EFFector Vol. 22, No. 20 July 3, 2009 editor@eff.org A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ISSN 1062-9424 : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : In our 513th issue: * EFF SUES DOJ FOR PUBLIC RELEASE OF FBI SURVEILLANCE RULES. EFF filed suit against the Department of Justice this week, demanding the public release of the "Domestic Investigative Operational Guidelines" that govern surveillance of Americans by the FBI. "Americans have the right to know the basic surveillance policies used by federal investigators and how their privacy is -- or is not -- being protected," explains EFF Senior Counsel David Sobel. For the full press release: http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/06/23 * ASCAP MAKES OUTLANDISH COPYRIGHT CLAIMS ON CELL PHONE RING TONES. EFF urged a federal court Wednesday to reject bogus copyright claims in a ringtone royalty battle that could raise costs for consumers, jeopardize consumer rights, and curtail new technological innovation. As part of a ploy to squeeze more money out of mobile phone companies, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) has told a federal court that each time a phone rings in a public place, the phone user has violated copyright law. Therefore, ASCAP argues, phone carriers must pay additional royalties or face legal liability for contributing to what they claim is cell phone users' copyright infringement. In an amicus brief filed Wednesday, EFF points out that copyright law does not reach public performances "without any purpose of direct or indirect commercial advantage" -- clearly the case with cell phone ringtones. If phone users are not infringing copyright law, then mobile phone service providers are not contributing to any infringement. For the full press release: http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/07/02 For the blog post: http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/06/ascap-wants-be-paid- For more on this case: http://www.eff.org/cases/us-v-ascap : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : EFF Updates * Google and HTTPS Google's announcement that it's going to be offering strong encryption for gmail messages was heartening. The next step is to figure out how to offer encrypted search capability! http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/06/several-facts-about- * Into the DTV Era, With No Broadcast Flag Mandate Entertainment industries like to argue that they "need" DRM to make works available, and policymakers have eagerly adopted this argument. But when the bluff is called, it turns out that DRM wasn't so necessary after all. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/06/dtv-era-no-broadcast * Help Protesters in Iran: Run a Tor Bridge or a Tor Relay Internet users in Iran are using Tor to both (a) circumvent censorship systems and (b) remain anonymous while reading and writing on the Internet. Both are critically important to the safety of protesters, many of whom fear retaliation from the government. Preliminary reports indicate that use of the Tor client in Iran has increased in the days after the contested election. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/06/help-protesters-iran-run-tor-relays-bridges : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : miniLinks ~ Surveillance in Iran vs. Surveillance in the US Iran has an Internet monitoring center built by Nokia and Siemens AG -- what kind of domestic spying is happening in the US? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-ostertag/how-do-you-say-overcollec_b_219258.html ~ Data Shows Music Fans Are Willing to Buy TopSpin and Nettwerk have experimented with premium discs, free albums, and free shows and have found that fans are still more than willing to pay. http://techdirt.com/articles/20090618/1858245284.shtml ~ Panasonic Blocking Use of Third-Party Batteries A firmware update to some Pansonic cameras is preventing consumers from using their choice of battery, forcing users to buy only "genuine" Panasonic batteries. http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/16087-Panasonic-camera-firmware-update-blocks-3rd-party-batteries.html ~ Endless Privacy Concerns After Clear Shuts Down What happens to all the fingerprints, iris scans, and Social Security numbers collected by the Clear registered traveler service? http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/06/where-will-registered-traveler-fingerprints-go-its-un-clear ~ Electronic Arts' New Motto: Please Pirate our Games...er, Storefronts The video game publisher seeks to move beyond piracy by selling games that, as a rule, encourage payment for an improved experience, like access to the game community and better content. http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/06/eas-new-motto-please-pirate-our-games-er-storefronts.ars ~ Musician Makes $19k on Twitter; $0 on Major Label Solo Album Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls recounts recent examples of using Twitter to reach out to fans directly and garner direct support for her creative efforts, while her major label album sales net nothing. http://techdirt.com/articles/20090623/2337095343.shtml ~ Does a Private Company Own City Bus Travel Times? A controversy is brewing over NextBus Information Systems, which shut down an iPhone app by claiming to have exclusive ownership of bus arrival data. http://sfappeal.com/news/2009/06/who-owns-sfmta-arrival-data.php : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Announcements * Intern Opportunity! EFF is looking for a summer intern to help in our development and media departments. This is an unpaid, full-time position. Projects will include: -Working on our annual report and contacting major donors and foundations (40% of time); -Assisting with membership fulfillment and bulk mailing (40% of time); and -Identifying and organizing press clippings (20% of time). Excellent writing and editing skills, strong organizational abilities, and the capacity to take instruction and run with it is a must. Interest in development and/or public relations as a career is a plus, as is knowledge and familiarity with EFF's issues. