Lessig on copyright
From O’Reilly’s Open Source convention, Lawrence Lessig delivers a clear, engaging, passionate primer on copyright politics.
Theft of the commons
They hang the man and flog the woman That steal the goose from off the common, But let the greater villain loose That steals the common from the goose. The law demands that we atone When we take things we do not own, But leaves the lords and ladies fine Who take things that are […]
Carte blanche for hackers
If a bill recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Howard Berman passes, hackers will be able to find plenty of gainful and glamorous employment in the movie and music industries. That’s because the California Democrat’s bill would give copyright holders legal immunity for hacking peer-to-peer file-trading
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Carte Blanche for Hackers
Some recently proposed legislation could open up computer networks to vigilante-style justice. There’s never been a better time to be a hacker. Twice last week, Bush administration officials reached out to the hacker community, asking attendees at two different Las Vegas conferences to be responsibl
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Importance of Knowing Who’s Who
Mention directory servers to the average person and you’ll get either a blank stare or a knowing look and a yawn. That’s because these servers, which manage lists of users on a computer network, play a decidedly prosaic role within corporate information systems. But as we enter the increasingly inte
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Remote Workers of Your Company, Unite!
Pity the vendors of online collaboration software. Companies such as eRoom, Intraspect, WebEx (WEBX), and even Microsoft (MSFT) (with its SharePoint products) have been trying for years to overcome the barriers of physical distance and eliminate business travel, with software that lets people in dif
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