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L.A.C.K. & Censoround
January 31, 2003
Toolbar of the damned
Why, this is so evil it's almost ingenious: Sneaky Toolbar Hijacks Browsers. Of course, it's not the best business model, but I bet these guys aren't in it for the money.
[TT] Wired
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:34:13 AM
January 30, 2003
Poetry slammed
The Bush administration has postponed (by which they probably ultimately mean cancelled) a poetry symposium because some of the poets planned to read anti-war poetry.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:20:06 PM
January 29, 2003
Economist on Sonny Bono
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:11:00 PM
Internet cafe guilty of copyright violation
Yeah, it's a lot of music industry news today: an internet cafe in England has been found guilty of violating copyright law by letting patrons download music and burning their own CDs.
[TT] International Herald Tribune
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:08:39 PM
Kazaa fights back
Kazaa is suing the music industry, claiming it's a monopoly that doesn't understand digital technology. The RIAA's response: the suit is "akin to the thief who plunders Fort Knox and then claims she's not responsible because Fort Knox declined to buy her second-rate security system."
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:05:39 PM
Bad five-year-olds must pay up
I may bitch about the RIAA but at least they aren't charging kindergartens to pay royalties for songs sung in class.
[TT] infoAnarchy
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:57:19 PM
January 28, 2003
Hawaii vs. USA PATRIOT Act
Will Hawaii lead the fight against the USA PATRIOT Act?
[TT] Honolulu Advertiser
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:15:10 PM
Porn palace
The Ottawa Public Library is now a "porn palace" because people look at adult web sites on public terminals, then don't close the browser when they leave. Well, that's obviously because they're leaving in a hurry!
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:13:46 AM
January 24, 2003
Sibling rivalry
I love sibling rivalry: George W. Bush sends his brother a hearty "fuck you" by asking to raise the federal budget for libraries and museums just a couple of days after Jeb proposed to close the Florida State library.
[TT] Tallahassee Democrat
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:05:31 PM
January 23, 2003
Cormier removed from reading list
The Robert Cormier book After the First Death has been removed from the recommending reading list at Bryant High School in Benton, AR, although it hasn't been banned from the library shelves.
Meanwhile, a teacher who used the book Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word in her seventh-grade English class has been reprimanded for using poor judgement. Yeah, you should never base your lesson plans off of Boston Public subplots.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:56:00 AM
FBI checks on internet sign-up sheets
An FBI agent went into a branch of the St. Louis public library and asked for their internet sign-up sheets. The reason: a patron saw someone of Middle Eastern descent engaged in suspicious behavior.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:43:20 AM
Rosen leaving the RIAA
Oh happy day! Hilary Rosen is stepping down as head of the RIAA.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:19:25 AM
January 22, 2003
Dismemberment Plan dismembered
This means nothing to you and has nothing to do with L.A.C.K. but I'm kinda sad to hear that The Dismemberment Plan is breaking up. Fortunately, Beulah is staying together "until each of us dies".
You can hear songs from both bands at Epitonic to either mourn or celebrate.
[TT] Epitonic
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:33:51 PM
Lame-ass patents
Recently, BT claimed to have the patent on hyperlinking. It lost the case, but one of the companies it sued, SBC, now claims it has the patent on continuously-displayed site navigation. What this means is that the menu to the left is ripping off SBC. Of course, the evidence may show that this suit is just as doomed as the BT one.
[TT] ZDNet UK & LawMeme
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:17:15 PM
And stay together
Gather some friends and read banned books together.
[TT] News & Observer
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:21:29 PM
DMCA abuse
As expected, the Digital Millenium Copyright Act is effectively being used by big corporations to bully small companies.
[TT] Wired
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:19:52 PM
Of Mice and Men prompts review committee
The Mississippi school board that banned Of Mice and Men will not reverse its decision, but will set up a committee that will review complaints about books. Then ban them, presumably.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:14:00 PM
Abbey Road a smoke-free zone
A US company has airbrushed the cigarette out of Paul McCartney's hand for posters of the Abbey Road album cover.
[TT] BBC News
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:08:28 PM
Movie cleaner
Slate recently published an interesting article about the lawsuit between Hollywood directors and companies that put out software that cleans up movies for family viewing. Reading about these companies, all I could think was "Why, it's a prudish TiVo!"
