tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-128754592024-03-23T11:59:46.673-07:00ShoutingLoudlyHelping to build a healthy information ecosystem.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-7140976934315120072013-07-16T12:30:00.000-07:002013-07-16T12:30:38.824-07:00Crime, News Coverage, and Institutional RacismIf there's anything that pretty much everyone should agree on in light of the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin story, it's that the story shows how deeply divided we remain as a country.<br />
<br />
At least as reflected by posts on Facebook, 100% of my liberal intelligentsia friends are outraged that Martin is dead and Zimmerman is free, and the debates between us (to the extent that there have been any) have been about which people in the criminal justice system get which share of the blame.
Along with outrage, ethnic minorities and African Americans in particular also express a collective hurt and fear that I will never truly understand.<br />
<br />
Yet others (here is where I'm grateful that not all of my friends and family are in the liberal intelligentsia) are miffed at the race-focused attention by the media and the political push to make the case into a symbol of broader issues. While I needn't say it, let's be explicit about the fact that nearly 100% of these folks are white. (I’m not Facebook friends with Clarence Thomas, and even if I were, I wonder if he posts more than <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/14/clarence-thomas-speaks_n_2473316.html" title="Clarence Thomas Speaks!">once every seven years</a>.)<br />
<br />
While not all of these white, “Why the fuss?” crowd would admit it if probed, I think a good bit of this discomfort with the attention paid to the Zimmerman/Martin case comes from the implicit finger being pointed at them. If blacks are held down in schools, the job market, and the criminal justice system, surely somebody’s doing the holding. If minorities have unfair disadvantages, then the surplus unfair advantage is going to white people. If the system is racist, and you believe in the system, doesn’t that make you racist?<br />
<br />
The good news is that the failure to be outraged over Trayvon’s death doesn’t make one a bigot, but the bad news is that this is because the answer is way more complicated than that. I hope to reassure my white, politically centrist or right-of-center friends that I’m not calling them racist or bigoted. Yet there are little things that we all do — you and me, blacks and whites, powerful and disempowered — that play into an incredibly intricate system of racial inequality.<br />
<br />
I give you <a href="http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?topic=127955.0">institutional racism</a>.<br />
<br />
The bigotry need not be in (y)our hearts; it can be in <a href="http://has.sagepub.com/content/32/2/144.short">the mortgage you grant or don’t</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ethnically-Qualified-Merit-Selection-Teachers/dp/0807751634/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373996486&sr=8-1&keywords=ethnically+qualified">the education policies you adopt</a>, or <a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/10/15/nypds-stop-and-frisk-policy/">the policing tactics you support</a>. Mayor Bloomberg is obviously comfortable around racial minorities and would surely never dream of not hiring somebody due to their race, but he remains tone deaf to the incredibly not-race-neutral (and, frankly, not constitutional) nature of his policing strategies.<br />
<br />
Which brings us back to Martin and Zimmerman. The justice system, as a whole, is heavily biased against minorities. Blacks are very over-represented in the criminal justice system; <a href="http://billmoyers.com/2012/05/30/infographic-u-s-incarceration-rates/">less than 1% of white men are imprisoned, while for black men, it’s 1 in 15</a>, or almost 7%.
This happens at every step of the criminal justice system, from police investigation through trial. As <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/weekinreview/07glater.html?_r=2&">the Times notes</a>:
<br />
<blockquote>
A 2005 study by the Justice Department found that while Hispanic, black and white drivers were stopped by the police about as often, Hispanic drivers or their vehicles were searched 11.4 percent of the time and blacks 10.2 percent of the time, compared with 3.5 percent for white drivers. Data collected from state courts by the Justice Department also shows that a higher percentage of black felons than white felons receive prison sentences for nearly all offenses, and also that blacks receive longer maximum sentences for most offenses.</blockquote>
Even in murder trials where defendants claim self defense, race is a major factor. See <a href="http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2013/07/13/stand-your-ground-laws-increases-racial-bias-in-justifiable-homicide-trials/">this graphic</a>.
