Project LINK

http://www.the315.com/dgproject/index.htm

It is the start of a pretty rough shell. It is missing most of the content and I don't like the color scheme already...

More news

Illegal copying is widespread in Scotland - Now its time to crackdown on the cd & dvd black market. Jail time for someone on every street?

How to get that DVD onto your iPod - As the Wired writer says, "proceed at your own risk."

And, Lessig on Microsoft's new InfoCard. Sounds like he is for it. The point he made that struck me is that if we do nothing, things will get worse and the answers will be more extreme.

My project - topic decided

After a few weeks of going back and forth - and getting helpful input from prof. Stu yesterday - I have finally decided on a topic. Perhaps it is not a huge realization, but I feel more confident this time.

I am going to make a "primer" website on the DMCA/DMCRA/DMR related issues. In other words, the basics of digital ownership and fair use. The theme will be academic instead of commentary. Seems more appropriate.

Next to do: Outline/Design Navigation/Build Skeleton... something like that.

This is history in the making.

I will look further into this matter but here we go:

Argument: Copying cds for personal backup is NOT fair use.

Project Outline?

I. Introduction to identify a digital citizen
- use some examples that personalize the issue
II. Outline the forms of digital citizen participation
- podcasting/and video
- blogging
- wikis and other forms of e-democracy
III. Describe current but changing landscape around the issue
- current copyright law (legislation, suits, settlements)
- interests involved:
- - digital management rights
- - consumer fair use
- - promotion of innovation and creativity
IV. Discussion of issue
- eventual outcomes/changing landscape
- balancing interests

Dawn of a Digital Rights War?

Last night, I rambled for a bit about digital rights management. It ended up turning into a pretty good conversation about the state of DRM. We discussed the possibilities and how long one could avoid being involved. We concluded that it seemed the issue was getting closer to surfacing with the mass public.

But perhaps war has already been declared?

"It's time for lawmakers, trade groups, and public-interest organizations to get down to the hard work of hammering out standards for what businesses can and can't do to customers' computers. Such an effort will need to be international, because the Net knows no bounds. It will need to come up with simple, understandable language for end-user licensing agreements. It will need to draw red lines around unacceptably invasive hacks and map gray areas between spying and market research." - Bruce Sterling, Wired.

However, I have to wonder if this type of diplomacy will prove effective. (War seems to be a more popular choice for solving the world's problems.) Ultimately we can learn from history. It seems as though during a time of war, increased media attention given to the casualties of war results in louder cries from the public for more peaceful and humanitarian solutions. But then again, this is a war like no other...

Beyond our borders

DRM discussions in the UK - The UK has created a Parlimentary Group to review the DRM issue and write a report. This blog entry focuses on their discussion on DRM possibly preventing the future release of material into the public domain. (His other IP related entries are interesting too.)

Canadian record label resists - The Canadian label of big artists such as Avril Lavigne, is funding the legal defense for a family being sued by the RIAA for copyright infringement. Seems the label believes the RIAA is not acting in artists' best interests.

DRM kills award hopes - The preview DVDs of Spielberg's new film, Munich, were made for US viewing but sent to the UK judges with UK players. The DRM locked them to only playing in their unmatched players - which resulted in no one watching the DVDs. No view, no vote.

Today's DMCA/DMCRA update

Some more anti-DMCRA press - claims the proposed DMCA reform, the DMCRA (HR1201), contains hidden provisions with "the potential to blow up copyright protection in the digital realm."

The Blake v. Google case - comments on Google's latest win and the possibility of a DMCA "safe harbor" precedent, which might work out to be a good thing in the future.

The DMCA and the video iPod - suggests that consumers' inability to copy DVDs to the video iPod might be cause for DMCA reform. Looks like this issue is getting more media attention. Possible suit to come?

A blog post on blogging

Thanks to Damien who spoke to us last night about blogs. And thanks to also Piotr, who spoke about Wikipedia, and Luke, who spoke about podcasts. I am still digesting and exploring what you three have shared with us in class.

As we discuss these things and their relation to digital governance, I wonder what our place is in the big picture. Are we just "consuming" the technology, or are we "participating" in a new cultural movement?

Is anyone translating the chatter into a bigger vision?