.........!.........!.........!.........!.........!.........!.. EFFector 22.33: International Activists Launch New Website to Gather and Share Copyright Knowledge EFFector Vol. 22, No. 33, November 16, 2009 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : In our 522nd issue: * International Activists Launch New Website to Gather and Share Copyright Knowledge The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL.net), and other international copyright experts joined together today to launch Copyright Watch -- a public website created to centralize resources on national copyright laws at http://www.copyright-watch.org . Copyright Watch is the first comprehensive and up-to-date online repository of national and regional copyright laws. Users can find links by choosing a continent or by searching a country name. The site will be updated over time to include proposed amendments to laws, as well as commentary and context from national copyright experts. Copyright Watch will help document how legislators around the world are coping with the challenges of new technology and new business models. For the full press release: https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/11/13 * EFF Obtains Records from Behind-the-Scenes Negotiations on Telecom Immunity EFF posted thousands of pages of records detailing behind-the-scenes negotiations between government agencies and Congress about providing immunity for telecoms involved in illegal government surveillance. The documents include drafts of legislation and communications between Congress and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) about amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). They were released as a result of litigation that started back in 2007, when Congress first debated granting immunity to the telecommunications companies for taking part in massive, unchecked surveillance of Americans' telephone and Internet communications. EFF used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request information about communications between the DOJ, ODNI, Congress, and telecom lobbyists. For the full press release: https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/11/12 * EFF to Represent Yes Men in Court Battle Over Chamber of Commerce Action EFF and Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP, will defend the Yes Men and other activists in a lawsuit filed against them by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over political criticism of the Chamber's stance on climate change legislation. In mid-October, the activists staged a "press conference" in which the Chamber of Commerce ostensibly reversed its position and promised to stop lobbying against strong climate change legislation -- a stance that has caused numerous Chamber members to leave the organization. As has been widely reported, before the press conference was even completed, a Chamber of Commerce representative rushed into the room and revealed that the Chamber's position on climate change legislation had not in fact changed. For the full press release: https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/11/11 * : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Updates: * From EFF's Secret Files: Anatomy of a Bogus Subpoena Can the U.S. government secretly subpoena the IP address of every visitor to a political website? No, but that didn't stop it from trying. In a report released this week, EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston tells the story of a bogus federal subpoena issued to independent news site indymedia.us, and how the site fought back with EFF's help. For the full Deep Link: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/effs-secret-files-anatomy-bogus-subpoena For the report: https://www.eff.org/wp/anatomy-bogus-subpoena-indymedia * Reining in ACTA: Update and Call to Action EFF is asking the Obama administration to reveal the terms being negotiated in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) on criminal enforcement of intellectual property in the digital environment. It's hard to imagine a more controversial set of intellectual property topics and underlying them all is the distinct lack of transparency attached to the entire process. Write to your Senators now and tell them to rein in ACTA! For the full Deep Link: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/reining-in-acta To write to your Senators: https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=420 * Convicted Murderer to Wikipedia: Shhh! In 1990, Bavarian actor Walter Sedlmayr was brutally murdered. Two of his business associates were convicted and imprisoned for the crime, and they were recently paroled. Who killed Sedlmayr is a matter of public record, but if one of the perpetrators gets his way, all evidence of the conviction will soon be lost. Last week, he sent the online encyclopedia Wikipedia a cease and desist letter demanding that his name be taken off of the Sedlmayr article page. For the full Deep Link: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/murderer-wikipedia-shhh * Coalition Calls for Restoration of Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board As we watch Congress wrangle with much-needed reforms to the PATRIOT Act -- particularly attempts to address the misuse of National Security Letters -- it's clear that there are important voices missing from the fray. One notable void stems from the empty Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). Alongside a coalition of civil liberties groups, EFF has called on President Obama to prioritize the nomination of board members so that the PCLOB can contribute to ongoing debates over government surveillance, cybersecurity, and more. For the full Deep Link: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/11/coalition-calls-restoration-privacy-and-civil-libe * : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : miniLinks ~ Judge: Unmask Web Commenter The mother of a teen criticized online will learn the identity of the anonymous commenter -- even though she has not decided yet if she is going to sue. http://www.abajournal.com/news/web_commenter_to_be_unmasked_to_mom_of_criticized_teen/ ~ Classic Study on "The Computer Underground" The Social Organization of the Computer Underground has been updated -- proceeds to benefit EFF! http://www.gordonmeyer.com/2009/11/the-computer-underground-twenty-years-later.html ~ What It Looks Like When the Government Says "Uncle!" A heartwarming photo of EFF lawyers with a mountain of telecom immunity docs obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughelectronic/4095689983/in/set-72157622659990091 ~ BBC Backs Down on DRM Public outrage and protest letters in response to a plan to put DRM on high-def broadcasts appears to have worked. http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/09/bbcs-outrageous-plan.html : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Announcements * Vote for EFF on Credo's 2009 Donations Ballot! Each year, the progressive phone service provider Credo polls its members to figure out how to distribute donation funds to various nonprofits. This year, EFF is one of the nonprofits listed on the ballot! The size of the donation is proportional to how many votes the organization gets, so every vote for EFF counts! If you've taken a Credo action alert, or if you're a Credo mobile, Credo long distance, or Working Assets credit card customer, then supporting EFF is easy -- simply log in and vote for the Electronic Frontier Foundation now: http://act.credoaction.com/voting/login.html * Become a Google Policy Fellow and Work with EFF Next Summer! If you're a student or researcher who is passionate about improving technology policy and you're interested in working with EFF, consider applying for a Google Policy Fellowship -- a 10-week, summer program that gives students the chance to work alongside public interest organizations on topics of Internet and technology policy. Just as Google's "Summer of Code" project aims to develop and promote open source projects, Google is hoping that these policy fellowships will advance debate on key policy issues affecting the public. Fellows will receive a stipend of $7,000 for 10 weeks during the summer of 2010 (June to August). Applications are due by midnight on Monday, December 28, 2009. Students who are accepted into the program will be notified by Friday, February 12, 2010. For more information, check out the FAQ: http://www.google.com/policyfellowship/faq.html To learn more about EFF's areas of focus: http://www.google.com/policyfellowship/hosts.html#eff Tofill out the application: http://services.google.com/inquiry/policyfellowship : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Administrivia EFFector is published by: The Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org/about Editor: Eva Galperin, Referral Coordinator eva@eff.org Membership & donation queries: membership@eff.org To support EFF: http://links.eff.org/emaildonate General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries: information@eff.org