Versus the baseline of white-on-white violence, black defendants are far less likely to be found to have acted in self-defense, and it’s many times again less likely when the victim is white. In contrast, white defendants are many times more likely to be found to have acted in self-defense when the victim is black.<br />
<br />
That’s institutional racism.<br />
<br />
Yet it goes farther. Many of the white “Why the fuss?” crowd might even acknowledge the racial bias in the courts (though too few are familiar with the staggering specifics), but they object to all the political outrage over Trayvon and wonder where the sympathy and coverage are for white crime victims, especially when the accused perpetrators are black.<br />
<br />
It turns out, though, that the news media are also afflicted with institutional racism. This goes well beyond the genuine hacks <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/07/16/oreilly-dismisses-overrepresentation-of-blacks/194894">like Bill O’Reilly</a>. Rather, it’s the whole system — the one largely staffed by left-of-center reporters and editors.<br />
<br />
An <a href="http://www.justicepolicy.org/research/2060">analysis of scholarly studies of the representation of race in crime coverage</a> is telling. As <a href="http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=hNflgBAGvYgC&oi=fnd&pg=457#v=onepage&q&f=false">summarized here</a>, “75 percent of the studies found that minorities were overrepresented as perpertrators, [and] over 80 percent of the studies found that more attention was paid to white victims than to minority victims.”<br />
<br />
A somewhat newer study, which includes a representative national sample of television newscasts, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2904566/">finds similarly striking results, cutting in the same direction</a>.
Even <a href="http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI3344679/">the portrayal of black female victims is far too rare</a> — this even though female victims are more likely to be seen on the news than male victims overall.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of a major story about a black victim, killed by a white shooter, we’re hearing a good bit of “Why the fuss?” and “Where’s the attention to white victims and/or black perpetrators?” With no disrespect to any victim, whites have nothing to worry about when it comes to folks who look like them being shown on the news as victims of serious crimes. No news outlet can cover every story, but over time, white victims and black perpetrators have been and certainly will continue to be overrepresented.<br />
<br />
On this count, Martin and Zimmerman are symbols for the broader problem of institutional racism in this country. Nobody needs to be energetically or even consciously racist for the major racial disparities we see to continue. Continuing racial inequity doesn’t need the next <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace">George Wallace</a>; Michael Bloomberg will do just fine.<br />
<br />
If you’re on the happy side of these inequalities, I think you should at least be honest with yourself and the world about the thousands of little ways in which your life is that much easier because of it. This isn’t to diminish the countless things you’ve undoubtedly done right, the hard work you’ve done, the substantial degree to which you’ve earned your place.<br />
<br />
As white Americans, though, let’s at least all agree to be honest with ourselves and each other that we get at least a small leg up in pretty much every institution in society with which we deal.<br />
<br />
That every right decision is likely to get us just a bit farther along than it would for an African American.<br />
<br />
That we have at least a bit more room to make mistakes before being fired, evicted, jailed — or killed.
<br />
<br />
That the few places where we don't have every advantage clearly pointed in our direction (college admissions and scholarships come to mind) are the exception and, regardless of what one thinks of them as policies, will never outweigh the much larger forces that cut the other direction.<br />
<br />
That, yes, there are a few rich blacks and many poor whites, and class inequality is also a major issue that needs to be addressed — but that this doesn't disprove any of the above.<br />
<br />
Then, please join me in a quest to fight those disparities, one institution at a time. Not by making life harder for whites, of course, but by extending the same understanding, opportunities, and benefit of the doubt to all.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1142268115633509752006-03-13T08:40:00.000-08:002006-07-03T10:16:51.816-07:00THIS BLOG HAS MOVEDHey folks,<br /><br /><a href="http://shoutingloudly.com">ShoutingLoudly.com</a> is now the host of our blog. All the old posts have been carried over. We hope you'll join us at the new and improved <a href="http://shoutingloudly.com">ShoutingLoudly</a>.