EFFector 16.19: Congress Tries to Make File-Sharing a Felony; EFF Launches File Sharing Ads

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 01:41:51 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Effector List <alerts () action eff org>
> To: farber () central cis upenn edu
> Subject: EFFector 16.19: Congress Tries to Make File-Sharing a Felony; EFF 
> Launches File Sharing Ads
>
> EFFector         Vol. 16, No. 19          July 25, 2003         ren () eff org
>
> A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation          ISSN 1062-9424
> In the 258th Issue of EFFector:
>
>     * P2P Update: EFF's National P2P Ad Campaign, Congress Tries to
>       Make P2P a Felony
>     * Security Researchers Discover Huge Flaws in E-Voting System
>     * EFF Renews Copyright Request
>     * Party in the Park at EFF's Freedom Fest 2003!
>     * Digital Mix: A Special BayFF Celebrating Illegal Art
>     * Volunteer in our Fight Against DirecTV
>     * Deep Links (9): End to File-Swapping Wars Demands Ideas, Not Threats
>     * Staff Calendar: 7.25.03 - Digital Mix: a Special BayFF
>     * Administrivia
>
> For more information on EFF activities & alerts:
>   http://www.eff.org/
>
> To join EFF or make an additional donation:
>   http://www.eff.org/support/
>
> EFF is a member-supported nonprofit. Please sign up as a member today!
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * P2P Update: EFF's National P2P Ad Campaign, Congress Tries to Make P2P a
> Felony
>
> ~ EFF Launches File-Sharing Ads
> An ad from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) intended for the more
> than 60 million U.S. residents sharing music files online appeared in
> Rolling Stone's August 9 issue and became available on newsstands on
> Friday, July 18.
>
> The EFF ad -- part of an ongoing campaign to protect the rights of people
> sharing music online while compensating artists -- shows several music fans
> in a police-style lineup accused of sharing files online using peer-to-peer
> (P2P) technology like Kazaa and Morpheus. The ad copy reads, "Tired of
> being treated like a criminal for sharing music online?" and "File-Sharing:
> It's Music to Our Ears."
>
> "EFF created the 'Let the Music Play' campaign to raise awareness about
> critical changes needed in copyright law and industry practice," explained
> EFF Executive Director Shari Steele. "We want to make sure artists get paid
> without making criminals out of the over 60 million music lovers who use
> file sharing networks in the U.S."
>
> The EFF ad will also appear in Spin, Blender, Vibe, PC Gamer, and Computer
> Gaming World over the next two months.
>
> Links
> For this advisory:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/20030718_eff_pr.php>
>
> EFF Let the Music Play ad featured in Rolling Stone:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/music-to-our-ears.php>
>
> EFF Let the Music Play Campaign:
> <http://www.eff.org/share/>
>
> For a print-quality TIFF of the ad, please email ren () eff org with the words
> "P2P Ad" in the subject line.
>
> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
>
> ~ Misguided "Anti-Piracy" Bill Introduced in Congress
> Members of the U.S. Congress July 17 introduced the Author, Consumer, and
> Computer Owner Protection and Security (ACCOPS) Act of 2003, targeting for
> criminal prosecution the 60 million Americans engaged in Internet file
> sharing of music and movies.
>
> The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) criticized the measure as an
> overbroad and misguided attack on peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing
> technology.
>
> "Jailing people for file sharing is not the answer," noted EFF Senior Staff
> Attorney Fred von Lohmann. "Proponents of this bill are casting aside
> privacy, innovation, and even our personal liberty as collateral damage in
> their war against file sharing."
>
> The ACCOPS bill was introduced in the House of Representatives today by
> Representatives Conyers, Berman, Schiff, Meehan, Wexler, and Weiner, all
> member of the House Judiciary Committee.  Write your Congressperson today
> and urge them to stop this legislation.
>
> Links
> Urge your Rep to oppose ACCOPS:
> <http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2753>
>
> For this advisory:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/20030717_eff_pr.php>
>
> Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security (ACCOPS) Act
> of 2003:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/20030716_conyer-berman.php>
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Security Researchers Discover Huge Flaws in E-Voting System
>
> EFF Supports E-Voting Law
>
> San Francisco - In response to the July 23 release of research about
> critical security flaws in e-voting systems, the Electronic Frontier
> Foundation (EFF) urged immediate passage of e-voting legislation to prevent
> election fraud.
