Public Policy Connections

US Senators ask White House to make ACTA Text Public

On 23 November 2009, two US Senators, Bernie Sanders (I-VI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), wrote a letter to the US Trade Representative requesting that the secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) be made available, and that the public be allowed to review and comment on substantive proposals in the text.

The ACTA treaty allows for criminal sanctions against non-commercial file-sharers, demands border-searches of laptop hard-drives and personal devices for pirated material, requires ISPs to spy on their users, and gives movie and record companies the right to take whole households off the Internet with unsubstantiated allegations of piracy.

Several organizations, including SLA, sent a letter on 5 November 2009 to President Obama expressing concerns about the lack of transparency and openness surrounding the negotiations on ACTA.  The letter also points out that  multiple aspects of ACTA fail to meet Open Government Initiative standards.

Read: 23 November 2009 Letter to US Trade Representative

Read Blog: BoingBoing 

Read Blog: Knowledge Ecology International 

Read: 5 November 2009 Letter to President Obama

 

UK's Digital Economy Bill Criticized by Those Favoring Balanced Copyright Reform

Lord Peter Mandelson, the United Kingdom's first Secretary of State, has introduced a Digital Economy Bill that would give him (and future politicians) the power to rewrite Britain's core copyright legislation with little Parliamentary debate, using fast-track secondary legislation. The UK Labour administration is said to be impatient to pass its Digital Economy agenda. Critics say puts at risk more balanced, deliberate reform of copyright law.

Read:  EFF Action Alert

Read: UK Digital Economy Bill

Read News Story: The Inquirer

Columbia University Launches Updated Copyright Website

The Copyright Advisory Office of Columbia University in New York City has launched a fully revised and updated website of copyright issues and information. The new website offers expanded pages on copyright ownership, fair use, publication agreements, the Google Books settlement, and more.

Read: Press Release

Go to: Website

Revised Google Book Settlement Filed

On Friday 13 November 2009,Google, the Authors Guild, and the Association of American Publishers released their Amended Settlement Agreement and a motion for preliminary approval of the amended settlement. 

The modified agreement, among many things, provides more flexibility offering discounts on electronic books as well as promising to make it easier for others to access and resell digital books covered in the settlement. Google hopes the series of new provisions will help keep the deal alive. The parties' motion also seeks Court approval of a Supplemental Notice which, if approved, will be sent out in early December 2009.

Read: Redline version of the Amended Settlement Agreement

Read More: Coyle's InFormation 

Is ACTA on an Overreaching Copyright World Tour?

The Washington Post article "Copyright overreach takes a world tour" by Rob Pegoraro does a good job of summarizing many concerns on how the  Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) may (or may not) affect the citizenry of the U.S.  ACTA represents an attempt by the United States and other countries to set common rules for violations of intellectual-property laws.

Several organizations, including SLA, sent a letter on 5 November 2009 to President Obama expressing concerns about the lack of transparency and openness surrounding the negotiations on ACTA.  The letter also points out that  multiple aspects of ACTA fail to meet Open Government Initiative standards.

Read: Washington Post article

Read: Letter to President Obama

SLA Supports PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009

On 4 November 2009, SLA, AALL, and MLA  sent a letter to U.S. House of Representatives John Conyers, Jerrold Nadler and Bobby Scott to express support for H.R. 3845, the USA PATRIOT Amendments Act of 2009. This important legislation would protect the privacy of library users by raising the standard for Section 215, the so-called “library provision” of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Read Letter.  

Organizations Write President Obama Regarding ACTA

Several organizations, including SLA, sent a letter on 5 November 2009 to President Obama expressing concerns about the lack of transparency and openness surrounding the negotiations on a new Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (“ACTA”). In the letter, the organizations applaud President Obama’s promise of a more transparent, collaborative and participatory government. However, multiple aspects of ACTA fail to meet Open Government Initiative standards.

Read Letter

 

Governor's Office Considering Closing the State Library of Massachusetts

At a press conference on 29 October the Governor's Office announced that Governor Patrick is considering closing the State Library of Massachusetts as a cost-saving measure. The State Library of Massachusetts now has an online petition to collect support to ensure that these collections remain freely accessible to all members of the public. 

A press release issued the same day addresses Massachusetts' budget gap, but doesn’t specifically mention the State Library. The press release does say that state agencies have been asked to prepare for additional cuts. 

European Commission Adopts Communication on Copyright

The European Commission adopted a Communication on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy aiming to tackle the important cultural and legal challenges of mass-scale digitization and dissemination of books, in particular of European library collections. Digital libraries, such as Europeana, will provide researchers and consumers across Europe with new ways to gain access to knowledge. For this, however, the EU will need to find a solution for orphan works, whose uncertain copyright status means they often cannot be digitized. Improving the distribution and availability of works for persons with disabilities, particularly the visually impaired, is another cornerstone of the Communication.

Read: Press Release
Read: Citizens' Summary
Read: Communication on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy

Organizations Support Strong Net Neutrality Rules

Multiple organizations, including SLA, sent a letter on 21 October to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), expressing strong support of the recent announcement that the FCC will begin a public proceeding that will ensure an open and nondiscriminatory Internet.

Today, 22 October, may  mark a historic turning point in the ongoing debate: for the first time, the FCC will convene a rulemaking to specifically address the issue of net neutrality.

Read Joint Letter

Read Public Knowledge Blog

Read Washington Post News Story