<br /><br />Bill<br /><br />Update: <a href="http://billyherman.com">Bill Herman</a> has also posted a static website with some professional information. See <a href="http://billyherman.com">BillyHerman.com</a> for moreAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141670604939409202006-03-06T09:58:00.000-08:002006-03-06T10:50:01.860-08:00Times' (slow) tech news: Another exampleToday, another good example supporting last night's thesis: the Times has respectable tech and tech law coverage, as long as you don't mind being a bit behind the curve and missing some of the nuance. Their stuff is uninspiring, and if you're reading it there for the first time, you'd better not need to know it, but it'll do for most people.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/06/technology/06broadband.html?ex=1299301200&en=8d3a789ab1fef8de&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss">This article</a> is really about <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org/content/papers/pk-net-neutrality-whitep-20060206">network neutrality</a>, but they don't use the phrase or tip readers off to the online resources discussing the issue. In all fairness, they did urge net neutrality in an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/opinion/20mon1.html?ex=1298091600&en=30dce02f126525a1&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss">editorial</a> several weeks ago. Still, this has been brewing for a couple years now and the Times is just getting hip to it as it's boiling over in Congress. Another serious drawback: they fail to note <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org/pressroom/releases/pressrelease.2006-03-02.7053334268">Sen. Ron Wyden's (D-OR) bill to preserve network neutrality</a>.<br /><br />This is the tech law crisis of the year. In the early days, right wing groups like the <a href="http://pff.org">Progress & Freedom Foundation</a> described net neutrality as a <a href="http://www.pff.org/issues-pubs/pops/pop10.22netneutrality.pdf">problem in search of a solution</a> (pdf). (Less tech-hip neocon groups have adopted the language, too. Here's <a href="http://www.freedomworks.org/newsroom/press_template.php?press_id=1662">just one example</a>.) Nobody would ever discriminate, broadband providers insisted, so why regulate?<br /><br />In the last several months, this has changed radically. In November, SBC CEO Ed Whitacre said the following in a Business Week interview:<blockquote>Now what they would like to do is use my pipes free, but I ain't going to let them do that because we have spent this capital and we have to have a return on it. So there's going to have to be some mechanism for these people who use these pipes to pay for the portion they're using. Why should they be allowed to use my pipes?</blockquote>At the time, SBC PR people and the telecomm industry generally denied that this was their new business model. Now, they're being more honest about it. <a href="http://www.freepress.net/">FreePress</a> has noticed this pattern of <a href="http://www.freepress.net/netfreedom/=threat">telecomm execs admitting that charging content providers is their new business model</a>. Add Verizon Sr. VP <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/06/AR2006020601624.html?nav=rss_technology">John Thorne</a> to that list.<br /><br />In this Times story, there's no history of industry obfuscation of their long-term goal to create tiered delivery of content based on content providers' payments. There's no sense of where the legislation is at. It's just a catfight between internet big wigs, stripped of its context, with less than a full sense of what's at stake.<br /><br />Again: if you read the Times for your tech news, at least you won't be clueless. You will, however, come to debates long after they have been framed by corporate, government, and advocacy group spin doctors. That just seems like <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/low_down_dirty_shame/">a low down dirty shame</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141609207891101552006-03-05T16:43:00.000-08:002006-03-05T17:40:07.916-08:00Analysis: Times' tech newsI've long been thinking about--and linking to--<a href="http://www.nytimes.com">Times</a> coverage of technology and tech law; I now share that thought.<br /><br />The Times is a respectable source for technology and tech law news--they don't give the blow-by-blow details of every story, and they're not always the fastest, but they cover almost all the truly big stories before they get stale and do so pretty well.<br /><br />Basically, I would now recommend the Times to anybody who doesn't have the time, patience, or energy to really stay on top of tech news the "right" way--the blogosphere and tech news outlets. But if you're even reading this, you probably think I'm being ironic because you already know more about tech news than anybody who would take this advice. Just in case...<br /><br />If you reeeeally want to be hip, read <a href="http://cnet.com">CNet</a>'s <a href="http://News.com.com">News.com.com</a>, <a href="http://slashdot.org/">Slashdot</a>, and <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/">BoingBoing</a>. (These are the tip of the iceberg; other good examples include <a href="http://Techdirt.com">Techdirt</a>, <a href="http://eff.org">EFF.org</a>, and National Journal's <a href="http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/">Telecomm Update</a>.) If you want to be kind of hip, read a platform-specific magazine such as <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/">PCWorld</a>, <a href="http://www.Macworld.com">Macworld</a>, or <a href="http://www.MacAddict.com">MacAddict</a>. If you just don't want to be freakin' clueless, read the <a href="http://tech.