***************************************************** Edupage is a service of EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. *****************************************************
TOP STORIES FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 2004 Revision to DMCA Gains Support ISPs Agree on Antispam Measures TSA Discloses More Data Transfers Copyright Lawsuits Continue REVISION TO DMCA GAINS SUPPORT Joe Barton (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, this week endorsed a bill that would amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to allow for broader fair-use access. The bill, known as the Digital Media Consumer's Rights Act, was introduced more than 18 months ago but has been stalled ever since. Barton's support could see the bill marked up in July and possibly passed before the end of the current Congressional session. An anonymous Senator will reportedly introduce the legislation to the Senate if it has sufficient backing in the House. The bill would allow users to circumvent digital copy-protection measures if the purpose falls within the scope of traditional fair use. Currently, the DMCA prohibits such circumvention. The bill would also allow companies to develop and market tools that bypass digital copy protections if those tools are capable of significant noninfringing use. Internet News, 22 June 2004 http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3372091 ISPS AGREE ON ANTISPAM MEASURES Four of the largest e-mail providers have agreed to work collectively on sender-authentication technologies to limit the flow of spam. Despite saying more than a year ago that they would cooperate on such an undertaking, America Online, Yahoo, EarthLink, and Microsoft have been working on separate approaches to the challenge of screening out e-mail that does not come from its purported source. In May, however, Microsoft announced it would combine its technology, called Caller ID, with that of America Online and EarthLink, called Sender Policy Framework (SPF), and name it Sender ID. Meanwhile, Yahoo has been developing a technology called Domain Keys, which is potentially more effective but requires more work to implement. The four companies announced this week they would test each other's technologies, paving the way for a coordinated effort to block spam. New York Times, 23 June 2004 (registration req'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/23/technology/23spam.html TSA DISCLOSES MORE DATA TRANSFERS The acting head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has revealed in testimony to Congress that five major airlines disclosed passenger data to the TSA or its contractors as part of testing of the CAPPS II security system. In addition, two airline-reservation companies disclosed personal information on travelers without notifying them or obtaining their consent. Previously, TSA officials denied that any real-world data were used for the CAPPS II tests. Last fall, it was revealed that JetBlue had transferred passenger data to a TSA contractor, in violation of the airline's privacy policy. The actions of the TSA may also be in violation of the Privacy Act, which prohibits having secret databases about U.S. citizens. According to Stone, TSA officials believed the data transfers to be acceptable under the Privacy Act because individuals were not identified by name, but Nuala O'Connor Kelly, the chief privacy officer for the Department of Homeland Security, has said the transfers themselves violate individuals' privacy. Wired News, 23 June 2004 http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,63958,00.html COPYRIGHT LAWSUITS CONTINUE The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed lawsuits against another 482 people for violating copyrights, bringing the total number of suits filed to 3,429. The RIAA began filing lawsuits in September 2003 as part of its campaign to end illegal file sharing on P2P networks. As with all of the lawsuits filed since January, the new group are "John Doe" suits, which allow the RIAA to file suits against individuals whose identities are not yet known. Only after filing separate lawsuits against individuals identified simply as "John Doe" can the RIAA compel an ISP to disclose the identities of those users. Prior to January, the RIAA filed lawsuits against groups of users from the same ISP, but a judge ruled against that process. Included in the latest round of suits are 213 individuals in St. Louis, 55 in Denver, 206 in Washington, D.C., and 8 in New Jersey. Reuters, 22 June 2004 http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?storyID=5485003 ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your settings, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For past issues of Edupage or information about translations of Edupage into other languages, visit http://www.educause.edu/pub/edupage/ ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE PUBLICATIONS EDUCAUSE publishes periodicals, including "EQ" and "EDUCAUSE Review," books, and other materials dealing with the impacts and implications of information technology in higher education. For information on EDUCAUSE publications see http://www.educause.edu/pub/ ***************************************************** CONFERENCES For information on all EDUCAUSE learning and networking opportunities, see http://www.educause.edu/conference/ ***************************************************** COPYRIGHT Edupage copyright (c) 2004, EDUCAUSE
