Submission + - Usenet.com may find Safe Harbor from RIAA lawsuit (arstechnica.com)
Daneal writes: Ars Technica has some interesting analysis of the RIAA's lawsuit against Usenet.com. There's reason to believe that Usenet.com — and most other Usenet providers — could qualify for protection under the DMCA's Safe Harbor provision. 'One potential roadblock for the RIAA's latest lawsuit may come courtesy of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The DMCA's Safe Harbor provision provides protection for ISPs from copyright infringement lawsuits as long as they take down offending material once they are served with a notice of infringement. "Whether the Safe Harbor applies is the central legal question that is going to be raised," EFF senior staff attorney Fred von Lohmann told Ars. An RIAA spokesperson tells Ars that the group has issued "many" takedown notices to Usenet.com, but von Lohmann says that the volume of takedown notices isn't what counts. "The DMCA's Safe Harbor makes it very clear," von Lohmann said. "The number of notices doesn't matter as long as you take the infringing content down."' It looks like the RIAA definitely does not have a slam-dunk case against Usenet.com
Submission + - Wolves in IT Admin's Clothing (darkreading.com)
Kitsuneymg writes: Dark Reading takes a look at how companies seek to protect themselves (and their data) from their own IT staff. From the article, it seems they have a long way to go.
But Diodati notes that there is a whole range of administrative passwords built into many scripts and applications that still need to be addressed by access control technologies and practices. "At some point, there's going to be a need to rip embedded passwords out of programs and restrict them," he says. "That will probably come later, after the basic administrative checkout issues are addressed."
Submission + - Microsoft wants review of Google/Doubleclick deal
LMFAO writes: Microsoft, a veteran defendant of epic antitrust battles in the United States and Europe, is urging regulators to consider scuttling Google's plan to buy DoubleClick, an online advertising company. Bradford L. Smith, Microsoft's general counsel, said in an interview yesterday that Google's purchase of DoubleClick would combine the two largest online advertising distributors and thus "substantially reduce competition in the advertising market on the Web." — New York Times
Submission + - 'Rice deities' descend on the Philippines
gpsea writes: "Greenpeace activists dressed to symbolize the bul-ul, a traditional Ifugao rice guardian, carried out a sit-in protest at the Department of Agriculture's (DA) doorsteps in Quezon City today. The peaceful action was meant to tell the DA to act on its mandate to protect the country's food supply, in this case against looming GMO rice (genetically-modified rice) threat posed by the agency's pending decision on GMO rice Bayer LL62.
As part of the protest, the activists also displayed a banner with the message "Keep our rice GMO-free!" and delivered a bul-ul carving to DA Secretary Arthur Yap's office to remind him daily of the DA's important role in watching over the country's precious rice supply. The bul-ul, Greenpeace says, also symbolizes how this grain is inextricably linked to our culture and way of life, and should serve to remind us how GMO rice must never become a reality in the Philippines.
"We are calling on the DA to be a vigilant guardian of our country's most precious food crop," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigns director Von Hernandez. "Our rice is under threat from corporate-driven genetic-tampering. Instead of entertaining the application of the GMO rice Bayer LL62 the DA should ensure that our rice supply is safe both to the environment and human health."
"GMOs pose inherent risks to the environment and human health. These genetically-manipulated organisms threaten biodiversity, food security, farmers' livelihoods, and consumers' choice. As the guardian of the country's rice supply, it is clear that the DA should act now and reject the application of Bayer LL62, as well as all other GMO rice applications in the future," he added.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), an attached agency of the DA, is currently reviewing an application for the approval of the GMO rice Bayer LL62, for food, feed and processing in the country. Bayer LL62 is rice genetically-manipulated to resist the powerful weed-killer glufosinate which is meant to be used in conjunction with the said GMO crop. Greenpeace has been actively blocking the approval of Bayer LL62, asserting that its entry into the country's food chain will have disastrous consequences on the Philippines' most important food crop. The approval of Bayer LL62 will further set a dangerous precedent that will open the floodgates to the future entry of other GMO rice strains in the country.
Bayer submitted its application for the authorization of LL62 GMO rice in August 2006. But although the BPI announced last month that LL62 is still under assessment, they have yet to publicly disclose how far the application has gone, and at what date the public can expect the final decision. Greenpeace says that this is why their call for the rejection of Bayer LL62 is urgent.
"If protecting the integrity of our rice is their intention, then there is no need for the BPI and the DA to dilly-dally over a decision that should in fact be straightforward. But the BPI's record in approving GMOs is far from reassuring. In the 49 months since December 2002, the BPI has approved 40 GMOs for commercial use in the Philippines. But the general public, who ultimately consumes these GMOs, is hardly aware of this development," said Hernandez.