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and writing sample to: alyssa@eff.org * Volunteer at EFF! EFF is looking for volunteers to assist with operations in our membership department. If you're quick, organized, detail-oriented, and looking for a hands-on way to support EFF, contact us today! Duties include: * Membership fulfillment * Organizing premiums * Print mailing * Event assistance Learn about fundraising operations in the nonprofit world while supporting your favorite organization in a tangible way! Interest in grassroots fundraising is a plus, as is knowledge and familiarity with EFF's issues. Send a letter of interest to aaron@eff.org * IT Equipment for EFF Offices We are looking for donations of computer equipment to support EFF's office operations. As thanks for your donation, we can offer a free membership and, of course, some cool swag. Requested Items: - 2 x 2TB external USB hard drives, preferably Western Digital. Or a larger number of smaller drives with the same interface. - PATA IDE hard drives, 20GB or larger Please contact stu@eff.org if you can help! * Help EFF Go to DEFCON! EFF is looking for donations of airline tickets and hotel points for the DEFCON hacking conference, as well as other conferences and speaking engagements. If you have enough airline miles for a free ticket and would like to send an EFF staffer to a conference, let us know, and we will help you with the process of making the reservation. Please note that at this time we are unable to combine miles from multiple individuals. We are also looking for hotel rewards points to help reduce our overall travel costs. As a thanks for your donation, we can offer a free membership and a mention in EFFector (if you'd like). Please contact aaron@eff.org if you can help! * Nominate a Pioneer for EFF's 2009 Pioneer Awards! EFF established the Pioneer Awards to recognize leaders on the electronic frontier who are extending freedom and innovation in the realm of information technology. This is your opportunity to nominate a deserving individual or group to receive a Pioneer Award for 2009. The International Pioneer Awards nominations are open both to individuals and organizations from any country. Nominations are reviewed by a panel of judges chosen for their knowledge of the technical, legal, and social issues associated with information technology. How to Nominate Someone for a 2009 Pioneer Award: You may send as many nominations as you wish, but please use one email per nomination. Please submit your entries via email to pioneer@eff.org. We will accept nominations until July 15, 2009. Simply tell us: 1. The name of the nominee, 2. The phone number, email address or website by which the nominee can be reached, and, most importantly, 3. Why you feel the nominee deserves the award. Nominee Criteria: There are no specific categories for the EFF Pioneer Awards, but the following guidelines apply: 1. The nominees must have contributed substantially to the health, growth, accessibility, or freedom of computer-based communications. 2. To be valid, all nominations must contain your reason, however brief, for nominating the individual or organization and a means of contacting the nominee. In addition, while anonymous nominations will be accepted, ideally we'd like to contact the nominating parties in case we need further information. 3. The contribution may be technical, social, economic, or cultural. 4. Nominations may be of individuals, systems, or organizations in the private or public sectors. 5. Nominations are open to all (other than current members of EFF's staff and operating board or this year's award judges), and you may nominate more than one recipient. You may also nominate yourself or your organization. 6. Persons or representatives of organizations receiving an EFF Pioneer Award will be invited to attend the ceremony at EFF's expense. More on the EFF Pioneer Awards: http://www.eff.org/awards/pioneer/ : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : Administrivia EFFector is published by: The Electronic Frontier Foundation http://www.eff.org/about Editor: Eva Galperin, Referral Coordinator eva@eff.org Membership & donation queries: membership@eff.org To support EFF: http://links.eff.org/emaildonate General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries: information@eff.org Back issues of EFFector are available at: http://www.eff.org/effector/ To unsubscribe or change your subscription preferences: http://action.eff.org/site/CO To change your email address: http://action.eff.org/addresschange Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled electrons.