[TT] Slate
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:48:55 PM
Judge upholds DMCA
Music to Hillary Rosen's ears: US District Judge John Bates has upheld a section of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act that states ISPs must report anyone who downloads illegal music files to the music industry.
[TT] Wired
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:06:10 AM
January 21, 2003
Sequels not up for original score
According to CommanderBond.net, the Oscars will no longer consider scores from sequels for the Original Score award.
[TT] CommanderBond.net
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:47:40 PM
BAM encourages teen sex
An anti-abortion group is protesting the Bradenton, FL location of Books-A-Million because the childrens' books are too close to the sexuality books.
[TT] Herald-Tribune
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:45:51 AM
Ashcroft still ignores the FOIA
The Department of Justice continues its policy of generally ignoring Freedom of Information Act requests.
[TT] ACLU
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:30:04 AM
January 20, 2003
Al Hirschfeld, 1903-2003
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:32:15 PM
Now Balkin covers Sonny Bono
Did the Supreme Court's decision in favor of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act actually make the law unconstitutional?
[TT] Balkinization
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:45:00 AM
Criticize Network Associates all you want
Network Associates is not allowed to bar people from writing reviews of their products.
[TT] News.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:36:19 AM
Example of how the RIAA is out of touch
Hillary Rosen is convinced the reason people want broadband internet access is just because everyone wants to download MP3s. Actually, Hillie, I just want to be able to access ESPN.com in less than three minutes.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:28:35 AM
Challenge to Dr. Ruth book
A Dr. Ruth book that has never been checked out of a middle school library in 10 years is suddenly a cause for parental concern.
[TT] The Telegraph
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:23:27 AM
Sanders on USA PATRIOT Act
Rep. Bernie Sanders goes off on the USA PATRIOT Act. Also, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has done a survey about libraries' responses to the act and to the September 11 attacks.
[TT] Baltimore Sun & Graduate School of Library and Information Science
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:21:32 AM
Technology is a government's best friend
Well, duh: the ACLU reports that technology is making it easier for the US government to spy on its citizens.
[TT] ZDNet
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:09:58 AM
Hello, Sailor
I sense that the new book Hello, Sailor, a children's picture book about a same-sex relationship, is going to be a bit controversial.
[TT] Guardian Unlimited Books
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:05:00 AM
January 17, 2003
Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act
Rep. Rick Boucher and Rep. John Doolittle have introduced the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act of 2002, which would grant consumers the fair use right to bypass copy-protections on software and compact disks. So THAT'S why the music and software industries have teamed up! Although I'm sure the decision in the DeCSS suit also had something to do with it.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:17:00 PM
Wired on librarians vs. USA PATRIOT Act
I haven't read this article about librarians vs. the USA PATRIOT Act, but the subject matter alone makes it worth looking at. I'll get to it once my printer is fixed. Stupid printer. Grumblegrumblegrumble.
[TT] Wired
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:41:42 PM
January 16, 2003
Redux pre-orders
Amazon.com is taking pre-orders for Revolting Librarians Redux. Of course... and I quote... "This title will be released on December 31, 1969. You may order it now and we will ship it to you when it arrives."
[EDITOR'S NOTE] This has since been corrected
By the way, if you're looking at this entry a few days after the date it was posted, the link to the McFarland page for Redux may lead to another book. For some reason, McFarland doesn't have permanent URLs for the titles in its collection, so you constantly have to search for the book you want.
[EDITOR'S NOTE] This too has since been corrected
[TT] via librarian.net
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:24:39 AM
Howard Bashman covers Sonny Bono
Commercial litigation attorney Howard J. Bashman believes the Supreme Court's decision on the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act was legally and technically the right decision. Ernie the Attorney finds Bashman's take comforting.
[TT] How Appealing via Ernie the Attorney
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:06:00 AM
Feingold goes after TIA
Sen. Russ Feingold is going to introduce legislation that will end the Total Information Awareness project.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:58:12 AM
Phoenix pre-sales brisk
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:51:00 AM
Napster for Books
Improv Everywhere, a performance troupe in New York, staged a mock protest in front of the New York Public Library, declaring "Libraries = Napster for Books."
[TT] Improv Everywhere
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:43:31 AM
January 15, 2003
Order of the Phoenix release date
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:13:00 AM
SCOTUS likes Sonny Bono
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:03:00 AM
Download this!