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html">Times technology section</a>.<br /><br />It's nice that the nation's paper of record is serving as the backstop in the digital millennium, though they're really missing a chance to be exceptional. By the time they get around to something, most people who care already know. At least they're a good barometer that a subject has hit the national consciousness.<br /><br />Two great examples were on the site today. First, there's a piece about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/technology/05wireless.html?th&emc=th">WiFi moochers</a>. Second up to bat, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/business/yourmoney/05frenzy.html?ex=1299214800&en=74606224a33fd7fa&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss">how much profit is lurking in cell phones</a>? These articles are decent, but for whom is this stuff news?<br /><br />The Times would have a shade more tech credibility, IMO, with just one change--they could offer permanent links rather than forcing bloggers to use the <a href="http://nytimes.blogspace.com/genlink">NYTimes Link Generator</a>. A tangles mass of blog links will never be a substitute for their paid archives search, and they would be a more legitimate source for the blogosphere.<br /><br />Okay, they've already given out the first three Oscars (Stewart is doing better on the fly than with any of his scripted stuff, which hit flat), so I'm done now.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141433539728478912006-03-03T16:45:00.000-08:002006-03-03T16:52:19.750-08:00DoJ investigates music price fixingHere's a shock: the big 4 music labels are under investigation by the DoJ for <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4769878.stm">price fixing</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141418151007028962006-03-03T12:18:00.000-08:002006-03-03T12:35:51.043-08:00Pay your bills, set off Homeland Security flagsScripps Howard tells the story of a very ordinary married couple who paid off a large chunk of their credit card bill and thereby <a href="http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=RAISEALARM-02-28-06">attracted the attention of Homeland Security</a>.<br /><br />Pay your bills, get harassed by secretive federal agency. That's awesome. In fact, that's exactly what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html">Fourth Amendment</a>.<br /><br />Three cheers for those who would <a href="http://www.bushwatch.com/gopconstrm.mov">keep America scared</a> (mov).Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141337563505956852006-03-02T14:02:00.000-08:002006-03-02T14:12:43.526-08:00Sen. Wyden drops his net neutrality billToday, <a href="http://wyden.senate.gov/">Senator Ron Wyden</a> (D-OR) introduced a <a href="http://news.com.com/Senate+bill+to+address+fears+of+blocked+Net+access/2100-1034_3-6045027.html">bill mandating network neutrality</a> today. Without it, companies like Verizon and Comcast will begin to create a tiered, even walled internet, where content providers that can pay for the delivery of their bits will get speedier access (or any access) to ISPs' customers.<br /><br />In another article, <a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/ip-telephony/?p=943">Wyden talks</a> in detail about his concerns about the future of the internet and what he hopes the bill can accomplish.<br /><br />Further links <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/02/technology/02online.html?ex=1298955600&en=6ab02ed7f23b9005&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss">here</a> and <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=30026">here</a> and <a href="http://news.tmcnet.com/news/2006/03/01/1421352.htm">here</a> and <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/02/business/online.php">here</a>. Not that anybody thinks this issue is newsworthy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141279117047073022006-03-01T21:30:00.000-08:002006-03-02T08:00:18.853-08:00Phila Weekly covers FreeCulture protestIn today's <a href="http://www.PhiladelphiaWeekly.com">Philadelphia Weekly</a>, on page 18, there's a picture of me holding a flyer that says "Are you buying a dangerous CD?"<br /><br /><span style="float: left; padding-right: 10px;"><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/shoutingloudly/106663333/"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/44/106663333_547a1a540a_o.jpg" alt="Flyering in front of Tower Records" border="0" height="133" width="200" /></a></span><br /><br />The story, <a href="http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=11669"><span style="font-style:italic;">Copy Cats</span></a>, is another great media clipping covering the antics of <a href="http://freeculture.org">FreeCulture.org</a>.