Communications-related Headlines for 8/30/01

INTERNET POLICY
Keep Digital Copyright Law Intact, Agency Says (WP)
Online Privacy Policies Decried (WP)

EDTECH
Eliminating the Digital Divide (WP)
Separating Students From Smut (Wired)

ANTITRUST
European Union Expands Antitrust Probe of Microsoft (NYT)

INNOVATION
Remembering a Tech Humanist (WP)

INTERNET POLICY

KEEP DIGITAL COPYRIGHT LAW INTACT, AGENCY SAYS
Issue: Copyright
The U.S. Copyright Office said yesterday that it sees no need for major
changes to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but did recommend changes
to rules regarding personal copies of digital works. In the report, lawyers
said it is too early to assess whether the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
of 1998 is a success or a failure. Much of the report focuses on the "first
sale doctrine," a portion of traditional copyright law that allows people
who purchase items such as books, CDs and software to pass them on to a
family member or friend. Book publishers have said the first-sale privilege
shouldn't extend to electronic media because lending a copy of something
digital often means a duplicate is made. The copyright office refused to
take sides, although it said it saw no justification for modifying the law
at this time. "The fact that we do not recommend adopting a 'digital first
sale' provision at this time does not mean that the issues raised by
libraries are not potentially valid concerns," the report reads. The report
does recommend that the law be amended to allow users to make backup copies
of software they purchase, as well as to make archives of material
maintained in their computers.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E01), AUTHOR: Ariana Eunjung Cha]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16744-2001Aug29.html)

ONLINE PRIVACY POLICIES DECRIED
Issue: Privacy
A new study released by the Center for Democracy and Technology finds that
consumers going online for financial services often face confusing,
inconvenient or inadequate means of controlling whether their personal data
can be shared with other firms. Mortgage brokers with Internet sites were
found to be particularly lax in giving online consumers some choice over the
use of the information. "The price of opening a checking account [or other
financial services] should not be that your personal information is traded,
sold or swapped," said Peter Swire, a banking-law specialist and visiting
professor at George Washington University's law school. Under a law that
took effect in July, financial services companies are required to notify
customers of their privacy policies and allow consumers to opt out of having
their personal information shared with other, non-affiliated firms, such as
telemarketing companies. In the most egregious example cited by the report,
mortgage lender Ameriwest Mortgage LLC of Bellevue, Wash., had a
privacy-policy page that offered to send potential customers the names of
other satisfied consumers. :-)
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E03), AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16683-2001Aug29.html)

EDTECH

ELIMINATING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: A LIVE CONVERSATION WITH GOVERNOR ANGUS KING
Issue: Digital Divide
Today, Washingtonpost.com is hosting a live, online discussion with the
governor of Maine, Angus King. Last year, Gov. King proposed using a state
budget surplus to place a laptop computer in the hands of every seventh
grader in the state of Maine. This year, Gov. King's plan was approved for
both seventh and eighth graders. In a recent Wired Radio News interview,
Gov. King outlined the details of the approval and the concerns the state
now faces in preparing for the program. The interview may be accessed at the
URL below at 1 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2001.
[SOURCE: Washington Post]
(http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/01/school_king0830.htm)
See Also:
GOV'S LAPTOP PLAN APPROVED
[SOURCE: Wired News Radio, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,45866,00.html)

SEPARATING STUDENTS FROM SMUT
Issue: EdTech
The Children's Internet Protection Act requires that by Oct. 28, schools
must certify that they are either in compliance with Internet filtering
requirements, or are in the process of becoming compliant by evaluating
blocking software. Failure to comply places the schools at risk of losing
federal Ed tech money. According to the Consortium for School Networking, 75
percent of schools use filtering already. And while some believe the federal
mandate to be essential in protecting children, others believe that
individual school districts should make their own decisions about Internet
use. The staff at the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas,
has focused their energy on teaching Internet literacy. "We do not currently
use any kinds of filtering or technology blocking system, which is kind of
unusual," said Bob Moore, the executive director of Information Technology
services. "In our opinion, a filtering system implies a guarantee. There is
not a filtering system that is foolproof."
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,45804,00.html)

ANTITRUST

EUROPEAN UNION EXPANDS ANTITRUST PROBE OF MICROSOFT
Issue: Antitrust
European Union regulators widened their investigation into Microsoft on
Thursday, warning the U.S. software giant may be violating antitrust laws by
tying its Media Player into its Windows operating system. The European
Commission also alleged Microsoft may have used ``illegal practices'' to
extend dominance in personal computers into server markets. The EU is
concerned that by bundling its Media Player, which allows consumers to see
and hear audio and video files, into its dominant Windows operating systems,
Microsoft may be depriving computer makers and consumers of ``free choice''
over which brand of player they want to use ``as there are no ready
technical means to remove or uninstall'' it, the Commission alleged.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-EU-Microsoft.html)

INNOVATION

REMEMBERING A TECH HUMANIST
Issue: Innovation
Michael L. Dertouzos, who directed MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science
(LCS) for almost 30 years, spent most of his life striving to make
technology more accessible to the public. Dertouzos died of heart failure
Monday after battling a long illness at the age of 64. Under Dertouzos'
leadership, the LCS became one of the largest research labs at MIT and
currently hosts the North American division of the World Wide Web
Consortium. "If it hadn't been for Michael, there would not probably have
been a World Wide Web Consortium," said Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the
World Wide Web and the director of W3C. "He was a spring of enthusiasm,
capability, insight and experience, which drove a half-formed idea of W3C
into an international reality.... He will be dearly missed." He is survived
by his wife and two daughters.
[SOURCE: Wired New, AUTHOR: Julia Scheeres]
(http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,46433,00.html)

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