EFFector Vol. 22, No. 15 May 22, 2009 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : In our 509th issue: * A JUDGE HAS ORDERED POLICE TO RETURN A LAPTOP AND OTHER PROPERTY SEIZED FROM A BOSTON COLLEGE COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT'S DORM ROOM after finding there was no probable cause to search the room in the first place. The police were investigating whether the student sent hoax emails about another student. EFF and Boston law firm Fish and Richardson are representing the computer science student, who was forced to complete much of the final month of the semester without his computer, phone, and network access in the wake of the now-rejected search. For the full press release: http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/05/22 For more on this case: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/mass-sjc-tosses-calixte-warrant : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : EFF Updates * Six Simple Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Gripe Site EFF has released a guide to help critics and parodists, who are all too often struck down by the targets of their parody with accusations of copyright or trademark infringement. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/six-simple-steps-you * Recommendations for Web Measurement on Government Websites The Center for Democracy and Technology and EFF have released a document recommending repairs to the federal guidelines that regulate the use of cookies and other "persistent tracking technologies" on government websites. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/recommendations-web * Administration Introduces New Websites The Obama Administration has launched several websites to further its commitment to improving transparency and encouraging citizen participation in government. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/administration-open-government-websites * Victory for Location Privacy in New York GPS Tracking Case The highest court in New York has ruled that police may not use a GPS device to track the movements of your vehicle without first getting a warrant. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/victory-location-pri * 3 Strikes for Print: A Modest Proposal From Ed Felten In the tradition of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," EFF board member and Princeton Computer Science Prof. Ed Felten has written an essay in response to the recently passed "3 strikes" legislation in France. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/3-strikes-modest-pro * Right-to-Repair Law Proposed ... for Cars The problem that the new law attempts to fix is the direct result of the use of computers in cars, accompanied by proprietary diagnostic tools and "lock-out codes." Sound familiar? http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/right-repair-law-pro * Danger Mouse Releases a Blank CD-R Danger Mouse is apparently counting on the fact that it's the fans, not record labels like EMI, who have the upper hand in the digital age. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/danger-mouse-inducem * Apple vs. Blasphemy (and Innovation) Two more interesting applications have been blocked by Apple in its quixotic quest to police what users can think and do while using their iPhones. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/apple-vs-blasphemy * Craigslist Demands Apology Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster posted a strongly-worded response to South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster's ongoing legally-baseless threats to bring criminal charges against him and founder Craig Newmark. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/craigslist-demands-apology * AGs' Bogus Threats Hit Their Mark Disappointingly, craigslist has given in to pressure from law enforcement officials and agreed to remove the "erotic services" section from its site. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/ags-bogus-threats-hi * Why Video Remix Creators Need a DMCA Exemption If you are a vidder, a movie trailer mashup creator, YouTube movie critic, or anyone else who needs to take clips from DVDs in order to make an original remix video, you might be interested in the hearings held last week before the U.S. Copyright Office. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/why-video-remix-crea * White House Photos Update The photos by official White House photographer Pete Souza are now identified on Flickr as "United States Government Works," along with a link to the U.S. Copyright Office page quoting Title 17 of the United States Code. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/05/white-house-photos-u : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : miniLinks ~ The FCC's Warrantless Searches Wired's Threat Level reports that the FCC claims the right to enter and inspect any wireless device. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/05/fcc-raid/ ~ IBM Unveils Real-Time Datamining Software The new software does "stream processing," allowing researchers to combine data from various sources to find patterns. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/21/technology/business-computing/21stream.html ~ Protect Newspapers -- by Destroying the Internet? A recent Washington Post opinion piece argued that the searching and indexing of newspaper articles amounts to copyright infringement. Art Brodsky begs to differ. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-brodsky/oh-the-hypocrisy-first-am_b_204809.html : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Announcements * Help EFF Go to DEFCON! EFF is looking for donations of airline tickets and hotel points for the DEFCON hacking conference, as well as other conferences and speaking engagements. If you have enough airline miles for a free ticket and would like to send an EFF staffer to a conference, let us know, and we will help you with the process of making the reservation. Please note that at this time, we are unable to combine miles from multiple individuals. We are also looking for hotel rewards points to help reduce our overall travel costs. In exchange for a ticket or hotel stay, we can offer a free membership and a mention in EFFector (if you'd like). Please contact aaron@eff.org if you have a ticket to donate. * EFF at Maker Faire Bay Area EFF will have a table at Maker Faire Bay Area. Come say hello! http://www.makerfaire.com/ May 30-31 San Mateo County Expo Center & Fairgrounds San Mateo, California Expo Hours Saturday, May 30: 10am - 8PM Sunday, May 31: 10am - 6PM Also, be sure to check out artist and EFF supporter Suzanne Forbes at the Steampunk Encampment. http://www.makerfaire.com/pub/e/2440 * Nominate a Pioneer for EFF's 2009 Pioneer Awards! EFF established the Pioneer Awards to recognize leaders on the electronic frontier who are extending freedom and innovation in the realm of information technology. This is your opportunity to nominate a deserving individual or group to receive a Pioneer Award for 2009. The International Pioneer Awards nominations are open both to individuals and organizations from any country. Nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges chosen for their knowledge of the technical, legal, and social issues associated with information technology. How to Nominate Someone for a 2009 Pioneer Award: You may send as many nominations as you wish, but please use one email per nomination. Please submit your entries via email to pioneer@eff.org. We will accept nominations until July 15, 2009. Simply tell us: 1. The name of the nominee, 2. The phone number, email address or website by which the nominee can be reached, and, most importantly, 3. Why you feel the nominee deserves the award. Nominee Criteria: There are no specific categories for the EFF Pioneer Awards, but the following guidelines apply: 1. The nominees must have contributed substantially to the health, growth, accessibility, or freedom of computer-based communications. 2. To be valid, all nominations must contain your reason, however brief, for nominating the individual or organization and a means of contacting the nominee. In addition, while anonymous nominations will be accepted, ideally we'd like to contact the nominating parties in case we need further information. 3. The contribution may be technical, social, economic, or cultural. 4. Nominations may be of individuals, systems, or organizations in the private or public sectors. 5. Nominations are open to all (other than current members of EFF's staff and operating board or this year's award judges), and you may nominate more than one recipient. You may also nominate yourself or your organization. 6. Persons or representatives of organizations receiving an EFF Pioneer Award will be invited to attend the ceremony at EFF's expense. More on the EFF Pioneer Awards: http://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer/ * Intern Opportunity! EFF is looking for a summer intern to help in our development and media departments. This is an unpaid, full-time position. Projects will include: -Working on our annual report and contacting major donors and foundations (40% of time); -Assisting with membership fulfillment and bulk mailing (40% of time); and -Identifying and organizing press clippings (20% of time). Excellent writing and editing skills, strong organizational abilities, and the capacity to take instruction and run with it is a must. Interest in development and/or public relations as a career is a plus, as is knowledge and familiarity with EFF's issues. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to: alyssa@eff.org : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Administrivia EFFector is published by: The Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org/about Editor: Sara Bassett, Membership Services Assistant sara@eff.org Membership & donation queries: membership@eff.org To support EFF: secure.eff.org/donate General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries: information@eff.org Back issues of EFFector are available at: http://www.eff.org/effector/
