INTERNET
Tragedy Jolts Internet Future (ZDNet)
GeoCities Members Complain Over Ads for Adult Sites (CyberTimes)
Court Lays Down the Law on Labels for Web Sites (Cybertimes)
MERGERS
Link Phone Merger to Open Networks, Foes Say (ChiTrib)
ANTITRUST
Almost a Witness, but Definitely a Hot Potato (NYT)
ON THE HILL
House Commerce Hearing Schedule (House)
ARTS
Testimony of Bill Ivey Chairman of the National Endowment
for the Arts Before House Subcommittee (NEA)
INTERNET
TRAGEDY JOLTS INTERNET FUTURE
Issue: Internet/Free Speech
The Internet took us full throttle towards freedom of expression, Berst
writes, the Internet's role in the Colorado tragedy may spark a backlash. A
Gallup Poll suggests Americans think the Internet shares almost as much
blame for the Littleton tragedy as the availability of guns. The Internet
has already caught the attention of Congress and a number of bills have been
introduced to regulate the medium. Privacy is the cause du jour with over 50
proposals flying around the Senate, Berst writes. But ecommerce and taxation
are very much on the radar screen. So is Y2K. Online gambling and sales of
guns and alcohol are also targets. Last week, the Supreme Court denied an
effort to have the Communications Decency Act of '96 ruled
unconstitutional. CDA II, the Child Online Protection Act, awaits an appeal
ruling. See links to similar stories and to "Berst Alerts forum" at the URL
below.
[SOURCE: ZDNet AnchorDesk, AUTHOR: Jesse Berst]
(http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_3341.html)
GEOCITIES MEMBERS COMPLAIN OVER ADS FOR ADULT SITES
Issue: Content/Internet
Some members of the online community GeoCites are disappointed by new policy
that allows adult-themed advertisements on certain areas of the site.
GeoCities has long prohibited its 4 million individual members from posting
pornographic material on their personal Web sites. "We do not allow any
nudity or pornography in GeoCities," new members are told on the site's
community guidelines. When the company began to post advertisements for
adult sites a few months ago, some disgruntled members suggested that the
new policy was a result of GeoCities' acquisition by Yahoo, which has always
allowed advertisements and links to explicit sites. "It's sort of
hypocritical for them," said Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch.
"I would say members have just cause to be upset."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Lisa Napoli]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/30geocities.html)
COURT LAYS DOWN THE LAW ON LABELS FOR WEB SITES
Issue: Internet/E-Commerce/Regulation
A panel of judges from the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San
Francisco addressed the issue of Internet meta tags in a decision issued on
April 22. Meta tags are embedded in HTML code that makes up Web pages. They are
hidden from the consumer, but are critical in driving searches and linking Web
sites. In the case, Brookfield Communications vs. West Coast Entertainment, the
court ruled that it is a trademark infringement for a competitor's trademark in
its meat tag. West Coast Video was using the term "Moviebuff" as a meta tag,
which is a trademark of Brookfield Communications. "Using another's trademark
in one's meta tags is much like posting a sign with another's trademark in
front of one's store," said Judge Dairymaid F. O'Scannlain. However, the court
said that it is lawful for a company to use a meta tag if it is a description.
For example, the court noted a lower court's ruling in the case of Terri
Welles, a former Playmate of the Year, who was using the term Playmate as a
meta tag to her site. The court ruled her use of "Playmate" as a meta tag is
lawful because it is a descriptive term. Likewise, West Coast video can use the
two-word descriptive space "movie buff" -- minding the space between the words.
In addition, the court said a Web site could use a competitor's trademark as a
meta tag if they explicitly refer to the company in the visual portion of the
site compares the competitor's goods or services. Michael Fromkin, a professor
at the University of Miami Law school, says the decision should be praised for
displaying thoughtful consideration and sophisticated understanding of the
Internet.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Carl S. Kaplan ]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/30piracy.html)
MERGERS
LINK PHONE MERGER TO OPEN NETWORKS, FOES SAY
Issue: Mergers
The first of four public hearings in Chicago on the SBC-Ameritech merger was
held Thursday. One Illinois Commerce Commission Commissioner asked an ICC
attorney if the Commission has the authority to require that the local phone
market be opened to competition before approving the merger. The attorney, G
Darryl Reed, answered that the ICC does have the authority and explained how
it could be done procedurally. Ameritech Executive Vice President Kelly
Welsh suggested that would kill the deal, however as the process would take
an additional 6-12 months and would further delay a merger proposed almost
11 months ago. "It's impossible for two companies in this fast-moving
industry to sit in limbo another year," said Mr. Welsh. Commissioners heard
oral arguments from both opponents and proponents of the merger.
