EFFector Vol. 21, No. 35 October 15, 2008 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : In our 487th issue: * EFF HAS FILED TO BUST SEER SYSTEMS' BOGUS INTERNET MUSIC PATENT, which threatens to compromise existing media standards and hamper Internet music innovation. The illegitimate patent is for a system and method for joining different musical data types together in a file, distributing them over the Internet, then playing that file -- but descriptions of the technology were published a number of times before Seer Systems made its claim. http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/10/08 * LAST WEEK, WHISTLEBLOWERS PROVIDED SHOCKING DETAILS ABOUT NSA EMPLOYEES intercepting and sharing the phone calls of U.S. service members and non-governmental aid organizations like the International Red Cross. The damning accounts confirm that abuses of power within the intelligence community are unraveling the privacy of Americans, despite the hollow reassurances from surveillance apologists in Congress. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/new-nsa-whistleblowers : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : EFF Updates * McCain Campaign Feels DMCA Sting The campaign's letter to YouTube highlights the threat that DMCA takedowns pose to fair uses and legitimate political speech. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/mccain-campaign-feels-dmca-sting * Why Hollywood Hates RealDVD The motion picture industry is fighting tooth and nail, not to "fight piracy" but to control innovation. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/why-hollywood-hates-realdvd * Freedom Not Fear 2008 This international campaign seeks to protect fundamental freedoms in the face of a hyperbolic rhetoric of fear. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/freedom-not-fear-2008 * Government Painfully Fuzzy on the Effects of Infringement With misplaced faith in bogus statistics, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce demonstrates that the government's approach to copyright infringement is to flail wildly in the dark. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/government-painfully-fuzzy-effects-infringement : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : miniLinks ~ NSA Spying Overseas: Legal or Not? Marty Lederman asks whether NSA spying on Americans abroad -- as described by new whistleblowers -- is a violation of FISA or the 4th Amendment. http://balkin.blogspot.com/2008/10/was-nsas-indiscriminate-wiretapping-of.html ~ Savage Sued for Takedown Stanford's Fair Use Project says the radio host sent a bogus takedown notice to YouTube. http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/node/5884 ~ Police Put Activists on Terror List Maryland police illegally entered the names of law-abiding political activists into federal databases that track terrorism. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100703245_pf.html For more miniLinks: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/minilinks-2008-10-14 For global miniLinks: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/global-minilinks-2008-10-11 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Announcements * Calling All Students! Join EFF for Less! EFF defends the rights of students -- whether they are researching transit system vulnerabilities or spreading the word about serious e-voting vulnerabilities. If you are a student who cares about digital rights, please consider supporting our work by making a small donation and becoming an EFF member for less than our regular membership price! For the EFF Student Membership donation page: http://secure.eff.org/students * Special EFF Member Discount on "Take Control Ebooks" Our friends at TidBITS Publishing are offering all EFF members a permanent 30% discount on Apple-oriented Take Control ebooks. Written by some of the top names in the Mac world, Take Control ebooks strive to be focused, in-depth, and highly practical. The PDF-based ebooks use carefully designed layout and typography for easy onscreen reading and printing, and they include bookmarks, clickable links, and a "Check for Updates" link that lets readers access free updates and new editions. Best of all? They're totally free of DRM. If you're an EFF member and you'd like to take advantage of this offer, send an email to membership@eff.org to receive the discount voucher code. For the Take Control ebook catalog: http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/catalog.html : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : 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=ep1lxED8qOwQKXCMGXNF0uUbO22fiVav&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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