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Eavesblogging the Internet Law Program

Posted by michael on from the i-spy-with-my-little-eye dept.

Last week the Berkman Center held their second annual Internet Law Program, an intensive course in (surprise) internet law and developments. You probably didn't spend the time/money to attend, but the topics covered are interesting enough (to me anyway) to check it out even second-hand. Dan Gillmor attended and posted his notes: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 part 1 and Day 5 part 2. Donna Wentworth was there, trying to record the seminar in real-time; hopefully she's learned her lesson. There is tons of interesting stuff in there - it's worth your time to read through if you have any interest in the subject matter at all.

2 of 76 comments (clear)

  1. Can we kill the word "blog"? Please? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Can we do something to eliminate this stupid net-born "word"?

  2. Tragic, Really by Furd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Too bad the trolls have come out in force for this. Speaking as an attendee, it was a great conference for anyone interested in the direction of the Internet. Sadly, those posters who seem baffled by the notion that the law matters in this area are probably those who fail to understand that the law evolves in response to social needs - and the extent to which the Internet is something that you use means that the law will emerge to shape that environment. You can either participate in that shaping, or you can stick your head in the sand (or put your fingers in your ears and yell LA-LA-LA). If you choose the latter, don't complain when you suddenly find that

    • Only Palladium/DRM capable/compliant hardware is for sale
    • You have to pay each time you open Microsoft Word, or boot your computer, or open an MP3
    • Your domain name is taken from you because of a nasty e-mail you wrote or because your WWW page was offensive to someone, somewhere
    • Every ISP you can afford to use monitors all of your WWW traffic, screens your e-mail and blocks your Gnutella port
    • You can't use e-mail until you are positively identified via a thumbprint/retina scan/ID card
    • And every time you try to circumvent these and like restrictions, every resource of the Internet is employed to track you down, hunt you out, and collect the evidence in your eventual trial for conspiracy to commit any number of felonies.

    Do I sound paranoid? Maybe, but the fact is, these things are part of the debate - today! Hollings, Berman and others are working on it, and there is already enough legislation (DMCA, PATRIOT) to get you. And it's not just a US thing - international treaties are being signed and revised.

    So, wake up! This stuff matters! And it's beyond parties - this is going to hit you where you live!