BROADBAND
F.C.C. Chief Faces Setback on Deregulation
INTERNET
Liberties Group Opposes Internet Blocking
Original Journalism Lacking on the Internet
COPYRIGHT
Compromise Copyright Bill in Works
BROADBAND
F.C.C. CHIEF FACES SETBACK ON DEREGULATION
Facing a Thursday morning deadline, FCC Chairman Michael Powell is expected
to issue a rare dissent on the approval of a compromise plan regarding local
telephone access, making him the first F.C.C. chairman to do so in over a
decade. The plan, forged as part of an internal coup led by Commissioner
Kevin J. Martin, would allow state regulators to set the rates at which
local incumbents must lease their infrastructure to competitors, including
long distance providers. Powell believes that parts of the plan will not
pass muster in the courts, and indeed his dissent would open the door to
additional judicial scrutiny.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/20/business/20PHON.html)
INTERNET
LIBERTIES GROUP OPPOSES INTERNET BLOCKING
Pennsylvania's Attorney General and a Washington-based civil liberties group
are wrestling over a controversial state anti-pornography law. The act
requires ISPs to block access to Web sites containing child pornography, a
measure which the Center for Democracy and Technology says unfairly blocks
innocent surfers from accessing legal sites hosted on the same server. "It's
sort of this weird world where we're not prosecuting the people producing
child pornography," said Alan Davidson, CDT's associate director.
Pennsylvania AG Mike Fisher claims that the law has worked "in every case,"
and the two sides will meet Thursday to discuss potential legal
ramifications.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ted Bridis]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33761-2003Feb20.html)
ORIGINAL JOURNALISM LACKING ON THE INTERNET
[COMMENTARY] Despite the appearance of independent online chroniclers, or
"bloggers," the Internet has not panned out as the "last great frontier of
original journalism" it was cracked up to be, says Antonia Zerbisias.
Bloggers love to comment but rarely do their own investigative reporting or
go out to cover a story, and even more serious online journalism is being to
wilting under financial woes. Even Salon.com, one of the better-known
alternative news sites that even had a creative fee structure, is facing a
money crisis. In its securities filing last week, Salon.com warns that one
of the many factors that threaten its future is that its content "is
politically and culturally controversial ..."
[SOURCE: Toronto Star, AUTHOR: Antonia Zerbisias]
(http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Arti
cle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1035777882501&call_page=TS_Entertainment&call_pageid
=968867495754&call_pagepath=A&E/News)
COPYRIGHT
COMPROMISE COPYRIGHT BILL IN WORKS
A bill to be introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) may be the happy
medium sought by the recording industry and tech manufacturers. The measure
would require manufacturers to clearly label consumer electronics devices or
media that contain anticopying protections. "I want people to walk into
every store in America and see that the product they're about to buy has
restrictions," Wyden said. A compromise bill is more likely to see debate
than a more extreme measure, observers say, in a Congress distracted by war
and economic concerns.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: John Borland]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-985207.html?tag=fd_top)
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