<br /><br />Saturday, we were protesting outside <a href="http://www.towerrecords.com/stores/store.asp?storeID=t17173">Tower Records on South St</a>.<br /><br />We believe that the major music labels are using deceptive business practices and stealing legal rights from consumers. They cripple more and more new CDs with <a href="http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/">digital rights management</a> technologies. In the most egregious case, <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2005/11/14/sony_anticustomer_te.html">Sony infected millions of computers</a> by installing malicious, hidden software (a "<a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.02/posts.html?pg=5">rootkit</a>") onto Windows computers of users who merely inserted a Sony music CD.<br /><br />I have to publicly admit that, even though I am the one pictured, I deserve little credit for the protest. <a href="http://freeculture.sccs.swarthmore.edu/">FreeCulture Swarthmore</a> students organized it; I just showed up.<br /><br />I guess I was the most menacing presence. As noted in the article, I "embarrassed" the other students and pissed off the Tower Records management.<br /><br />This is just further proof that, for a group dedicated to information policy wonkdom , FCo sure is good at landing earned media.<br /><br />Update: this story is now also on <a href="http://www.boingboing.net">BoingBoing</a>; here's the <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/03/01/media_coverage_of_la.html">link</a>. Thanks, <a href="http://www.craphound.com">Cory</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1141277327846397192006-03-01T21:17:00.000-08:002006-03-01T21:28:47.866-08:00Wonderful rant: DRM stinksRead this rant about the <a href="http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/390">big DRM mistake</a>. It's on <a href="http://www.securityfocus.com/">Security Focus</a>, which is dedicated to issues of computer security.<br /><br />This is further proof that even most people who are interested in creating and refining secure computer software think that <a href="http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/">DRM</a> is a joke.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140816191050809992006-02-24T13:19:00.000-08:002006-02-24T13:25:46.676-08:00"Amen Break" & sampling: praise be!If you care about music and/or copyright, watch this documentary (of sorts; you'll see) about the <a href="http://nkhstudio.com/pages/amen_mp4.html">Amen Break</a> now. (Takes forever to load/is very big; suck it up.)<br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/bklein/">Bethany Klein</a> for the link. Also via <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/21/video_explains_the_w.html">BoingBoing</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140804396060796442006-02-24T10:05:00.000-08:002006-02-24T10:06:36.060-08:00Will public access TV go dark?<a href="http://www.amny.com/news/local/newyork/am-tv0221,0,7968934.story">AM New York</a> is scared that it will under the new telecomm act.<br /><br />Link via <a href="http://freepress.net">FreePress</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140804057536674752006-02-24T09:58:00.000-08:002006-02-24T10:00:57.566-08:00Net neutrality clause nixed from billIt appears as though the House Energy & Commerce Committee has <a href="http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-QMEV1140551282296.html">nixed net neutrality</a> from the new telecomm act.<br /><br />Quoth Cartman, "Weeeeeeak!"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140662659138349322006-02-22T18:31:00.000-08:002006-02-22T20:20:00.093-08:00Protest DRM on South St. this Saturday @ 12Care to join <a href="http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/06/nelson/">Nelson</a> & the rest of <a href="http://freeculture.sccs.swarthmore.edu/">Free Culture Swarthmore</a> as they protest digital restrictions on the music you buy?<br /><br />The protest is at noon this Saturday at Tower Records at 610 South Street in Philly. See the <a href="http://freeculture.sccs.swarthmore.edu/?p=31">press release</a> for more. Also, feel free to <a href="mailto:irnintellectial<atnospam>hotmail.com">contact me</a>.<br /><br />Here's a <a href="http://www.towerrecords.com/Stores/store.asp?storeID=t17173">map</a> of the location.<br /><br />See you there!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140544535966631492006-02-21T09:49:00.000-08:002006-02-21T09:55:35.966-08:00How to win DMCA exemptionsHere's a brief coaching session from <a href="http://sethf.com/">Seth Finkelstein</a>. He tells you how <a href="http://sethf.com/publications/dmca-guide-2.php">win exemptions</a> from the DMCA ban on circumventing access controls.<br /><br />This is both more directly useful and easier to read than my writing on the proceedings. Nonetheless, Seth did give me a <a href="http://www.sethf.com/infothought/blog/archives/000935.html">link</a> right after I posted <a href="http://ssrn.com/abstract=844544"><span style="font-style:italic;">Catch 1201</span></a> on <a href="http://ssrn.com">SSRN</a>.