We here at the Berkman Center host fellows’ lunches, just about as often as we can. It’s a chance to come together as a little community and hear about great work in our space, broadly defined, from people here and people coming through. Russell Southwood, who publishes Balancing Act, is here today. It’s the “best, serious attempt to look at ICT in Africa,” says Ethan Zuckerman.
Here are my notes about what we heard.
Ric Flaggert, who knows about these things:
“That rumbling you heard in the distance was the PTO issuing “Harvard University” in Class 41 (Reg. No. 2699321), for ‘Computer services, namely, providing a web site featuring information and links to other web sites regarding university admissions, academic and research programs, university athletic programs, university employment opportunities, university housing, university administrative services, university alumni activities and organizations, university counseling services, student activities and organizations, university publications, and university information technology services.’ “
Very interesting.
Prof. Nesson has written a mini trip-report about Trevor Rhone’s visit to the Harvard campus last week. I was lucky to have the chance to spend time with Trevor on his visit. He is a lovely, gentle, thoughtful, interesting man. His reading of the Bellas Gate Boy on Friday evening was tremendously moving. A one-man play, it worked very well in the intimate space of the Adams House Lower Common Room, drawing in the audience to the string of vignettes that comprised the story — in which Trevor tells his life story in ways that are at times funny, self-deprecating, occasionally surprised at his own successes, deep when called for, engaging always. If you’re ever in Kingston, you should see if it’s running (Becca and Wayne have seen it twice this Spring, I understand). Or, perhaps, back here in Cambridge, MA, if we’re fortunate enough to get him back here.
(So, what does all this have to do with Internet law, you ask? Well, not all that much. But it was great theater. And it was a successful first venture of the Harvard-Jamaica Association, which Charlie started, and grew out of our work on ICT and development in Jamaica, which is focused on the use and distribution of media through the Internet. Call it the “Society” part of “Internet & Society”.)
Interesting announcement out of Apple today – interesting timing post-Grokster – reported in the Boston Globe. PJ McNealy of Gartner|G2, our partner in digital media matters, is cited.
About the Grokster & Verizon rulings, among other things. Rhonda Schaffler is the host.
Matt has a terrific essay on the opinion, and Larry Lessig encourages us all to write a check to EFF.
It’s an interesting point in the Grokster victory: Kazaa BV, by not defending the suit, actually will have a default entered against them by the Court (p. 4, fn. 2). The official good news is for Morpheus and Streamcast only. Of course, the technology on which the judge ruled is all wrapped up with Kazaa. The Kazaa team find themselves in an interesting position vis-a-vis the US legal system.
The EFF and others have organized a conference call this afternoon for those opposed to the Super-DMCAs. It’s fascinating to hear what people in various states are doing to organize and where each of the bills are in the process. Lots of discussion of the value of the EFF resources, the Freedom-to-Tinker info, and the informal network of people thinking about why these bills are undesirable.
* For those in Massachusetts, EFF offers an easy way to send word to your representative.
* In most states, the S-DMCAs are being pitched as “updates” to existing cable legislation, while in most instances there’s no need for these anti-stealing and anti-hacking laws when there are larceny statutes on the books in every state.
* Opponents of the bill in TN are getting organized and are seeking support from lawyers, law school profs and the like. The timeline is very short — a few days away.
* There’s a problem regarding legislators’ lack of understanding of the tech and the impact of these laws. There’s an education curve that’s critical to overcome.
Quick reads on the Grokster opinion:
* the district court judge in California breathed some much-needed life back into the Sony case;
* Substantial non-infringing use got some good play;
* The judge distinguished the post-Napster technologies from the Napster technologies very ably; and,
* I was particularly interested in the line that says that ”additional legislative guidance may be well-counseled.” (p. 33 of 34) Judges are funny, aren’t they? Read: please make some sensible law in this area and resolve the mess we’ve gotten ourselves in.
Ed Felten, CS prof at Princeton and of SDMI and other fame, has a very good quick take here. He comes out at the same place I do, which is that attention may now turn to the legislature to sort this out.
Frank Field, of course, has the story off the bat, as does Donna Wentworth, with a nice synthesis. A remarkably good, long piece on News.com. I will wait patiently to hear more from Derek, who’s enjoying the sunshine.
