dipfan writes: --- "Opening briefs have now been filed with the Supreme Court for the Eldred v Ashcroft copyright case, arguing that the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act is unconstitutional. The anti-extension case has attracted some big name supporters, including Intel, and Nobel prize winning economist Milton Freidman, who argue it is "highly unlikely that the economic benefits from copyright extension" outweigh the additional costs, and that copyright extension reduces consumer welfare. (Previous coverage of the case on /. here and here)"

Federal Computer Week (May 02,2002) - Bill calls for driver's license chip.

Legislation that two Virginia congressmen introduced May 1 would require all states to issue driver's licenses that contain a computer chip filled with identification information, including personal biometric data.

The licenses are intended to wipe out driver's license counterfeiting and other forms of identity fraud, according to its sponsors, Reps. James Moran (D) and Tom Davis (R), who represent technology-dense districts in Northern Virginia.

But the bill is sure to generate stiff opposition from privacy advocates, who fear driver's licenses will become the equivalent of national identification cards that could be used to collect information on their holders' activities.

[ ... ]

Their bill, the Driver's License Modernization Act of 2002, also would require the states to maintain interconnected databases containing information on license holders. With the databases, authorities in any state could check the identification data and motor vehicle records of any license holder.

Federal Computer Week - Forman: E-gov good for privacy.

The federal government could do a lot to promote personal privacy online if agencies would work harder to eliminate duplication, said presidential e-government adviser Mark Forman.

A Bush administration inventory of government activity found that the government is involved in 32 "lines of business" and on average, each line — providing health care or operating parks, for example — is being performed by 19 different agencies.

That means the government may be maintaining 19 sets of data for a typical government benefit recipient, Forman said in an address to a privacy conference May 20.

The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) - Need to protect your personal data.

The outcry that followed the publicised allegation of "shady trading" of personal details of school leavers who applied for places in local public institutions of higher learning through the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) only reinforced the urgent need for legal protection of individual privacy in this country.

I guess some of you may agree with me that this is not something totally new. Perhaps it is the first time that such an allegation has been made publicly against the UPU, but many corporate entities are known to be generating some "side income" by selling (sharing, if you like) their customers' information.

Credit card companies have been doing that for years. That's why many of us get numerous unsolicited "invitations" or offers to buy all kinds of goods and services. Telekom Malaysia is known to sell its customer database to direct-marketing companies. The list can go on, but the alleged case involving the UPU certainly tops the list simply because the details are actually protected under the Official Secret Act (OSA) 1972.

NJ.com: - Indiana State University mistakenly posts students' personal information online .

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) -- Indiana State University accidentally posted personal information about 10,000 of its students -- including names and Social Security numbers -- on the Internet for two weeks.

The information was available from April 30 to May 14 about ISU students enrolled in the 1996-97 school year, university spokeswoman Teresa Exline said.

PCWorld.com - Privacy Watch: Wireless Industry Moves to Can the Spam. Concern overe a possible consumer backlash prompt trade groups to support limits on location-based ads.

EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy. Vers. 2.0 - Apr. 10, 2002
  Japanese version 
Version française 

CNET NEWS.COM - DoubleClick able to settle privacy suits.

DoubleClick on Tuesday received federal court approval to settle state and federal lawsuits that charged the Net advertising company with violating the privacy of Internet surfers.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted final approval of the class-action settlement agreement, which requires DoubleClick to provide consumers with a privacy policy that will clearly describe in "easy-to-read sentences" its online ad-serving service, use of cookies, as well as other services and technologies.

The settlement also requires the company to purge certain data files of personally identifiably information, including names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. Among other provisions, the settlement requires DoubleClick to obtain permission, or so-called opt-in agreements, from Internet surfers before it can tie personally identifiable information with Web surfing history.

CNET NEWS.COM - Passwords: The weakest link. Hackers can crack most in less than a minute, thanks to users who choose easily guessable passwords.

[ ... ]

Retrieving the password file from one of the health care company's servers, the consulting firm put "John the Ripper," a well-known cracking program, on the case. While well-chosen passwords could take years--if not decades--of computer time to crack, it took the program only an hour to decipher 30 percent of the passwords for the nearly 10,000 accounts listed in the file.

"Just about every company that we have gone into, even large multinationals, has a high percentage of accounts with easily (cracked) passwords," said Greg Shipley, director of consulting for Neohapsis. "We have yet to see a company whose employees don't pick bad passwords."

