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In our 619th issue:
The draft chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement on Intellectual Property insists that signatories provide legal incentives for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to privately enforce copyright protection rules. The TPP wants service providers to undertake the financial and administrative burdens of becoming copyright cops, serving a copyright maximalist agenda while disregarding the consequences for Internet freedom and innovation.
(Why is TPP so bad? Be sure to check out our infographic to find out.)
Apple and Samsung would be better off -- and their consumers would be better served -- if the tech giants took their epic patent battle out of the courtroom and into the marketplace. But that didn't happen. Last Friday, the jury found that Samsung infringed a host of Apple's patents and awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages.
This case is the latest in a long line of high-stakes patent litigation that demonstrates a patent system fundamentally unmoored from its constitutional goal.
The New York Times has published two important op-eds highlighting how the National Security Agency (NSA) has retained expansive powers to warrantlessly wiretap Americans after Congress passed the FISA Amendments Act in 2008. And unlike in 2005 -- when the exposure of the NSA's warrantless wiretapping program provoked widespread outrage -- Congress is now all but ignoring ample evidence of wrongdoing, as it debates renewing the FISA Amendments Act before it expires at the end of this year.
EFF Updates
New Federal Anti-SLAPP Legislation Introduced: A Good Start
Senator Jon Kyl (R-AR) has introduced a new federal anti-SLAPP bill called the Free Speech Act of 2012. While the bill doesn’t go nearly far enough, EFF is encouraged to see that Congress is showing renewed interested in passing legislation to prevent so called "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" (SLAPP) that attempt to censor and chill First Amendment protected speech.
EFF Tells Obama's IP Czar To Stand Up For Internet Users
EFF has sent comments to Victoria Espinel, the Obama Administration's "IP Czar," to help shape how U.S. tax dollars are spent on enforcing copyright, trademark, and patent laws for the next two years.
Infographic: Why CDA 230 Is So Important
EFF and Craig Newmark's team at craigconnects have created an infographic about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996. CDA 230 provides websites, blogs, and social networks that host speech with protection against a range of laws that might otherwise hold them legally responsible for what their users say and do.
CA Location Privacy Bill Passes Assembly
Location privacy scored a victory in California when the State Assembly overwhelmingly passed an EFF-sponsored location privacy bill, SB 1434. The bill would require law enforcement to obtain a search warrant anytime it requests location information from an electronic device.
These Drones Are Made For Watchin'
EFF recently received a trove of documents from the FAA in response to our Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, offering new insights into the public and private use of drones in the United States -- including where they're flying, why they're being used, and what their capabilities are.
6th Circuit Kills Location Privacy for Everyone
A day after we filed an amicus brief arguing law enforcement needs a search warrant in order to obtain cell phone tracking data from wireless carriers, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reached the opposite conclusion, killing privacy protections for a large swath of the country.
California District Court Holds that Video Privacy Protection Act Applies to Online Video
The District Court for the Northern District of California issued a ruling that clarifies that the Video Privacy Protection Act applies to online video. The court thereby confirmed what EFF has been arguing for quite some time: that this law protects users' online watching habits.
#Patentfail: Tell Your Story
Fixes to the broken patent system can only come with thorough evidence and analysis, which is why we started our Defend Innovation campaign. But another crucial ingredient is scholarship on the issue. Professor Colleen Chien of Santa Clara University School of Law is conducting a short Patent Demand Survey, and she's looking for your help in collecting relevant data.
UNESCO: Monopolization of Information Puts Barriers to a Better Life
UNESCO is standing up against the privatization of knowledge and the great risk it poses to improving quality of life around the world.
Syrian Activists Launch Petition to Reform Export Controls on Technology
A new petition -- authored by Syrian activist DIshad Othman -- pushes for engagement with Syrian President Assad and asks for two concrete actions: A new general license to clarify exemptions for personal communications and security technologies, and a streamlined process for giving clear formal and informal guidance to companies.
Japan's Copyright Problems: National Policies, ACTA, and TPP
In Japan, Big Content is working closely with policymakers to enact expansive copyright laws in the name of fighting off threats to their profit bottom lines.
This Week In Internet Censorship: South Korea, Burma, Malaysia
This Week in Internet Censorship features free speech crackdowns in South Korea, the abolishment of "pre-censorship" in Burma, and a harmful censorship law in Malaysia.
EFF to Bahraini Government: Release Nabeel Rajab
EFF calls for the release of prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab, who was sentenced to three years in prison for a set of three different charges relating to his participation in protests.
miniLinks
Moroccan Website Targeted by Government-Grade Spyware
A group of Moroccan journalists found that the government was sending spyware disguised as a major news story.
Facebook's Anti-Privacy by Design
A TechCrunch writer addresses five ways Facebook's new changes obscure key privacy warnings.
Korean Court Strikes Down Identity Law
The Korean Constitutional Court struck down a law requiring sites to verify the identity of publishers.
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