<br /><br />I didn't discover it until weeeeeks later... Eh, can't blog full time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140543861684258142006-02-21T09:22:00.000-08:002006-02-21T09:44:21.706-08:00Reg of Copyrights concedes (C) term is too longVia <a href="http://boingboing.net">Boing Boing</a>:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.copyright.gov/docs/mbpbio.html">Marybeth Peters</a>, the <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/about.html">Register of Copyrights</a>, has publicly stated that <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/21/copyright_office_hea.html">the copyright term is too long</a>. In context, she effectively says that it's been hijacked and turned from a law designed to benefit the public interest to one designed to benefit publishers, though this is implicit.<br /><br />Perhaps I've been too critical of Ms. Peters in my recent writing, notably in <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://ssrn.com/abstract=844544">Catch 1201</a></span> and in my <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/1201">DMCA exemption proceedings</a> <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2006/reply/03herman.pdf">reply comment</a> (pdf). I still disagree with several of the conclusions she has drawn--particularly her willingness to ignore real harms as "mere inconveniences" and to give the entertainment industry a free pass on claims of widespread infringement that would supposedly come from proposed exemptions. But I'm pleased to see another bit of evidence that she's willing to speak on behalf of the public interest.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140486003973660002006-02-20T17:34:00.000-08:002006-02-20T17:40:03.993-08:00BBC: Let copyrights expireHere's a thoughtful piece by the BBC about why <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4724664.stm">music copyrights</a>--yes, even in Beatles records--should be allowed to expire after 50 years.<br /><br />The article only advocates allowing the mechanical licenses to expire, not the copyright in the song (which lasts for the life of the artist plus 70 years). The latter goes to songwriters whenever a song is sold or played on the radio; the former goes to music companies.<br /><br />I also do not think that artists should get 70 years of post-mortem rents on their creations, but it's refreshing to see such a major news organization advocate against the unending extension of copyright protection on any front.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140457814708914152006-02-20T09:49:00.000-08:002006-02-20T09:50:14.736-08:00NYT editorial for net neutrality legislationAs seen <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/opinion/20mon1.html?ex=1298091600&en=30dce02f126525a1&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140284700541807512006-02-18T09:25:00.000-08:002006-02-18T09:47:01.480-08:00Brrreeeport: Bloggers are sillyJust check out the <a href="http://www.brrreeeport.org/">Brrreeeport</a> phenom. Apparently, it started <a href="http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/02/13/blogcode-helps-you-find-blogs-similar-to/">here</a>. It's almost as much fun as the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/gwbbio.html">miserable failure</a> <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3298443.stm">googlebomb</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140282964282897932006-02-18T09:11:00.000-08:002006-02-18T09:16:04.296-08:00FreePress: Bust big radio payola<a href="http://www.freepress.net">FreePress</a> has a good bit of info and some easy actions to <a href="http://www.freepress.net/payola/">bust payola</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140226305906639252006-02-17T17:18:00.000-08:002006-02-17T17:31:45.926-08:00Siva on The Daily ShowSo my friend <a href="http://sivacracy.net">Siva</a> was recently on the Daily Show.<br /><br />It's pretty funny. Not Stephen Colbert funny--and certainly not Jon Stewart funny--but maybe Rob Cordry funny. The best part is watching Siva play along, like he's sooo offended. He totally gets it the whole time and plays a good straight man.<br /><br />I don't think he'll need his Abbott shtick any time soon. Siva's well on his way to earning tenure at <a href="http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/2780">NYU</a>, and he interviewed for a job at <a href="http://www.asc.upenn.edu">ASC</a>.<br /><br />Props to <a href="http://www.lokman.org/">Lok</a> for the <a href="http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/archives/002791.html">link</a>, but I'm surprised he didn't post it here or on <a href="http://lokman.nu/">Silent Dreams</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140194213543731372006-02-17T08:30:00.000-08:002006-02-17T08:36:53.566-08:00Voter dBases carry privacy, security threatsDescribed on CNet <a href="http://news.com.com/Voter+databases+must+be+secured%2C+report+says/2100-7348_3-6040781.html?tag=html.alert">here</a>. It describes an <a href="http://www.acm.org/">ACM</a> report that is availabe <a href="http://www.acm.org/usacm/VRD/">here</a>.<br /><br />Scary stuff.