Supreme Court gets RIAA copyright case
A case testing the meaning of the so-called “innocent infringer’s” defense to the Copyright Act’s minimum fine of $750 per music track that is downloaded or shared illegally has landed at the U.S. Supreme Court, Wired reports.
Image-conscious youth rein in social networking
It might go against conventional wisdom, but a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project is adding fuel to the argument that young people are fast becoming the gurus of online reputation management, especially when it comes to social networking sites.
ASU’s education technology program top-ranked for productivity
With only a few graduate faculty members, the educational technology program at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College might be small, but according to a recent publication it’s one of the most productive in the world, ASU News reports.
Apple offering price breaks for educators, college students
School isn’t quite out yet for many students, but Apple already is looking ahead to next year: The company is giving college students and educators at all grade levels a break on some of its products as the planning begins for 2011, CNET reports.
Apple is said to face inquiry about online music
The Justice Department is examining Apple’s tactics in the market for digital music, and its staff members have talked to major music labels and internet music companies, according to several people briefed on the conversations, The New York Times reports.
Communications law to be reviewed
Two top Democratic legislators said Monday that they would begin a process to modernize telecommunications laws that were last overhauled in 1996 but barely mention the internet, The New York Times reports.
Teenagers text more than they call
OMG, W8 til U read this: one in three teenagers sends more than 100 text messages a day, and 72 percent are now text-messagers, compared with 51 percent in 2006, according to a recent Pew Internet report, The New York Times reports.
Mizzou finds balance between web security, intellectual freedom
In fostering an open learning environment, it’s important that a university’s IT department doesn’t inhibit independent thinking or intellectual freedom. However, the web surfing habits of employees were affecting the performance of the 230 computers in Missouri’s Residential Life department, and the ability of others to use them. Here’s how Mizzou’s IT staff solved the problem.
Facebook, MySpace confront privacy loophole
Facebook, MySpace and several other social-networking sites have been sending data to advertising companies that could be used to find consumers’ names and other personal details, despite promises they don’t share such information without consent, The Wall Street Journal reports. The practice, which most of the companies defended, sends user names or ID numbers tied to personal profiles being viewed when users click on ads.
ACLU helping keep Twitter users’ IDs secret in Pa.
The Associated Press reports that an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer said May 20 his organization is helping two anonymous Twitter users fight an effort by prosecutors to unmask them after they tweeted criticism of the Pennsylvania attorney general, who is running for governor. ACLU attorney Vic Walczak said he will ask a judge to throw out a subpoena seeking the identities of the two Twitter users, “bfbarbie” and “CasablancaPA,” if an agreement with Attorney General Tom Corbett’s office can’t be worked out.