"If we had not raised the issue of LL62 rice into public attention, would the BPI have given this application the prominent public exposure that it rightly deserves? Based on the little they have disclosed so far, perhaps not. And yet, this is a decision that will affect all of us Filipinos at the most basic level in the decades to come."
"This also therefore serves as a challenge addressed to the DA that they make known to the public whether they are committed to protecting the integrity of our rice and rice supply or not," he added.
Greenpeace campaigns for GE-free crop and food production grounded on the principles of sustainability, protection of biodiversity, and providing all people access to safe and nutritious food. Genetic-engineering is an unnecessary and unwanted technology that contaminates the environment, threatens biodiversity, and poses unacceptable risks to health."
As part of the protest, the activists also displayed a banner with the message "Keep our rice GMO-free!" and delivered a bul-ul carving to DA Secretary Arthur Yap's office to remind him daily of the DA's important role in watching over the country's precious rice supply. The bul-ul, Greenpeace says, also symbolizes how this grain is inextricably linked to our culture and way of life, and should serve to remind us how GMO rice must never become a reality in the Philippines.
"We are calling on the DA to be a vigilant guardian of our country's most precious food crop," said Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigns director Von Hernandez. "Our rice is under threat from corporate-driven genetic-tampering. Instead of entertaining the application of the GMO rice Bayer LL62 the DA should ensure that our rice supply is safe both to the environment and human health."
"GMOs pose inherent risks to the environment and human health. These genetically-manipulated organisms threaten biodiversity, food security, farmers' livelihoods, and consumers' choice. As the guardian of the country's rice supply, it is clear that the DA should act now and reject the application of Bayer LL62, as well as all other GMO rice applications in the future," he added.
The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), an attached agency of the DA, is currently reviewing an application for the approval of the GMO rice Bayer LL62, for food, feed and processing in the country. Bayer LL62 is rice genetically-manipulated to resist the powerful weed-killer glufosinate which is meant to be used in conjunction with the said GMO crop. Greenpeace has been actively blocking the approval of Bayer LL62, asserting that its entry into the country's food chain will have disastrous consequences on the Philippines' most important food crop. The approval of Bayer LL62 will further set a dangerous precedent that will open the floodgates to the future entry of other GMO rice strains in the country.
Bayer submitted its application for the authorization of LL62 GMO rice in August 2006. But although the BPI announced last month that LL62 is still under assessment, they have yet to publicly disclose how far the application has gone, and at what date the public can expect the final decision. Greenpeace says that this is why their call for the rejection of Bayer LL62 is urgent.
"If protecting the integrity of our rice is their intention, then there is no need for the BPI and the DA to dilly-dally over a decision that should in fact be straightforward. But the BPI's record in approving GMOs is far from reassuring. In the 49 months since December 2002, the BPI has approved 40 GMOs for commercial use in the Philippines. But the general public, who ultimately consumes these GMOs, is hardly aware of this development," said Hernandez.
"If we had not raised the issue of LL62 rice into public attention, would the BPI have given this application the prominent public exposure that it rightly deserves? Based on the little they have disclosed so far, perhaps not. And yet, this is a decision that will affect all of us Filipinos at the most basic level in the decades to come."
"This also therefore serves as a challenge addressed to the DA that they make known to the public whether they are committed to protecting the integrity of our rice and rice supply or not," he added.
Greenpeace campaigns for GE-free crop and food production grounded on the principles of sustainability, protection of biodiversity, and providing all people access to safe and nutritious food. Genetic-engineering is an unnecessary and unwanted technology that contaminates the environment, threatens biodiversity, and poses unacceptable risks to health."
Feed How to Get Off a Government Watch List (wired.com)
Submission + - The Soviet Empire, Again?
reporter writes: "In a stunning report about the demonstrations in Russia, the "Telegraph" states, "A young male protester, covering his face in a futile attempt to stop the blows being rained upon him, was dragged on to a police bus. Another lay on the pavement nearby, his face covered in blood . A female pensioner waved an Orthodox cross as a line of helmeted officers, their arms interlinked, marched towards her. She implored God to forgive them ..." A "Telegraph" photographer captured the entire incident in a shocking photo. It shows a Russian special-forces policeman using a billyclub to bash the head of a protestor who is falling to the ground."
Submission + - Canadian DMCA To Be Introduced This Spring
Random Guru 42 writes: "Michael Geist informs that the Conservative government in Canada is planning to introduce its own DMCA this spring, as well as providing a list of supporters and detractors of this move. Of course, he also offers advice to Canadians on how to be heard about this bad move."
