Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Digital Millenium Copyright Act The Cato Institute: "The courts have a proven track record of fashioning balanced remedies for the copyright challenges created by new technologies. But when Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in 1998, it cut the courts out of this role and instead banned any devices that "circumvent" digital rights management (DRM) technologies, which control access to copyrighted content. "The result has been a legal regime that reduces options and competition in how consumers enjoy media and entertainment. Today, the copyright industry is exerting increasing control over playback devices, cable media offerings, and even Internet streaming. Some firms have used the DMCA to thwart competition by preventing research and reverse engineering. Others have brought the weight of criminal sanctions to bear against critics, competitors, and researchers." Thanks to Doc Searls for the link. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:10:51 PM

The New Hampshire House votes down proposed amendment to ban gay marriage Boston.com: "The New Hampshire House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against a proposed amendment to the state constitution to ban gay marriage. The late afternoon vote was 207-125. The amendment would have defined marriage as the union of one woman and one man. State law does not permit gays and lesbians to marry in New Hampshire, nor does the state recognize marriages and civil unions performed out of state. But supporters of the amendment insisted it was needed to prevent the courts from forcing a decision, as happened in Vermont and Massachusetts. Gay-marriage supporters had said no such lawsuits were planned in New Hampshire." Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the link. Category: 2008 Presidential Election 7:31:40 AM

Immigration Mike Littwin looks at immigration in his column in yesterday's Rocky Mountain News. He writes, "I don't have to tell you that illegal immigration has suddenly become an important political issue, but I keep having to remind myself why. I guess it's something to talk about when you've exhausted the subject of gay marriage. "Those who are talking about illegal immigration most loudly want you to believe this issue has something to do with 9/11 and national security - as if no one was arguing against illegal immigration way back in, say, the 1990s. "I could argue the point myself, but it's so much more fun to leave it to a conservative. "Daniel Griswold, of the libertarian Cato Institute, does it well. He argued Monday that the relationship to 9/11 was 'nonexistent,' which is close to where I'd put it. Why, he asked, should we spend our resources busting, in his words, janitors and drywall-hangers when we could be using the money to find actual terrorists? "A million people are admitted into the United States every day. 'That's our security challenge,' Griswold was saying. 'We're missing the huge barn door here.'" Category: 2008 Presidential Election 6:59:03 AM

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