CNN.com - Wireless 'cloud' may offer silver lining - July 31, 2002 The university has joined with local government to create WAG, the Wireless Athens Group.

They're building a "cloud" over several blocks of the downtown area where anyone with the right equipment can have free Internet access.

The cloud now covers about three blocks, and it will soon expand to 24.  10:54:04 PM    comment []  

Dangerous games with customer data [ZDNet Tech News] 9:54:03 AM    comment []  

Why I Harp On This Subject So Much.

Forgery Bill Could Criminalize Copying

"The deletion of a single word has dragged a relatively uncontroversial bill into the fair-use fray.

Anticounterfeiting bill S2395 introduced in April by Senator Joseph Biden (D-Delaware) exited many groups' radar screens by the time it left the Senate Judiciary Committee in mid-July. The bill was originally designed to criminalize the forgery of a "physical feature" used for authentication on software, movies, and music--such as mock holograms created to make pirated CDs look legitimate.

But as the bill heads for a full Senate vote, critics are noting that a key word--physical--was dropped. The omission extends the proposal's reach from tangible trickery to digital dupery as well, an addition that some say the legislation is ill-equipped to tackle. It also raises concerns about fair-use rights, say some consumer advocates....

Biden's office says the change was made because digital and physical counterfeiting should be treated the same under law--in the case of this bill, that means a jail sentence of up to a five years and a fine as much as $25,000.

The bill wouldn't restrict consumers from making copies for their private use because the proposed legislation targets trafficking--meaning that copies need to be traded for value, a Biden aide says.

However, some critics argue that the bill's language isn't specific enough to guarantee protection for all fair-use situations.

For example, libraries that trade digital works could, in theory, be sued under the bill, says Jonathan Band, a partner with the law firm Morrison and Foerster." [PC World] (emphasis is mine)

It used to be that everyone agreed that libraries are good things. Not anymore. Sure, censorship has always been a problem but in the digital age, publishers and copyright holders see libraries as the enemy and for the first time, they have tools to physically stop libraries from circulating their material.

Of course, they'd never come right out and say this, so instead they pay for a back door with a deadbolt on one side. They call it an effort to establish laws that would protect their copyrighted works and yes it would do that, but ultimately it would also prevent libraries from circulating digital content altogether. No more borrowing something for free when they can force you to pay to access it.

Copyfight is tracking the controversy surrounding this bill, especially in noting the opinions of some folks that don't think the bill is as bad as it is being made out to be. Knowing how much the entertainment industry would loooove to lock up its content and charge whatever it decides is appropriate for access, I can't overcome my skepticism.

They told us the DMCA couldn't be abused, but it has been. They've promised to retain fair use rights, but they don't offer anything at the negotiation table to support this. In fact, they refuse to implement what has traditionally been the loophole that lets libraries continue on about their business of loaning items. Why? Because if you allow one technological loophole for one group, it will be exploited by other groups and that little pinprick would bring the whole dam crashing down.

These are the people that denied price fixing, deny trying to kill webcasting, and are now trying to legislate into effect the status quo that got them into this mess in the first place. And we're supposed to trust that they won't abuse Senator Biden's proposed legislation? Sorry - I don't have any trust left for them.

[The Shifted Librarian] 9:54:03 AM    comment []  

Velosity and accelleration on the Edge of Change!

Color Me Impressed. The Harrow Technology Report  "Jeffrey Harrow keeps me on the bleeding edge. Read or listen to his bi-weekly report to appreciate not just edge of change, but its velocity and accelleration." [a klog apart] For time-crunched folks like me, one of the coolest things about Jeffrey's site is that you can listen to his reports as MP3s, streaming or free download. Score! [The Shifted Librarian]

 8:54:05 AM    comment []  

The Shifted Librarian has an interesting perspective on eBooks

eBook Problems Definitely Aren't *Our* Fault.

 8:54:04 AM    comment []  

Opening up access to the web...ACLU pushes for open access [ZDNet Tech News]

 8:54:04 AM    comment []  

Hacking Taxi Cab Billboards. The Sizzle: What's Up In Digital Marketing and Advertising "A new technology developed by Vert , a small company based in Somerville, Mass., transforms ads on top of taxicabs into real-time, animated electronic billboards. Vert's software, first tested in the Boston area, lets advertising messages change according to ZIP codes, neighborhoods, even city blocks, enabling marketers to target audiences in a way never before possible with outdoor transit advertising. With V... [The Shifted Librarian]

Maybe we can work this technology into our booths... 8:54:02 AM    comment []