EDTECH
Internet Filters Used to Shield Minors Censor Speech, Critics Say
(NYT)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Big Media v. Freelancers: The Justices at the Digital Divide (NYT)
INTERNET
Flaws in Computer Voting Make Paper More Accurate (WSJ)
For Some, The Net's Free Ride Is Ending (USA)
FCC
FCC Starts Setting Aside TV Channels For Auction (USA)
AT&T Gets a Reprieve From FCC On Shedding of Cable-TV Assets (WSJ)
EDTECH
INTERNET FILTERS USED TO SHIELD MINORS CENSOR SPEECH, CRITICS SAY
Issue: EdTech
In December, lawmakers passed a bill requiring federally financed schools
and libraries to use a "technology protection measure" like filters to block
access to obscene material, child pornography and anything considered to be
"harmful to minors." The new law bars schools and libraries that do not
comply from receiving federal money from a number of sources. Both the
American Civil Liberties Union and The American Library Association plan to
file suits this week to overturn the law, known as the Children's Internet
Protection Act. The groups contend that even the best filtering programs are
still rough tools that tend to let objectionable sites slip through while
blocking legitimate sites like Planned Parenthood. Ann Beeson, a lawyer for
the American Civil Liberties Union, said the new act would create a "dumbed-
down version of the Internet" for students at poorer schools, which have the
fewest alternatives to federal aid.
[SOURCE: New York Times (Online), AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/19/technology/19FILT.html)
(requires registration)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
BIG MEDIA V. FREELANCERS: THE JUSTICES AT THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Issue: Intellectual Property
A group of angry freelance writers have sued publishing giants like The New
York Times Company and Time Inc., arguing that electronic archives like
Lexis-Nexis allow their work to unfairly appropriated. On March 28, after a
seven-year fight that produced contradictory lower court decisions, the
freelancers' case will be argued before the United States Supreme Court. The
writers argue that the solution lies in a rights clearinghouse, akin to the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, which licenses
performance rights for music owned by Ascap members. Publishers and database
operators have argued that integrity of electronic archives would suffer if
publishers had to pay freelancers for copyrights.
[SOURCE: New York Times (B1), AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer And Ralph
Blumenthal]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/19/technology/19TASI.html)
(requires registration)
INTERNET
FLAWS IN COMPUTER VOTING MAKE PAPER MORE ACCURATE
Issue: Internet
Rebecca Mercuri, who teaches computer science at Bryn Mawr College and is an
authority on voting systems, expertise is suddenly in great demand. She
says, "the idea of running an election on the
Internet is totally horrifying." With Florida post-mortems in full swing,
pressure to mend broken ballot systems is mounting. It seems only natural to
sweep away clunky levers and the now-notorious chads and replace them with
gleaming computer screens. But Ms. Mercuri and other respected scientists
caution against that. According to Ms. Mercuri, completely computerized
voting systems can give us accountable ballots or anonymous ballots, but not
both. Any system that can be audited to assure that votes were captured and
counted correctly will jeopardize the privacy of the ballot. Measures that
protect voter anonymity make it difficult to verify an election's accuracy.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Online), AUTHOR: Tom Weber]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB984949381206720473.htm)
FOR SOME, THE NET'S FREE RIDE IS ENDING
Issue: Internet
As more Internet companies charge for services that used to be free,
customers are turning away. Still, the companies say they're willing to take
a short-term hit to secure a long-term future. "We look at this as a way to
generate additional revenue and eliminate heavy users," says Tom Vos,
president of Free Edgar, an Internet firm that alerts users of such things
as company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "We've gone
from zero in all cases to several users who are paying $1,000 a month." Mr.
Vos says he's willing to lose some advertising revenue, if needed, in
exchange for fees. Indeed, creating a sustainable business model is the goal
of a growing number of Net firms that are starting to charge. "It's a
natural progression of the customer-vendor relationship. Businesses may
initially lose business, but in the long term it pays off," says analyst
Jill Frankle of Gomez Advisors. The number of Web sites starting to charge
for formerly free services has accelerated as online advertising has dipped.
[SOURCE: USA Today (Online), AUTHOR: Jon Swartz]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-03-19-freebies.htm)
FCC
AT&T GETS A REPRIEVE FROM FCC ON SHEDDING OF CABLE-TV ASSETS
Issue: Cable
The Federal Communications Commission on Friday gave AT&T a reprieve,
telling the telecommunications powerhouse that the agency would suspend a
looming deadline by which it must shed some cable-television assets. The
move will give AT&T some breathing room in its negotiations with AOL Time
Warner, which is considering buying AT&T's 25.5% stake in Time Warner
Entertainment, an AT&T-AOL joint venture. The FCC also moved to dismantle a
vestige of international telephone-service rate regulation known as
"tariffing," and took steps to clear additional spectrums for
wireless-communications service. On the tariffing matter, the FCC a year ago
began eliminating the requirement for long-distance companies to file
tariffs listing their rates for domestic long-distance service. Friday, the
regulators began phasing out the requirement to file tariffs on most
international service.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Deborah
Solomon And Mark Wigfield]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB984959010998256422.htm)
FCC STARTS SETTING ASIDE TV CHANNELS FOR AUCTION
Issue: Spectrum
The government took steps Friday to speed auction of airwaves set aside to
broadcast TV channels 52 through 59. Those stations could soon be used to
offer consumers new services, like wireless high-speed Internet access. It's
tied to the bigger process of broadcasters switching from analog to digital
television. Once that is complete, all TV stations will be broadcasting only
in digital and will occupy channels 2 through 51. Already the FCC plans an
auction of the broadcast channels 60 through 69 in September. Wireless
carriers are expected to bid aggressively for those licenses, even though
some may have to wait before they can begin using it. Auctions for channels
52 through 59 must occur before September of 2002. Roughly 265 TV stations
operating on those channels currently hold those licenses. The commission,
under its action Friday, sought comment on possible steps to expedite the
voluntary agreements between auction winners and broadcasters and on
licensing rules for that portion of the airwaves.
[SOURCE: USA Today (Omline), AUTHOR: Associated press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/review/2001-03-16-dtv.htm)
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