The music and software industries are going to stop lobbying the federal government and start working together to fight consumers. Ahem, I mean to fight copyright violations incurred during the downloading of MP3s.
[TT] USA Today
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
9:14:54 AM
January 14, 2003
Kazaa fights ruling
The Australian company that owns Kazaa plans to fight Monday's ruling that they can be sued under California law.
[TT] ZDNet Australia
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
2:27:00 PM
Athletic Shorts stays on shelves
The board of Gregory-Portland Independent School District in Texas has voted to keep Chris Crutcher's book Athletic Shorts: Six Stories on the shelves, despite complaints from a parent that it contains profanity, racial slurs, and descriptions of sex.
One board member who voted for the ban claimed the book contributes to "the moral decay in our society." On the other hand, a board member who wanted it to stay in the Gregory-Portland Junior High School library said, "Unless you have felt hatred and bigotry, it's hard to understand these stories."
[TT] Corpus Christi Caller-Times
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:35:00 AM
Community meeting room restrictions
If a public library denies use of its "Community Meeting Room" to political or religious groups, is it violating the rights of free speech and assembly?
[TT] St. Petersburg Times
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:28:04 AM
January 13, 2003
God's machine
FCC Chair Michael Powell has declared that TiVo is "God's machine." Which is funny because Jamie Kellner thinks it's a tool of the devil.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
11:43:00 AM
Kazaa, RIAA
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
10:58:13 AM
January 3, 2003
Oldman in next Harry Potter film
According to Giso Schouten, Gary Oldman going to be in the next two Harry Potter movies. As a sleazy, menacing wizard, I'm assuming.
[TT] Giso Schouten
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
4:23:04 PM
More for Tolkien's birthday
More Tolkien-related writing, this time from Salon.com, in honor of his eleventy-first birthday.
[TT] Salon.com
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
3:50:00 PM
The lives they lived
Off-topic, but New York Times Magazine weighs in on the lives and historical significance of Ratt's Robbin Crosby and the Ramones' Dee Dee Ramone in their latest The Lives They Lived issue.
[TT] New York Times Magazine
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:28:56 PM
USA PATRIOT Act humor
Why, it's almost a trend: USA PATRIOT Act humor! Although I suppose these two pieces would be much funnier if they weren't, you know, true.
First, there's Five Technically Legal Signs for Your Library which Jessamyn West posted at librarian.net.
Then, there's Library Public Policy Manual 2004 by Michael Garrett Farrelly is in the new issue of Bookslut.
[TT] librarian.net & Bookslut
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:12:26 PM
TIA pokes its eye out
Anita Ramasastry weighs in on the Total Information Awareness System by the Information Awareness Office, which has taken down that weird Illuminati office logo from their web site.
[TT] FindLaw
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:01:58 PM
ElcomSoft acquitted
A decision to acquit was rendered in the ElcomSoft case that challenged the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Since this happened while I was on vacation, I'll leave it to Walt Crawford's latest issue of Cites & Insights to fill you in on the details.
Note, incidently, that Crawford has moved his monthly magazine to a new URL.
[TT] Cites & Insights
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:58:15 PM
January 2, 2003
Much Ado About Something
PBS tonight is airing the documentary Much Ado About Something, which looks into the theory that Christopher Marlowe faked his own death, then wrote Shakespeare's plays. I like this theory. I'd rather it be that if Shakespeare didn't write his plays, then Marlowe did. Instead of that prissy bitch Francis Bacon.
[TT] TV Barn
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:39:13 PM
Oakland stands up to federal authority
Oakland, CA is one of many cities that has barred its employees from cooperating with federal authorities in investigating city residents.
[TT] Wired
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:36:31 PM
Tolkien turns 111
J.R.R. Tolkien's eleventy-first birthday is tomorrow. Celebrate by visiting The Guardian's Tolkien pages.
[TT] Guardian Unlimited Books
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:30:14 PM
Gay positive books OK in Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that books dealing with homosexuality cannot be banned from schools, saying "tolerance is always age-appropriate."
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
1:28:53 PM
Missouri web filter law
Missouri state law requires public libraries to install web filters or take other methods to prevent children from looking at porn.
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:17:01 PM
Gambon gets Dumbledore role
Russia will not ban Harry Potter, but Michael Gambon will star in Harry Potter.
[TT] BBC News & Movie Poop Shoot
posted by Chris Zammarelli at
12:12:43 PM
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