Fortune 100 corporations, small firms and even Internet service providers with strong security have an Achilles heel: users who pick easily guessable passwords. Some choose words straight out of Webster's dictionary, others use a pet's name, and still more choose the name of a secret lover. Many who think themselves tricky append a digit or two on the end of their chosen word. Such feeble attempts at deception are no match for today's computers, which are capable of trying millions of word variations per second and often can guess a good number of passwords in less than a minute.

Political News from Wired News - Webcast Royalty Rates Rejected.

The Librarian of Congress has rejected royalty rates that webcasters claim would put them out of business. But what does this mean for the future of Internet radio?

[ ... ]

The RIAA claims that CARP royalty rates are fair and that that these rates alone will not drive all webcasters out of business.

Traditional radio station broadcasters don't currently have to pay royalties to artists for music they play because they have a promotional value. Instead, radio stations pay a percentage of their revenues to compensate publishers and artists.

The RIAA has argued that webcasts aren't a form of promotion, but cost the music industry CD sales.

Meanwhile, webcasters say that the recording industry should work with them to come up with a voluntary rate that works for both sides.

TechNetCast - Fixing Network Security by Hacking the Business Climate. By Bruce Schneier , Counterpane Inc. Network security has long been considered an engineering problem, and companies try to solve it by applying technologies. This approach is failing; the technologies are failing and the problem is worsening. What we need are security processes, such as detection, response, and deterrence. However, the only way to get corporate management to adequately address security is to change the risk-management equation. This can be achieved by enforcing liabilities, and giving corporate management the means to reduce or insure against those liabilities. It's only after we do all of these things that the Internet will be a safe and secure place. The O'Reilly Network. [2002-05-17] (1:25:07) Entire Program (1:25:07) MP3 audio file available (20,429K)

TechNetCast - The Future of Ideas. By Lawrence Lessig, with Carl Malamud, Internet Multicasting Service, Tim O'Reilly, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Dr. David P. Reed. Lawrence Lessig is joined by advocates of the Open Source, Open Spectrum, Web Services, and standards worlds for a frank discussion on the future of innovation in a time when commercial and governmental interests are exercising their control over plumbing, software, content, and patent laws to impede competition. O'Reilly Network. [2002-05-20] (1:11:00) MP3 audio file available (18,558K)

CNET NEWS.COM - Wi-Fi in the Steel City.

The latest is Pittsburgh, where an outdoor public Wi-Fi network was launched Monday. It is run by 3 Rivers Connect, a nonprofit whose major source of funding is the state of Pennsylvania. Private wireless company Grok Technology is managing the network.

The network, which became available for public use on Monday, is free to use for now. Organizers envision charging $20 a month for access once the network, covering a 4-square-mile area of downtown Pittsburgh, is built, according to Executive Director Ron Gdovic.

Slashdot | Pittsburgh Launches Large, Free, Public WiFi Network.

Snkscore writes: "Pittsburgh launched an outdoor public Wi-Fi network on Monday. The story here from cnet talks about their plan to cover 4sq miles of downtown Pittsburgh with 10Mb internet access and charge a $20/month access fee (cheap!!). I think this is the coolest thing. Next, I think they should setup access points along the train tracks."

Hmm still sounds like it might be a good deal, but while the headline says Free the text says $20/month. Update: The deal is that it is free for now but they plan on charging $20/month when it officially goes live. And here I had thought it was the new math.

The Oregonian - For schools, it's Microsoft's way or the free way.

M icrosoft has beaten a retreat -- albeit a rumblin', bumblin', stumblin' retreat -- from its proposed audit of the 24 largest school districts in Washington and Oregon, but the battle between the software company and Linux is only heating up.

Stung by furious criticism after targeting those districts with a "random" audit to "certify licensing compliance," Microsoft has backed off while going out of its way not to reveal its fallback position.

While it is still trying to peddle school agreements that require "institutionwide commitments" and costly upgrades, Microsoft is no longer using the threat of imminent audits as a sales tool.

"Microsoft has put the inventory request on hold," said Catherine Brooker, a company spokesman. "Microsoft realized it wasn't as sensitive as it could have been with the timing of its request."

How long the hold is on, however, is unclear. Steve Carlson, the associate superintendent for information and technology for Beaverton schools, said Microsoft has put nothing in writing: "We don't know what to believe."

What became clear after I wrote about the audits April 21 was that Microsoft wasn't simply picking on cash-strapped school districts in the Northwest. Terry Hippenhammer of Puget Sound ESD, said schools in 35 states have been audited. Annoyed tech coordinators in Iowa, Arkansas, Utah and Philadelphia suggested that Microsoft's licensing tactics were pushing them toward Linux and free, open-source software.

Slashdot | Microsoft vs. Northwest Schools Part III.