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140111427658092172006-02-16T08:59:00.000-08:002006-02-16T09:37:07.683-08:00The "nightmare" of HD DVD copy controls<a href="http://news.com.com">CNet</a> has a downright frightening story about the copy controls bundled with the <a href="http://news.com.com/New+DVDs+already+sparking+copy-protection+confusion/2100-1025_3-6040261.html?tag=html.alert">new DVD formats</a>.<blockquote>When the first high-definition DVDs finally hit shelves this spring, a mad scramble may ensue--not for the discs themselves, but to figure out what computers and devices are actually able to play them in their full glory.<br /><br />Unraveling the mystery won't be easy. Many, if not most, of today's top-of-the-line computers and monitors won't make the cut, even if next-generation Blu-ray or HD DVD drives are installed.</blockquote>Under the "good" scenario, this means paying more for HD DVDs only to see them in sub-DVD (euphemistically labelled "near DVD") quality. Here's the really bad scenario (read the article; I wish I were making this up): <a href="http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1841067,00.asp">Vista</a>, the (eternally forthcoming) new Windows, will shut down your DVI monitor output unless you install MPAA-sanctioned copy controls.<blockquote>Studios have persuaded Microsoft to add a feature in the upcoming Vista operating system that can shut down that connection altogether, unless the computer has an Intel-created encryption technology called HDCP, or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection, turned on to guard the signal all the way to the monitor screen.<br /><br />Put another way--if the DVD doesn't like your plug, your monitor may go black.</blockquote>With luck, the backlash here will echo the <a href="http://news.com.com/Sonys+rootkit+fiasco/2009-1029_3-5961248.html">Sony rootkit fiasco</a>. If we're unlucky, our digital freedom will just suffer another hit due to <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060124-6036.html">MPAA</a> greed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140109071666613252006-02-16T08:55:00.000-08:002006-02-16T08:57:51.666-08:00"Good Fences Make Bad Broadband"I'm really embarrassed to be 10 days behind on this post, but here's a link to the <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org">Public Knowledge</a> white paper on <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org/content/papers/pk-net-neutrality-whitep-20060206">network neutrality</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140108840581243962006-02-16T08:49:00.000-08:002006-02-16T08:54:00.603-08:00"Copyright Criminals" remix contest deadline extended to Mar 14<a href="http://kembrew.com">Kembrew McLeod</a>, one of the contest's three judges, personally asked me to spread the word. Here's a blurb from the <a href="http://ccmixter.org/copyrightcriminals/view/contest/about">contest website</a>:<blockquote>This is a contest for artists to mix audio tracks under 4 minutes which use provided voice samples from Ben Franzen and Kembrew McLeod's forthcoming film, "Copyright Criminals." Samples from the film include voiceovers from De La Soul, DJ Qbert, members of Public Enemy, Matmos, Coldcut, members of Negativland, and others. The best overall winner will be included prominently in the film and the top 11 other entries are to be included on a companion CD. Judging entries along with McLeod and Franzen is Jeff Chang, author of the American Book Award-winning "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation" and co-founder of the influential label SoleSides (now Quannum Projects), responsible for launching the careers of DJ Shadow, Blackalicious, Lyrics Born and Lateef the Truth Speaker.</blockquote>Boy do I wish I had the time to play! I hope you do. Please spread the word as far as possible.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12875459.post-1140108128503198462006-02-16T08:35:00.000-08:002006-02-16T08:42:08.546-08:00NIH policy of voluntary online publishing has failedStraight from the <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org">Public Knowledge</a> "In The Know" mailing list:<blockquote>The latest report from the National Institutes of<br />Health on the public access program shows, once again, that the<br />voluntary approach to having researchers post their papers online<br />isn't working. Between May 2, 2005 and Dec. 31, 2005, a grand<br />total of 1,636 peer-reviewed articles were posted to the PubMed<br />Central site. The posted articles are 3.8 percent of the total of<br />about 43,000 eligible articles. Nine of the 11 non-NIH members of<br />the agency's advisory group recommended that the policy be made<br />mandatory. NIH said in the report that it will continue to work<br />with researchers, journal publishers and others to improve public<br />access. The report is here:<br /> <a href="http://publicaccess.nih.gov/Final_Report_20060201.pdf">http://publicaccess.nih.gov/Final_Report_20060201.pdf</a></blockquote>What a damned shame; leaving invaluable knowledge locked in proprietary databases.<br /><br />P.S. This is our 100th post on ShoutingLoudly. Rah.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04468841597398452656noreply@blogger.com0