>
> Security researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Rice University
> announced that they have discovered numerous serious security flaws
> in what they believe is one of the leading e-voting systems in the country
> -- the Diebold Election Systems' e-voting terminal.
>
> Among the security flaws discovered were several ways in which individual
> voters could vote multiple times in a given election. The researchers also
> uncovered methods permitting voters to "trick" the e-voting machines into
> allowing them system administrator privileges or even terminating an
> election before tallying all legitimate votes.
>
> "EFF supports electronic voting, but this report indicates Diebold's e-
> voting system isn't ready for prime time," said EFF Legal Director Cindy
> Cohn, who advised the security researchers. "This report describes how
> voters, election officials, insiders at e-voting companies, and even
> custodians at election locations could manipulate elections and defraud the
> public."
>
> "Only with open review, vigorous security testing, and a voter verifiable
> paper audit trail can the public have confidence that e-voting machines
> will provide an actual accounting of the will of the people," said EFF
> Activist Ren Bucholz. "We urge everyone who cares about democracy to
> support effective e-voting legislation."
>
> Concerned citizens can voice their support for Representative Holtz's bill
> to require open source e-voting systems and voter verifiable paper audit
> trails.
>
> Links
> For this release:
> <http://www.eff.org/Activism/E-voting/20030723_eff_pr.php>
>
> E-voting security research report (Adobe pdf format):
> <http://avirubin.com/vote.pdf>
>
> EFF action alert on e-voting legislation:
> <http://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2754>
>
> New York Times article on e-voting report:
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/24/technology/24VOTE.html>
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Electronic Frontier Foundation Renews Copyright Request
>
> Asks Copyright Office to Allow Consumer CD/DVD Uses
>
> San Francisco - The U.S. Copyright Office on July 22 posted comments from
> the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) requesting protection for certain
> consumer uses of DVDs.
>
> EFF urged the Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress to grant
> exemptions to the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) ban on
> circumventing technological locks that prevent consumers from fully
> enjoying the digital media they have purchased.
>
> "We welcome the Copyright Office's interest in understanding the real
> impact of the DMCA on consumers' everyday non-infringing uses of CDs and
> DVDs," stated EFF Staff Attorney Gwen Hinze. "We have urged the Copyright
> Office to grant exemptions to remove the DMCA's chilling effect on
> consumers' existing rights and to restore the constitutionally-mandated
> balance to copyright law."
>
> EFF filed the comments in response to questions posed by the Copyright
> Office following public hearings held in April and May 2003. In oral
> testimony and post-hearing comments, EFF asked the Copyright Office to
> grant exemptions to give consumers guidance about legal uses of the digital
> media they have purchased.
>
> The Copyright Office asked for further information about how DVD technology
> works. In particular, it asked if the Content Scramble System (CSS) on DVD
> movies, along with the ban on bypassing CSS, prevents consumers from
> legally modifying DVD players to fast forward through "unskippable"
> advertisements and play foreign movies on U.S. DVD players. The Copyright
> Office has also asked the RIAA to identify the number and titles of copy-
> protected CDs released in the U.S.
>
> The comments are part of the Copyright Office's tri-ennial review of the
> impact of the DMCA's ban on circumvention of technological protection
> measures that control access to digital works. The Copyright Register and
> Librarian of Congress can grant exemptions from the DMCA ban for particular
> protected works if the Copyright Office finds that the prohibition has
> resulted in, or is likely to result in, substantial adverse impact on
> users' non-infringing uses in the next three years.
>
> EFF asked the Copyright Office to grant DMCA exemptions to allow consumers
> to:
>
>     (1) Play copy-protected audio CDs that malfunction intentionally to
> prevent playback
>     (2) View foreign region-coded DVD movies on US players
>     (3) Fast-forward through unskippable commercials prior to movies on
> DVDs
>     (4) Play and make full use of public domain motion pictures
>
> The Copyright Office must make a decision about the requested exemptions by
> October 27, 2003.
