Monthly Archives: March 2013

Supreme Court rules ‘first sale doctrine’ applies to lawful copies of a copyrighted work

"The US Supreme Court sided Tuesday with a former Thai student who made $90,000 reselling text books bought abroad and sparked a copyright row with a publisher. Supap Kirtsaeng, who arrived in the United States in 1997 to study math at the University of Southern California on a scholarship, had asked his friends and family to buy the books, published by John Wiley & Sons, which were cheaper back home. John Wiley & Sons filed a complaint in 2008 alleging illegal importation and resale without the payment of exclusive distribution rights protected by copyright. Lower courts had sided with the publisher, imposing a $600,000 fine on Kirtsaeng." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court rules ‘first sale doctrine’ applies to lawful copies of a copyrighted work

Federal judge: ‘Clipping’ news articles violates copyright law

"A US federal judge has ruled that the online news 'clipping' service Meltwater violates copyright law by using excerpts from Associated Press articles, the parties said Thursday. 'Investigating and writing about newsworthy events occurring around the globe is an expensive undertaking and enforcement of the copyright laws permits AP to earn the revenue that underwrites that work,' the judge said in a 91-page opinion. 'Permitting Meltwater to take the fruit of AP’s labor for its own profit, without compensating AP, injures AP’s ability to perform this essential function of democracy.'" Continue reading →

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New York man released after being wrongly imprisoned for 23 years

"A New Yorker was freed Thursday after serving more than 20 years in prison for the murder of a rabbi that the authorities now say he did not commit. David Ranta was sentenced to 37 years behind bars after being convicted in 1991 of killing an Orthodox Jewish rabbi during a botched robbery. He always maintained his innocence. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office announced an internal probe had found evidence unavailable during the trial that cleared the imprisoned man." Continue reading →

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‘Poet climber’ sidesteps security and scales U.S. embassy in Paris

"A self-styled 'poet climber' on Thursday managed to sidestep security and climb on to the roof of the US Embassy building in Paris. Herve Couasnon, whose previous stunts have included sneaking into France’s National Assembly and a nuclear power station, told AFP by phone from the roof that he wanted to meet Barack Obama, give the president his CV and talk peace — a reference to Obama’s ongoing Middle East trip." Continue reading →

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CIA’s big data mission: ‘Collect everything and hang onto it forever’

"'It is really very nearly within our grasp to be able to compute on all human generated information,' he added, explaining that nearly all mobile phones now contain a camera, a microphone, a light sensor, an accelerometer and GPS, among other sensors. The prevalence of sensors has led to a whole new world of biometric information, Hunt said, listing off a variety of ways the sensors in a mobile device can be used to identify the person carrying it. He pinpointed the most effective method as gait analysis, or watching the way a person walks and creating a complex data profile based upon their movements." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCIA’s big data mission: ‘Collect everything and hang onto it forever’

Smart Drones

"IF you find the use of remotely piloted warrior drones troubling, imagine that the decision to kill a suspected enemy is not made by an operator in a distant control room, but by the machine itself. Imagine that an aerial robot studies the landscape below, recognizes hostile activity, calculates that there is minimal risk of collateral damage, and then, with no human in the loop, pulls the trigger. Welcome to the future of warfare. While Americans are debating the president’s power to order assassination by drone, powerful momentum — scientific, military and commercial — is propelling us toward the day when we cede the same lethal authority to software." Continue reading →

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Obama stripping CIA of drone powers

"President Barack Obama is putting the finishing touches on a deal to strip the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of its control over the nation’s drone aircraft, putting that offensive military capability in the hands of the Department of Defense, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday. Citing three unnamed senior officials as his source, reporter Daniel Klaidman explained that the transition would take place over the course of a year, during which time the CIA would still be involved in marking targets for drone strikes and working alongside their Department of Defense counterparts." Continue reading →

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US plan calls for more scanning of private Web traffic, email

"The U.S. government is expanding a cybersecurity program that scans Internet traffic headed into and out of defense contractors to include far more of the country's private, civilian-run infrastructure. As a result, more private sector employees than ever before, including those at big banks, utilities and key transportation companies, will have their emails and Web surfing scanned as a precaution against cyber attacks. The Department of Homeland Security will gather the secret data and pass it to a small group of telecommunication companies and cyber security providers that have employees holding security clearances, government and industry officials said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS plan calls for more scanning of private Web traffic, email

Now the CIA Wants Unlimited Access To Your Financial Records

"According to a new plan unveiled by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Obama administration is now seeking authorization to provide all U.S. spy agencies with unlimited access to a massive database containing financial data on virtually every American citizen who uses the banking system. Access to this sensitive financial data has been available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation since the tragic events of 9/11. Now, the Obama administration wants to provide access to this vast database with even more U.S. intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency." Continue reading →

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Crime Lab Scandal Leaves Mass. Legal System In Turmoil

"A scandal in a Massachusetts crime lab continues to reverberate throughout the state's legal system. Several months ago, Annie Dookhan, a former chemist in a state crime lab, told police that she messed up big time. Dookhan now stands accused of falsifying test results in as many as 34,000 cases. As a result, lawyers, prosecutors and judges used to operating in a world of 'beyond a reasonable doubt' now have nothing but doubt. Already, hundreds of convicts and defendants have been released because of the scandal. Now, the state's highest court may weigh in on how these cases should be handled." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCrime Lab Scandal Leaves Mass. Legal System In Turmoil