Information as Public Domain: Access through Libraries This is a declaration from an international conference in Russia held last month. The link only has the declaration in English with the program listed in Russian. Be that as it may, it’s a good reminder that the entire world is interested in information access and that the [...]
There’s an interesting discussion of the “Inducing Infringment of Copyrights Act” over at The Importance of…, a blog by Ernest Miller. Senate Bill 2560 was introduced by Senator Orin Hatch on June 22, 2004. Strangely enough, the cosponsors are Leahy, Frist, Daschle, Graham of South Carolina, and Boxer. Strange bedfellows to say the least. Read [...]
A new Flash movie describing the Creative Commons has just come out. View it, download it, share it, mix it, create new culture! It’s … Reticulum Rex.
Ars Technica: Apple’s iTunes Music Store: dissed by Microsoft, breakin’ some machines, and facing challenges by Ken “Caesar” Fisher. (10/2003). This article analyzes some of the technical issues as well as the and DRM social issues.
The Register Oct. 20, 2003. “Microsoft monopoly says Apple monopoly is too restrictive” By Andrew Orlowski. Microsoft warns consumers that the Windows-based version of iTunes is a “closed system.” There’s plenty of irony in seeing one monopoly accuse another monopoly of restricting users’ choices. But monopolies they both are.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has released a new Flash movie aimed at explaining what’s good and what’s at risk with file-sharing. Check out the“Great MP3 Caper”. [shout out toboing boing]
From the Ethicist column of yesterday’s NYT Magazine. Here’s an interesting dilemma: to give or not to give a sibling who’s a non-offiliated student the password to a university library’s article databases? While the succinct answer–”if you’re unauthorized, then you shouldn’t accept the offer”–is pretty cut-and-dried, there are larger issues of freedom of information, fair [...]
“Fair use under fire”, from the latest Library Journal, talks about the consequences of digital rights management on fair use. This is a critical issue that doesn’t get talked about at all in the midst of the RIAA PR juggernaut against “pirates”. (props to the shifted librarian!)