>
> Links
> For this release:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/20030722_1201_pr.php>
>
> EFF reply comments to U.S. Copyright Office (Adobe pdf file):
> <http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2003/post-hearing/post10.pdf>
>
> EFF further reply comments to U.S. Copyright Office (Adobe pdf file):
> <http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2003/post-hearing/post11.pdf>
>
> U.S Copyright Office comments page:
> <http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2003/post-hearing/>
>
> EFF December 2002 comments to U.S. Copyright Office:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/20021218_eff_dmca_reply_comments.html>
>
> EFF archive of comments to U.S. Copyright Office:
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/DMCA/copyrightoffice/>
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Party in the Park at EFF's Freedom Fest 2003!
>
> The Electronic Frontier Foundation is proud to host EFF's Freedom Fest 2003
> on Saturday, August 9, from Noon to 5pm at Golden Gate Park's Music
> Concourse Bandshell.  This free event will showcase an eclectic lineup of
> performers, including award-winning Bay Area musicians and an array of
> other talented artists.
>
> Hosted by EFF's John Perry Barlow, the afternoon is a celebration of Bay
> Area talent and an opportunity for them to share their music.
>
> "The day is to celebrate freedom, and we can't think of a better way to do
> that than through free music and variety performances in Golden Gate Park,"
> said EFF Executive Director Shari Steele.  "We're thrilled to have such an
> impressive lineup for this event. It's truly a reflection of the caliber of
> talent that resides here in the Bay Area."
>
> Rock to Reggae
> EFF's Freedom Fest 2003 will feature a diverse musical lineup, including:
>     ~ Box Set, the clown princes of folk rock (www.boxset.com)
>     ~ Noelle Hampton, award-winning rock diva (www.noellehampton.com)
>     ~ Austin Willacy, rock, pop and soul crooner (www.austinwillacy.com)
>     ~ Colin McGrath, singer, strummer, arranger (www.colinmcgrath.com)
>     ~ Lasana Bandele, the "Storitela" from Jamaica (www.lasanabandele.com)
>
> The performers that were selected for this year's event represent an
> extraordinary combination of Bay Area artists, many of whom have earned
> critical acclaim and become nationally recognized acts.
>
> "I've known about EFF and its pursuit of digital rights for years," said
> Tommy Boy/Warner Bros recording artist, Austin Willacy.  "When they
> approached me about performing at EFF's Freedom Fest 2003, it struck me as
> a great way to both share my music with Bay Area residents and educate the
> community about EFF and all the great work they're doing on our
> behalf."
>
> In addition to the musical performers, EFF's Freedom Fest 2003 will also
> feature a variety of other performers, including:
>     ~ Ashley Foster, the One Wheeled Wonder
>     ~ Willy Bologna and his Sideshow Circus
>     ~ Frantastic Hands, chair massage
>     ~ Cat Hare, juggler extraordinaire
>     ~ Technomania Circus, vaudeville and variety performers
>
> KFOG 104.5/97.7 morning radio host Peter Finch will be making a special
> appearance at the event to introduce the bands and host the KFOG booth.
> Concert attendees can stop by to meet folks from the critically-acclaimed
> rock station and enter the EFF Freedom Fest 2003 Contest.
>
> Links
> More details on EFF's Freedom Fest 2003:
> <http://www.eff.org/freedomfest/>
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Digital Mix: A Special BayFF Celebrating Illegal Art
>
> On July 25, the Electronic Frontier Foundation will host a night of music,
> art, and conversation to celebrate digital culture.  Hosted at the Black
> Box in downtown Oakland, this special BayFF will bring up-and-coming
> artists of electronica, digital film, and illegal art together with leaders
> from the cyber-rights movement.  Lawsuits and legislation have become the
> weapons of choice for dealing with file-sharing and cultural recycling
> ("sampling"); come out and discover what all the hype is about. Between
> laptop music, hip hop, and industrial performances, you will hear from
> people who are fighting to protect new forms of expression and cultural
> distribution from the attacks of the entertainment industry.  This is an
> all-ages event.
>
> Performers:
>   ~ Cat Five <http://www.katfive.com/>
>   ~ Meanest Man Contest <http://www.weapon-shaped.com/mmc/>
>   ~ Uprock <http://www.kelpandcircuits.com>
>   ~ Mochipet <http://www.mochipet.com>
>   ~ Freshblend <http://www.freshblend.com>
>
> Speakers:
>   ~ Fred von Lohmann (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
>   ~ Glenn Otis Brown (Creative Commons)
>   ~ Ray Beldner (Illegal Art)
>
> Sponsored By:
>   ~ XLR8R Magazine <http://www.xlr8r.com/>
>
> Where:  Black Box at 1928 Telegraph Avenue
>         Oakland, CA <http://blackboxoakland.com>
> When:   Friday, July 25th, 8 p.m. - 2 a.m.
