EFFector Vol. 21, No. 28 August 14, 2008 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : In our 481st issue: * EFF IS DEFENDING FREE SPEECH FOR COMPUTER RESEARCHERS in a legal battle between the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) and three MIT students. The undergraduate students were planning to present their findings on magnetic stripe and RFID vulnerabilities at the DEFCON computer security conference in Las Vegas when a Massachusetts judge stepped in and issued a gag order, preemptively halting the research presentation. EFF is urging the judge to lift the unconstitutional gag order -- the court cannot silence researchers, even if their speech exposes technological flaws. http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/08/13 * EFF HELPED WIN A VICTORY FOR FREE SPEECH IN USER-GENERATED CONTENT when a judge dismissed a lawsuit between a literary agent and Wikipedia. The agent sued Wikipedia for edits identifying her as one of the "dumbest of the twenty worst" agents and that she had "no documented sales at all." But EFF argued that the operators of "interactive computer services" such as Wikipedia cannot be held liable for users' comments -- an important protection that allows Wikipedia, Craigslist, and other online communities to include user-generated content without living in constant fear of costly lawsuits. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/wikipedia-wins-dismissal-baseless-defamation-claim : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : EFF Updates * MIT Students' Response to MBTA Statements The MIT student researchers clarify some misrepresented facts from an MBTA statement to CNET. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/mit-students-response-mbta-statements * Condition or Covenant, and Why Should You Care? EFF Senior Staff Attorney Michael Kwun explains parts of the decision in Jacobsen v. Katzer and the potential implications for open source software and EULAs. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/condition-or-covenant-and-why-should-you-care * Olympic Committee Takedown Shows Risks of Ill-Timed Take-Downs In another frustrating misuse of the DMCA, the International Olympic Committee took down a YouTube protest video from Students for a Free Tibet. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/olympic-committee-takedown-shows-risks-ill-timed-t * Universities Quietly Fighting Back Against RIAA Tactics Schools tired of being harassed by the RIAA are looking for new solutions to the incessant legal pressures. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/universities-quietly-fighting-back-against-riaa-ta * Public Pressure Mounts Against Invasive Border Searches The battle against suspicionless laptop border searches heats up as the government claims shockingly expansive search and seizure authority. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/public-pressure-mounts-against-invasive-border-sea : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : miniLinks ~ Oops! FBI Sorry For Spying on Journalists FBI Director Robert Mueller called the NY Times and the Washington Post to express regret for breaching reporters' phone records. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080803603_pf.html ~ Google Tells Congress About Targeted Advertising The Internet giant confessed to using DoubleClick cookies to deliver targeted advertising to users. http://government.zdnet.com/?p=3934 ~ Coordinated Cyberattack in Georgia War The embattled state of Georgia accused Russia of launching denial of service attacks against Georgian websites. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10014150-83.html ~ Jobs Confirms iPhone Kill Switch Steve Jobs admitted that Apple implemented a tool to pull the plug on any iPhone software that appears malicious -- or otherwise disrupts the business model. http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/11/jobs-60-million-iphone-apps-downloaded-confirms-kill-switch/ For more miniLinks: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/08/minilinks-2008-08-14 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Announcements * EFF Fundraiser at San Francisco's Kansai Bistro Restaurant Come support EFF at Kansai Bistro tonight! Mention EFF to your server to receive a free dessert AND have Kansai Bistro donate 15% of your bill to EFF! EFF staffers will be on hand throughout the evening to chat and mingle. Kansai Bistro is located at 4112 Geary Blvd. (between 5th & 6th Avenues) in San Francisco. Call (415) 386-6188 to make reservations. We look forward to seeing you there! http://www.eff.org/calendar/2008/08/14/eff-fundraiser-san-franciscos-kansai-bistro-restau : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Administrivia EFFector is published by: The Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org/about Editor: Richard Esguerra, EFF Activist richard@eff.org Membership & donation queries: membership@eff.org General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries: information@eff.org Back issues of EFFector are available at: http://www.eff.org/effector/ To unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences: http://action.eff.org/site/CO?i=uXOz48tz0JvwVki9tDoejpiPsmah_JOW&cid=1041 To change your email address: http://action.eff.org/addresschange Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled electrons. 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