INTERNET
Libraries Win Net Filtering Delay (USA)
BROADBAND
Lawmaker Wants Baby Bell Fines On Dereg Bill (Newsbytes)
Canadian Satellite Firm Aims To Boost Two-Way Broadband (Newsbytes)
COPYRIGHT
House Subcommittee Questions Need For Compulsory License (Newsbytes)
Music Execs Find New Target (WIRED)
INTERNET
LIBRARIES WIN NET FILTERING DELAY
Issue: Internet
A U.S. District Court agreement was made over lawsuits challenging the
Children's Internet Protection Act that gives public libraries until July
2002 to certify that they are utilizing Internet filtering required by the
law. The new federal law passed last year required libraries and schools to
install software on computers by July 31 that filters out Web material
considered "obscene," "harmful to minors," or "child pornography." The
American Civil Liberties Union and the American Library Association pressed
lawsuits against the regulation challenging that, with respect to libraries,
the law violates freedom of speech.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2001-05-16-net-filter-delay.htm)
BROADBAND
LAWMAKER WANTS BABY BELL FINES ON DEREG BILL
Issue: Broadband
House Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton,
(R-MI), has introduced a measure that would increase fines for Bell
telephone companies that violate state and federal competition laws. Upton
wants to attach the bill as an amendment to "The Internet Freedom and
Broadband Deployment Act," which would remove requirements that force baby
Bell companies to lease their local lines to competing providers of
broadband Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services. The bill would allow
former Bell companies to enter the long distance data market without having
to comply with regulations forcing them to show they have adequately opened
their local markets to competitors. Oppents of the broadband bill say it
would kill competition for local telephone service and put competitive local
exchange carriers and competing DSL companies out of business.
[SOURCE: NewsBytes, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165850.html)
CANADIAN SATELLITE FIRM AIMS TO BOOST TWO-WAY BROADBAND
Issue: Broadband
Canada's satellite operator, Telesat, announced that it will soon begin
testing faster two-way broadband Internet connections via satellite that
cost less in order to provide wider access to schools, businesses,
telecommuters and businesses, and to remote parts of the country. Satellite
Internet service typically uploads much slower than it downloads data, in
the range of kilobits per second, but Telesat will offer bandwidth of up to
2 megabits per second for uploading with less expensive equipment required.
Costly equipment could be connected to a community network in a high density
area, or use an inexpensive antenna system right at individual homes or
organizations, says Paul Bush, vice president of Telesat. Satellite
Internet connections serve approximately 10 percent of the 16,500 schools in
Canada. "So, as a means of connecting Canada's schools, satellites are a
very important component," Bush said. "The next step is to provide a
high-speed links from the schools back to the network."
[SOURCE: Newsbytes, AUTHOR: Steven Bonisteel]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165846.html)
COPYRIGHT
HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE QUESTIONS NEED FOR COMPULSORY LICENSE
Issue: Copyright
Seeking to impress lawmakers with their newfound friendship and a brand new
technology, digital music providers and record companies asked a House
subcommittee to consider a compulsory licensing regime, under which the
government would set royalty rates to be paid to either the copyright holder
or deposited into a government account and redistributed to the various
copyright owners. Music publishers and at least one notable artist, however,
chafed at the prospect. Singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett - said he and the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) believe
compulsory licenses would unfairly take away the copyright owner' right to
negotiate licenses on their own terms.
[SOURCE: NewsBytes, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs]
(http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/165848.html)
MUSIC EXECS FIND NEW TARGET
Issue: Copyright
Yesterday, the Digital Music Industry told the House Internet and
Intellectual Property Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee that national
copyright laws needed to be overhauled in order for an online music industry
to grow and prosper. Songwriters and music publishers who are paid through
royalty payments criticized the statement. "Music publishing issues stand
out as the most significant potential impediment to launching great
subscription services," said RealNetworks Inc. CEO Rob Glaser, who
demonstrated the distribution service MusicNet in the wake of royalty-free
Napster's demise. MP3.com's president Robin Richards is required by law to
get permission from thousands of musicians before archiving their music on
its Web site, and as an alternative, is asking Congress to legislate a flat
pay-per-song royalty rate.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.wired.com/news/mp3/0,1285,43898,00.html)
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