Centre for Internet and Society

In this editorial, Paul M. Schwartz asks the question: "How can we know if law enforcement is using its surveillance capacities in the most effective fashion?" and points out that "neither the government nor outside experts know the basic facts about our surveillance practices." "Ideally, we would answer these questions by examining data about government surveillance practices and their results. Sadly, rational inquiry about telecommunications surveillance is prevented by the haphazard and incomplete information that the government collects about its own behavior."

Bangalore: The long-pending Bill to curb piracy of Kannada cinemas and songs is likely to become a reality during the budget session of the State Legislature, according to sources in Kannada cinema industry.

Concise and technically sound.

On considering copyright as a crime. Includes a lengthy quotation by Sir Hugh Laddie.

The papers presented here seem to be from a wide range of backgrounds. Some from a social perspective (identities, etc.), and others from technical perspectives (identity management using FOAF, OpenID, etc.), still others from a legal perspective. Quite interesting.

References to the concept of hyperlinking and other futuristic ideas in this 1945 article from The Atlantic.

"The WTO Analytical Index". Basically, a single document containing both the text of TRIPS as well as its interpretation by various countries.

This part of the report is false: "Noting that many countries have complained about the Google Earth application, he said that pursuant to the controversy the internet company had agreed to "fuzzy and low-resolution or distorted" images of sensitive military and scientific establishments on the web."

Janet Rae-Dupree launches a scathing criticism of the Bayh-Dole Act.

An article describing the Peer to Patent scheme.

Dan Solove's publications list. Links to all his SSRN articles.

* Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual both to hold and express opinions and to seek and receive information; it is the basis of democracy; and it is at the core of library service. * Freedom of access to information, regardless of medium and frontiers, is a central responsibility of the library and information profession. * The provision of unhindered access to the Internet by libraries and information services supports communities and individuals to attain freedom, prosperity and development. * Barriers to the flow of information should be removed, especially those that promote inequality, poverty, and despair.

An excellent legal analysis of caching and its implications on copyright law.

Points to articles by Boyle and others to draw linkages (practical, not theoretical) between OA and IP.

EU Council conclusions on the development of legal offers of online cultural and creative content and the prevention and combating of piracy in the digital environment.

The Barbie parody case, which was a) thrown out as being frivilous, with b) an attorney's fee order of millions!

Excellent collection of articles on the public conciousness of the law (the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act) and its interactions with everyday affairs (video piracy).