Representing the Illinois attorney general, Janice Dale urged the ICC
members to vigorously guard the public interest as state law charges. They
shouldn't regard themselves as having a role "like firefighters who go into
a burning building to try to save the residents, but rather as a fire
prevention team." Hearings will continue today. [For more on the FCC's
review of the SBC-Ameritech merger, see
(http://www.benton.org/Policy/FCC/fcc042999.html)]
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: Jon Van]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9904300358,00.html)
ANTITRUST
ALMOST A WITNESS, BUT DEFINITELY A HOT POTATO
Issue: Antitrust
Michael Dertouzos, director of MIT's laboratory for computer science, agreed
to testify at the Microsoft trial when asked by the company's chairman, Bill
Gates. But Lohr points out that he is an unusual witness. He will testify
that in the interests of simplicity, the distinction between the Internet
browser and the operating system would become "increasingly blurred in the
future." That's music to the ear's of Microsoft's defense lawyers. Mr.
Dertouzos believes that the use of computers must be simplified if
information technology is to make the economy more productive and people's
lives richer -- information should be available through the Internet at or
away from the desktop and with easy commands..."a steering wheel, a gas
pedal and a brake, so to speak." Mr. Dertouzos will not accept an expert
witness fee (usually $1,000/hr) and will not allow himself to be coached by
Microsoft lawyers: "I would like to behave and be treated as a judge's
witness rather than as Microsoft's witness in the European tradition of
being neutral," he said. "And I did not want to be prepared in any way by
Microsoft attorneys." In deposition, Mr. Dertouzos' value as a defense
witness fell when he testified that "Historically and today, it is the case
that browsers are treated as applications, yes." He also offered that he
sees the future of the information age differently than Mr. Gates: a key
disagreement between the two men, Dertouzos said, was "my statement that the
new world of information, if left to its own devices, would increase the gap
between rich and poor." He added, "Gates felt it would shrink it." Mr.
Dertouzos' deposition has been used by the Dept of Justice.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C8), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/biztech/articles/30soft.html)
ON THE HILL
HOUSE COMMERCE HEARING SCHEDULE
Issue: Legislation
Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing
on Reauthorization of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA), originally scheduled for Thursday 4/29, was postponed
-- no new date has been set. Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and
Consumer Protection hearing on H.R. 942, the Broadcast Ownership for the
21st Century Act, orginally scheduled for Tuesday 5/4, has been postponed --
no new date has been set.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://www.house.gov/commerce/schedule.htm)
ARTS
TESTIMONY OF BILL IVEY CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
BEFORE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE
Issue: Arts
On Wednesday, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Bill Ivey testified
in support of President's request for $150 million for the agency in 2000.
Chairman Ivey told the House Subcommittee on the Interior that the Endowment
has developed a strategic plan to help realize the goal of placing arts at
the center of community life in America. The plan outlined five major areas:
arts education, broadening access to the arts, after school programs for
young people at risk, preservation of cultural heritage, and building
community-based partnerships. Chairman Ivey noted that in addition to the
strategic plan, the NEA has increased accountability by strengthening the
selection and evaluation processes for grantees. At the end of testimony,
Ivey made an impassioned plea to the subcommittee for help in enhancing the
lives of all Americans through the arts: "....if we really want to place the
arts in America where we know, in our hearts, they belong -- at the very
center of our lives -- we must make the power of the arts available to all
our citizens, and we must use that power to strengthen communities and families.
[SOURCE: NEA, April 28, 1999, AUTHOR: Bill Ivey (Testimony)]
(http://www.arts.endow.gov/endownews/news99/fy00testimony.html)
--------------------------------------------------------------
...and we are outta here. Spring out and enjoy the weekend -- go ahead...the
boss ain't looking.