CyberLaw Blog

Archive for June 25th, 2008

Pending FISA Spy Bill Redefines WMDs: “The new Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act update (the one that lets telecom companies skate for snooping on your phone calls and e-mails) includes a new definition for ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ The definition is a lot more broad — and vague — than the atomic-bomb-scale weapons originally described by the United Nations.

(Via Wired News.)

This is an article from: TorrentFreak

Joss Stone: Piracy is Brilliant, Music Should be Shared:

Joss Stone, who won a Grammy last year, loves music, but hates the the music industry. In a recent interview she said that – unlike herself – most artists are brainwashed by the industry, and she encouraged people to share her music.

After the show a reporter asked her what she thinks of piracy, and people who download her songs off the Internet. Her response baffled the reporter, as she simply told him: ‘I think it’s great…’ There was an awkward silence for a few seconds, the reporter probably expected to hear something else from her. ‘Great?,’ he said.

‘Yeah, I love it. I think it’s brilliant and I’ll tell you why,’ Stone continued. ‘Music should be shared. [...] The only part about music that I dislike is the business that is attached to it. Now, if music is free, then there is no business, there is just music. So, I like it, I think that we should share.’

‘It’s ok, if one person buys it, it’s totally cool, burn it up, share it with your friends, I don’t care. I don’t care how you hear it as long as you hear it. As long as you come to my show, and have a great time listening to the live show it’s totally cool. I don’t mind. I’m happy that they hear it.’

Stone went on to say that most artists have probably been ‘brainwashed’ by the record labels, when they discourage their fans from downloading music. Of course, Stone is not the only artist who actually wants people to share their work. Last year rapper 50 Cent made some positive remarks about filesharing, and Nine Inch Nails takes it even further, as they upload their music onto BitTorrent sites themselves.

These artists are spot on, in fact, several studies have shown that artists actually benefit from filesharing. The more music people share, the more CDs they buy and the more concerts they visit.

Anna Barriball – About 60 miles of beautiful views. | Transport for London:

Anna Barriball’s minimal typographic artwork ‘About 60 miles of beautiful views.’ is the latest commission by Art on the Underground to go on display on the Tube network.

FOXNews.com – Spain Arrests 41 in Crackdown On Child Pornography

Associated Press, Wednesday, June 25, 2008

MADRID, Spain — Spain’s Interior Ministry says police have arrested 41 people accused of possessing child pornography videos and sharing them over the Internet.

The ministry says the suspects were arrested last week in 30 Spanish provinces and include farmers, architects, civil servants, electricians and computer technicians.

The ministry said in a statement issued Wednesday that the arrests stemmed from tip-offs by Internet users.

It said some of these users reported that while trying to download music or games from the Internet they ended up with files containing video of adults having sex with minors.

FOXNews.com – Girl, 12, Charged With Distributing Nude Pic of Classmate

Associated Press, Tuesday, June 24, 2008

WESTPORT, Conn. — A 12-year-old Westport girl has been charged with distributing a nude photo of a classmate to fellow students.

The investigation began on May 12 when the incident was reported to Westport police after word circulated throughout Coleytown Middle School that a nude snapshot was taken during a video chat and distributed to others.

The girl is being referred to Juvenile Court in Norwalk on a charge of second-degree breach of peace, which involves the distribution of offensive and indecent material. Her name is not being released because of her age.

“In light of how sensitive this case is for all the families involved, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to comment at this time,” said Mark Sherman, an attorney for the girl.

The arrest comes amid growing worries among parents about teenagers snapping naked pictures of themselves on their cell phones and sending them to their boyfriends and girlfriends. Many of the pictures are falling into the wrong hands or being posted on the Internet, leading to criminal charges.

In Castle Rock, Colo., 18 middle school students sent around nude pictures of themselves last year.

Similar cases have been reported in New Jersey, New York, Alabama, Utah, Pennsylvania and Texas.

On Line: Casting a Wider Net: Several leading lights of the Internet world believe that broadband access is so essential — to education, commerce and public discourse — that it is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

(Via NYT > Technology.)

Government lays plans to avoid future data security blunders: “The loss last year of 25 million records by HM Revenue and Customs was the result of ‘woefully inadequate’ processes for data handling, not individual employees, according to an investigation. The Government has responded with new data security plans.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

E-commerce laws to be rewritten by European Commission: “A new set of consumer contract laws to harmonise the rules that govern online selling across the EU will be proposed this autumn by the European Commission. The EU’s consumer chief also promised fresh guidance on viral adverts and profiling technology.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

Culture of insecurity blamed for HMRC data loss: “

Official reports lambast UK.gov over data breaches

A culture of insecurity rather than mistakes by any single official has been blamed for the HMRC data loss debacle, an official inquiry is expected to report on Wednesday.…

“

(Via The Register – Public Sector.)

Staff internet policies must be Facebook-ready, warns expert: “Dealing with staff who misbehave on the web may be hampered by office policies written without Web 2.0 sites in mind, an employment expert has said. The warning follows disciplinary action against 18 police officers who boasted about crashes on Facebook.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)