RESEARCH
Congress Reassesses Tech Office
OWNERSHIP
Murky Water for Clear Channel
INTERNET
The Internet Power Grab
Copyright Law Has Hackers On The Defensive
RESEARCH
CONGRESS REASSESSES TECH OFFICE
In 1995, former House speaker Newt Gingrich lead Congress to dismantle the
Office of Technology Assessment (OTA). These days there is a bipartisan
effort to reinstate funding to the OTA, which was designed to provide
unbiased scientific and technical information to Congress. The Office is
credited with helping congressmen understand the benefits and economic
drawbacks of motor vehicle fuel-efficiency standards, the effect of
greenhouse gases on global warming and the obstacles associated with missile
defense systems. Jack Gibbons, OTA's director from 1979-1992 claims the
current GOP leadership is allowing political agendas to block the benefits
of reinstating the OTA. Matthew Bunn, former assistant director of the
science, technology and public policy program at the Harvard Kennedy School
said, "It [the OTA] could help Congress understand say, the power
infrastructure of the United States, or what would happen if a chemical
plant were attacked." Rep. Rush Holt (D-New Jersey) currently has 86
co-sponsors for a bill that would reinstate funding for the OTA, but the
legislation has yet to make it out of committee
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Dan Mitchell]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,54373,00.html)
OWNERSHIP
MURKY WATER FOR CLEAR CHANNEL
Clear Channel Communications, the dominant force in American radio, has
spread into television, Spanish-language broadcasting, concert promotion,
billboards and even satellite radio, but the behemoths' growth may soon be
slowed. Largely as a result of bad press, Clear Channel's stock price has
slipped from $53.23 on May 31 to less than $28 in late July, a far cry from
nearly $100 in early 2000. But expert agree that legislative efforts are the
biggest threat to Clear Channel. Some predict that congress may soon act to
limit its size. In June, Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold proposed a bill
that would limit the growth of radio companies and stop the alleged practice
of payola in which radio station owners use their power to push around
record companies that want their songs played on the air. But the House has
shown no interest in looking into radio monopolies. Republican, who
currently control the House, have received tens of thousands of dollars in
Clear Channel contributions.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Randy Dotinga]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,54038,00.html)
INTERNET
THE INTERNET POWER GRAB
[Commentary] John Ellis, a New York writer and consultant, ponders the
transition of free to fee-based Internet services. While he sees charging
for Web content as inevitable, Ellis discusses what he considers to be a
"more ominous development in the Internet arena" where large
telecommunications and entertainment companies are striking out at Silicon
Valley technologies. He says that the lack of interest Silicon Valley
technologists showed in wooing politicians has resulted in real losses on
the political front. He believes that if Silicon Valley does not organize
politically and appeal to the public their businesses and customers will
suffer. He points to the gains made by the Regional Bell Operating Companies
who, when threatened by the advent of high-speed access, lobbied to stall
broadband implementation until they could gain control over high-speed
cables. A recent FCC ruling along with legislation from Tauzin-Dingell
granting the Baby Bells the exclusive right to build-out DSL access appears
to be bringing the Baby Bells close to their goal. Ellis also discusses how
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 and current legislation called
the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act are an attack on
the Free Software movement.
[SOURCE: Fast Company, AUTHOR: John Ellis]
(http://www.fastcompany.com/online/61/jellis.html)
COPYRIGHT LAW HAS HACKERS ON THE DEFENSIVE
Hacker Adam Bresson recently gave a talk at the DefCon conference that
included a demonstration of how to make copies of copyright-protected videos
and DVDs. These days that demonstration could result in an arrest for
violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA), but Bresson's
message is, "There's a fine line between creating technologies that bypass
copyright protections and demonstrating them". He believes that consumer's
rights to make "fair use" copies are under attack. Hackers have been
particularly concerned about the DMCA since Dmitry Sklyarov was arrested
last year after his talk and demonstration of bypassing Adobe Systems' eBook
Reader anti-piracy technology. Companies have used the DMCA to sue
researchers and programmers at universities and software companies.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2002-08-06-hackers-copyr
ight_x.htm)
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