> Cost:   $5 suggested donation
> All ages welcome
> Easy BART access @ 19th St. Station in Oakland
> Directions available here:
>   <http://blackboxoakland.com/directions/directions.htm>
> For more information please contact:
>   katina () eff org
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Volunteer in our Fight Against DirecTV
>
> EFF needs a volunteer to help defend innocent people being threatened and
> sued by DirecTV. In the face of a massive campaign to extract money from
> technology consumers merely for purchasing certain devices <http://
> www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/31793.html>, we're building
> a "DirecTV Defense" website to support the fight back. Among the resources
> on the site will be a database of attorneys with experience defending
> DirecTV cases, so users can quickly locate someone they can call for help.
>
> We have e-mail questionnaires from about 50 lawyers and need to get their
> answers into an Excel spreadsheet to take this vital information live. This
> is where you come in. It's an easy but important job: read the
> questionnaires and input the answers into the appropriate fields. No extra
> back flips required.
>
> The sooner we post this info, the sooner we can slow the steamroll of
> DirecTV's intimidation campaign. Please lend a hand!
>
> Please send a message to remote-tech () eff org before Wednesday, July 30 if
> you're interested.
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Deep Links
> Deep Links features noteworthy news items, victories, and threats
> from around the Internet.
>
> ~ End to File-Swapping Wars Demands Ideas, Not Threats
> The copyright anarchists at USA Today offer the RIAA a modest proposal:
> fresh ideas might be better for the bottom line than lawsuits:
> <http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2003-07-20-our-view_x.htm>
>
> ~ DirecTV Dragnet Snares Innocent Techies
> Security Focus on DirecTV's broad-brush litigation tactics:
> <http://securityfocus.com/news/6402>
>
> ~ Techfocus Blocks RIAA/MPAA IP Ranges
> So there, you misquoting, no-permission article-copying misanthropes:
> <http://techfocus.org/comments.php?id=3662&catid=17>
>
> ~ Airlines, Travelers to Engage in Prolonged Staring Contest
> Southeast Airlines is installing digital video cameras in its planes that
> will record the faces of every passenger at all times:
> <http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,59652,00.html>
>
> ~ CD Baby Sells Music Downloads, Gives Artists 91%
> Now that's what we call a music industry!
> <http://www.cdbaby.net/dd>
>
> ~ How to Fight Stupid "Security"
> This month's CRYPTO-GRAM has an accessible piece on the things we're made
> to do for security that don't actually make us any safer:
> <http://www.counterpane.com/crypto-gram-0307.html#1>
>
> ~ Senate Approves Pentagon Measure, Blocks TIA
> TIA funding goes (relatively) quietly this time:
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/politics/
> 18SPEN.html?ex=1059105600&en=46ea270c34a1bb49&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE>
>
> ~ Free Software Licensing and the GNU GPL
> On August 8, 2003, the Free Software Foundation is conducting a one day
> seminar on the GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) at Stanford University:
> <http://patron.fsf.org/course-offering.html>
>
> ~ Lawmaker Fumes at Hamidi Ruling
> California congressman Chris Cox wants to amend state law to ban some kinds
> of unsolicited speech:
> <http://news.com.com/2100-1028-1024339.html>
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Staff Calendar
> For a complete listing of EFF speaking engagements (with
> locations and times), please visit:
> <http://www.eff.org/calendar/>
>
> ~ Friday, July 25 - Digital Mix - A special BayFF Event -  Oakland, CA  -
> (8:00 PM - 11:00 PM)
> <http://www.eff.org/digitalmix/>
>
> . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : .
>
>
> * Administrivia
>
> EFFector is published by:
>
> The Electronic Frontier Foundation
> 454 Shotwell Street
> San Francisco CA 94110-1914 USA
> +1 415 436 9333 (voice)
> +1 415 436 9993 (fax)
>   http://www.eff.org/
>
> Editor:
> Ren Bucholz, Activist
>   ren () eff org
>
> To Join EFF online, or make an additional donation, go to:
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>
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>
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