COPYRIGHT CRAZINESS
The House and Senate have been acting as branches of the recording and motion picture industries for some time, seeking to enrich those industries by assigning new “rights” to collect money for the use of creative material. The payback for all the campaign...CALIFORNIA BANS FRONT-SEAT COMPUTER USE
A new law effective January 1, 2004 bans the use of laptop computers in the front seat of a car. It applies to a laptop being used by a passenger in the car, but it excludes most devices used for mapping or navigation. A Slashdot reader asked why it should be illegal...SPAMMERS HAPPY WITH FEDERAL LAW
As you watch Congress and the President congratulate each other over the new federal anti-spam legislation, keep in mind that the spammers are thrilled with the new law. Here’s an article from Direct Marketer News that will chill you. “Marketers roundly...MASTER & SLAVE
I’m a fan of politically correct speech. I think it’s important to avoid using expressions that perpetuate stereotypes, even if it’s reasonably clear that the words are meant kindly or inoffensively. But. Following complaints by someone within the...THE DMCA AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has produced a report summarizing the use and misuse of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the last five years. The DMCA is being used by copyright owners to limit our use of copyrighted materials in unexpected and unreasonable...