EFFector Vol. 21, No. 39 November 21, 2008 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : In our 491st issue: * EFF IS HELPING A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER IN NEW YORK CITY FIGHT BACK after her parody website was shut down by a baseless copyright infringement and cybersquatting lawsuit. Savitri Durkee is an activist concerned about the future of New York City's historic Union Square neighborhood. She created a website parodying the official website of the Union Square Partnership (USP), a group backing extensive redevelopment of the area. USP responded with a battery of heavy-handed legal claims. However, Durkee's parody is protected by the First Amendment and the fair use doctrine. EFF is fighting to make sure that USP's efforts at censoring a politically-engaged citizen's free speech will not stand. For the EFF press release about the case: http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/11/18 * EFF ENCOURAGED A KENTUCKY COURT OF APPEALS TO OVERTURN A BASELESS COURT ORDER TO SEIZE 141 DOMAIN NAMES. The Commonwealth of Kentucky originally convinced a state court to "seize" 141 domain names because the names allegedly constituted "gambling devices" that are banned under Kentucky law -- even though the sites were owned and operated by individuals outside of the state, and in many cases even outside of the country. The court's theory -- that a state court can order the seizure of Internet domain names regardless of where the site is registered -- is not only wrong but also dangerous. If the mere ability to access a website gives every court on the planet the authority to seize a domain name if a site's content is in some way inconsistent with local law, the laws of the world's most repressive regimes will effectively control cyberspace. For the EFF press release about the amicus brief: http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2008/11/13 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : EFF Updates * What Obama Can and Should Do to Stop Telecom Immunity Newly elected President Obama can make good on his opposition to telecom immunity by stopping the implementation of the immunity scheme he criticized as a candidate. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/11/what-obama-can-and-should-do-stop-telecom-immunity * EFF Joins Coalition in Publishing New Policy Roadmap Titled "Liberty and Security: Recommendations for the Next Administration and Congress," the document is a comprehensive catalog of policy recommendations on many critical civil liberties issues. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/11/coalition-policy-roadmap * Tennessee Governor Signs Campus Network Filtering Law The ridiculous new law gives entertainment industry giants the ability to hold struggling Tennessee universities hostage through the use of infringement notices. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/11/riaa-wins-campuses-lose-tennessee-governor-signs-c * Bogus Jones Day Trademark Claims Allowed to Go Forward Judge refuses to dismiss bogus trademark claims against a website's fair use of a law firm's name in an article headline. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/11/judge-allows-bogus-jones-day-trademark-claims-go-f * Google Is Done Paying Silicon Valley's Legal Bills The Google Book Search settlement portends a shift in the distribution of legal burdens on innovators. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/11/further-thoughts-google-book-search-settlement * FCC Unanimously Approves Use of Television "White Spaces" Enthusiastic approval from the FCC brings wireless broadband many steps closer to the public. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/11/fcc-unanimously-approves-use-television-white-spac : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : miniLinks ~ Massive Study on Kids' Online Activities Published The MacArthur-funded collection of research is a welcome departure from fear-driven reports on kids' and teens' Internet use. http://www.boingboing.net/2008/11/20/digital-youth-projec.html ~ Electronic Frontiers Australia Opposes Net Filtering Plan EFA presents the facts against the government's "clean feed" censorship plan, providing helpful information on combating moral panic in Australia and beyond. http://nocleanfeed.com/learn.html ~ Mobile Phone Surveillance Primer MobileActive.org, a mobile phone-based activism organization, recently published an informative guide to mobile phone surveillance. http://mobileactive.org/wiki/Mobile_Surveillance-A_Primer : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Announcements * Apply for the Google Policy Fellowship and Work with EFF Are you interested in technology law and policy? Do you want to use your skills to make a difference? Then apply for a Google Policy Fellowship to work at EFF in the summer of 2009! Google has kindly offered to provide the Google Policy Fellow with a $7000 stipend to work at EFF for a minimum of 10 weeks in June-August 2009. Applications are due on Friday, December 12th. Students who are accepted will be notified by Friday, February 13th. For more about EFF's policy work and projects: http://www.google.com/policyfellowship/hosts.html For the Google Policy Fellowship application: http://www.google.com/policyfellowship/ * EFF's New NSA Spying T-Shirts We recently produced a new graphic to accompany our recent case against the government, Jewel v. NSA, challenging the Bush administration's illegal spying program. The graphic retools the NSA's logo and features a glowering eagle using his talons to illegally plug into the nation's telecommunications system -- with the help of telecom giant AT&T. With a donation of $65 or more you can help us continue the fight against illegal spying and receive a shirt (as well as other premiums) in return. Your support makes our work possible! Thank you! For a close up of the design: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/effs-new-nsa-spying-shirts To make a donation to EFF: http://secure.eff.org/friends2008 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : 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/
