Court Precedent
Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release
For Immediate Release -- May 30, 2001
Contact:
Cindy Cohn, EFF Legal Director
cindy@eff.org
+1 415 436 9333 x108
Kathleen Sullivan, Stanford Law School Dean
sullivan@law.stanford.edu
New York -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation today filed its answers
to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals' request for additional
briefing in a case concerning 2600 Magazine's right to publish DeCSS
software. After Stanford Dean Kathleen Sullivan argued for the defense
on the May 1st hearing; on May 8 the Court asked the parties to answer
11 additional questions that focused on EFF's First Amendment
arguments.
2600 Magazine had published the software on its Website as part of its
news coverage of the debate surrounding technological protection
measures placed on DVDs. The movie studios obtained an injunction
under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act banning the magazine from
publishing or linking to the code.
"The questions show how seriously the court is considering the First
Amendment issues in this case," stated Dean Sullivan.
"The Supreme Court just reaffirmed the press' right to publish
truthful information that is of public interest in the recent
Bartnicki v. Vopper ruling," added Cindy Cohn, EFF's Legal Director,
referring to a U.S. Supreme Court decision of May 21 that held that a
member of the media could not be held liable for broadcasting an
illegally taped conversation. "We are hopeful the 2nd Circuit will
look closely at this case and see the parallels to 2600's intended
publication."
The Movie studios have sued 2600 Magazine under a 1998 law that
prevents even the publication of programs that can allow access to
DVDs or other digital media. Most recently the law was used to
frighten a team led by Princeton Computer Science Professor, Edward
Felten, from presenting a paper describing how to break proposed
watermarks on CDs at a scientific conference.
EFF's responses to the Court's questions are available at:
http://eff.org/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20010530_ny_eff_supl_brief.html
Exhibit memo for EFF's Supplemental brief:
http://eff.org/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20010530_ny_eff_supl_exhib.html
MPAA's supplemental brief:
http://eff.org/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20010530_ny_mpaa_supl_brief.html
The text of the order with the court's questions is available at:
http://eff.org/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/20010508_ny_augment_order.html
An informal transcript of the oral argument and more information about
this case are all available on the EFF website at:
http://eff.org/pub/IP/Video/MPAA_DVD_cases/
For additional information see:
http://www.acm.org/usacm/IP/DMCA-release.html
About EFF:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil liberties
organization working to protect rights in the digital world. Founded
in 1990, EFF actively encourages and challenges industry and
government to support free expression, privacy, and openness in the
information society. EFF is a member-supported organization and
maintains one of the most linked-to Web sites in the world:
http://www.eff.org
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EFF Alert:
Schools & Libraries Have Time for CHIPA Decisionmaking
EFF Urges Pacing Compliance with Progress on Legal Challenges
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is pleased to report that
schools and libraries have considerable time to consider options for
compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CHIPA or
CIPA). Since ACLU/EFF and American Library Association lawsuits
pending against CHIPA will likely result in injunctions preventing
enforcement, schools and libraries who disagree with requirements for
Internet blocking technology may move more deliberately in complying
with the likely unconstitutional law.
According to clarifications from the Schools and Libraries Division
(SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company, schools and
libraries seeking to retain federal grants and discounts under
programs such as E-Rate and LSTA will have more time than some
previously thought to comply with CHIPA.
Although schools and libraries must "undertake actions" to comply with
CHIPA starting July 1, 2001, in order to receive E-Rate Year 4
funding, they may meet this requirement by making progress on
technology protection measures, Internet safety policies, and/or
public notice and hearing on these matters and certify that they have
"undertaken actions" by the deadline of October 28, 2001.
For Year 5, SLD reports that schools and libraries must actually have
technology protection measures, Internet safety policies, and public
notices and hearings completed by July 1, 2002, and certify by October
28, 2002, in order to receive Internet-related discounts.
If state or local procurement rules or regulations or competitive
bidding requirements prevent CHIPA certification, schools and
libraries may seek a waiver and provide notification that they will be
in compliance before the start of the third funding year, which for
most applicants will be Year 6.
Similar requirements apply for LSTA funding.
For more information on the certification deadlines, see:
http://www.sl.universalservice.org/whatsnew/MISC/CIPA051801.asp
For more information on the Children's Internet Protection Act and
related issues, see EFF's Blue Ribbon Campaign page at:
http://www.eff.org/br/
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EFF Housewarming Party and BayFF at our New Location on Shotwell Street
Come Celebrate Our 11th Anniversary, See Our New Home, Meet Board Members and
Staff, and Learn More About the Work We Do
WHAT: EFF's Housewarming "BayFF"
WHEN: Tuesday, July 10th, 2001 at 7:00 PM Pacific Time
WHERE: Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
This is a night to celebrate! July 10th is:
* EFF's eleventh birthday
* The one year anniversary of BayFF's exciting re-launch
* EFF's formal welcome of the public to our new home
This event is free and open to the general public. There will be
plenty of food, drink, music, and a blessing of our new office space
by a Tibetan Lama.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading civil liberties
organization working to protect rights in the digital world. For more
information, please see EFF's website ( http://www.eff.org ), or
contact:
Katina Bishop
Director of Education and Offline Activism
+1-415-436-9333 ext 101
katina@eff.org
_________________________________________________________________
California Internet Blocking Bill Dies in Committee
Known to some as "child of CHIPA", California Assembly Bill 151,
designed to force libraries receiving state Internet-related funding
to install Internet blocking technologies, has died in the
appropriations committee.
Thanks to EFF members in California who let the Assembly committee
members know their opinions on this bill.
The full text of the bill, as last amended, is available at:
http://eff.org/Censorware/Foreign_and_local/CA/20010416_ca_ab151_bill.html
_________________________________________________________________
Know Where EFF Can Find a Conference Table in the San Francisco Bay Area?
The Electronic Frontier Foundation seeks a conference table for our SF
office of dimensions approximately 15-17 feet by 4-5 feet for use in
our large conference room. Ideally, this would be a nice wood table,
but we would consider other materials as well. Donation (deductible to
the extent permitted by law) or discount on a table would be very
helpful, as it would spruce up the conference room immensely and
permit us to convert the existing cobbled-together tables into desks
for four EFF interns! We are also looking for quality office chairs.
Please contact:
Henry Schwan
EFF Asst. Webmaster
+1 415-626-8167 x114
owlswan@eff.org
_________________________________________________________________
Administrivia
EFFector is published by:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
454 Shotwell Street
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+1 415 436 9333 (voice)
+1 415 436 9993 (fax)
http://www.eff.org
Editors:
Katina Bishop, EFF Education & Offline Activism Director
Stanton McCandlish, EFF Technical Director/Webmaster
editors@eff.org
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