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College Anti-Piracy Law Goes Into Effect
Provision of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires that colleges and universities put in place plans “to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution’s network” or risk losing their eligibility for federal student aid. The war against illegal file-sharing inched forward yesterday in dramatic fashion as a
Continue reading »Pirate Bay Rallies Against UK Anti-Piracy Act
Earlier this month the Digital Economy Act was forced through by the UK Government. Under the new law copyright holders have the power to spy on those who infringe their rights, which may ultimately lead to file-sharers being disconnected from the Internet. In addition, copyright holders can urge the Government to close websites without the hassle of going through the courts.
Continue reading »A user’s timetable to the Digital Economy Act
P2P: What happens next? Now that the Digital Economy Act has been passed by both Houses, what can internet users expect, and when? Quick answer: nothing much soon.…
Continue reading »School laptop spy case prompts Wiretap Act rethink
When Pennsylvania’s Lower Merion school district installed remote control anti-theft software on student laptops, it had no intention of dragging Congress into a national debate about wiretapping laws and webcams—but that’s exactly what it got (in addition to some unwanted FBI attention and a major lawsuit ). The key question: should the school’s alleged actions be made illegal under US wiretap law? The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee of Crime and Drugs schlepped out of DC today and wound up in Philadelphia’s US District Court, Courtroom 3B, to hold a field hearing on “video laptop surveillance.” The trigger issue was Lower Merion, which stands accused of using the anti-theft software to remotely peep on students using their own webcams, even outside of school hours .
Continue reading »Canadian MP Introduces $75(?) iPod Tax
Charlie Angus proposes amendments to the Copyright Act that “will ensure that artists are getting paid for their work, and that consumers aren’t criminalized for moving their legally-obtained music from one format to another.” The so-called “iPod tax” is resurfacing in Canada with news that New Democratic Party MP Charlie Angus has introduced a a pair of proposals to amend the country’s Copyright Act. One would extend the Private Copying Levy, first established back in 1997, to portable media players like iPods. Specifically, C-499 says the tax will cover any “device that contains a permanently embedded data storage medium, including solid state or hard disk, designed, manufactured and advertised for the purpose of copying sound recordings, excluding any prescribed kind of recording device.” This would finally give consumers some much needed control over legally purchased products while simultaneously opening up a new revenue stream for artists in the downloading age.
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