ryan griffis
Since 2002
Works in United States of America

ARTBASE (3)
PORTFOLIO (1)
BIO
Ryan Griffis currently teaches new media art at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He often works under the name Temporary Travel Office and collaborates with many other writers, artists, activists and interesting people in the Midwest Radical Culture Corridor.
The Temporary Travel Office produces a variety of services relating to tourism and technology aimed at exploring the non-rational connections existing between public and private spaces. The Travel Office has operated in a variety of locations, including Missouri, Chicago, Southern California and Norway.

Is MySpace a Place?


Networked Performance pointed me toward an interview (download in PDF)with Networked Publics speaker Henry Jenkins and Networked Publics friend danah boyd about Myspace. The site, popular with teenagers, has become increasingly controversial as parents and the press raise concerns about the openness of information on the site and the vulnerability this supposedly poses to predators (Henry points out that only .1% of abductions are by strangers) and the behavior of teens towards each other (certainly nothing new, only now in persistent form). In another essay on Identity Production in Networked Culture, danah suggests that Myspace is popular not only because the technology makes new forms of interaction possible, but because older hang-outs such as the mall and the convenience store are prohibiting teens from congregating and roller rinks and burger joints are disappearing.

This begs the question, is Myspace media or is it space? Architecture theorists have long had this thorn in their side. "This will kill that," wrote Victor Hugo with respect to the book and the building. In the early 1990s, concern about a dwindling public culture and the character of late twentieth century urban space led us to investigate Jürgen Habermas's idea of the public sphere. But the public sphere, for Habermas is a forum, something that, for the most part, emerges in media and in the institutions of the state:

The bourgeois public sphere may be conceived above all as the sphere of private people come together as a public; they soon claimed the public sphere regulated from above against the public authorities themselves, to engage them in a debate over the general rules governing relations in the basically privatized but publicly relevant sphere of commodity exchange and social labor. The medium of this political confrontation was peculiar and without historical precedent: people's ...

READ ON »


SWITCH: Issue 22



Carlos Castellanos:

HI everyone. Just wanted to announce the new issue of SWITCH:

SWITCH : The online New Media Art Journal of the CADRE Laboratory for
New Media at San Jose State University

http://switch.sjsu.edu switch@cadre.sjsu.edu

SWITCH Journal is proud to announce the launch of Issue 22: A Special
Preview Edition to ISEA 2006/ ZeroOne San Jose.

As San Jose State University and the CADRE Laboratory are serving as
the academic host for the ZeroOne San Jose /ISEA 2006 Symposium,
SWITCH has dedicated itself to serving as an official media
correspondent of the Festival and Symposium. SWITCH has focused the
past three issues of publication prior to ZeroOne San Jose/ISEA2006
on publishing content reflecting on the themes of the symposium. Our
editorial staff has interviewed and reported on artists, theorists,
and practitioners interested in the intersections of Art & Technology
as related to the themes of ZeroOne San Jose/ ISEA 2006. While some
of those featured in SWITCH are part of the festival and symposium,
others provide a complimentary perspective.

Issue 22 focuses on the intersections of CADRE and ZeroOne San Jose/
ISEA 2006. Over the past year, students at the CADRE Laboratory for
New Media have been working intensely with artists on two different
residency projects for the festival – “Social Networking” with Antoni
Muntadas and the City as Interface Residency, “Karaoke Ice” with
Nancy Nowacek, Marina Zurkow & Katie Salen. Carlos Castellanos,
James Morgan, Aaron Siegel, all give us a sneak preview of their
projects which will be featured at the ISEA 2006 exhibition. Alumni
Sheila Malone introduces ex_XX:: post position, an exhibition
celebrating the 20th anniversary of the CADRE Institute that will run
as a parallel exhibition to ZeroOne San Jose/ ISEA 2006. LeE
Montgomery provides a preview of NPR (Neighborhood Public Radio)
presence at ...

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Art & Mapping



The North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) has released a special issue of their journal, Cartographic Perspectives:
Art and Mapping Issue 53, Winter 2006 Edited by Denis Wood and and John Krygier Price: $25
The issue includes articles by kanarinka, Denis Wood, Dalia Varanka and John Krygier, and an extensive catalogue of map artists compiled by Denis Wood.

READ ON »


[-empyre-] Liquid Narrative for June 2006


Christina McPhee:

hi all, I am not sure we got this message out to Rhizome!

Please join our guests this month, Dene Grigar (US), Jim Barrett
(AU/SE), Lucio Santaella (BR), and Sergio Basbaum (BR) , with
moderator Marcus Bastos (BR), for a spirited discussion of "Liquid
Narratives" ----- digital media story telling with a dash, perhaps,
of 'aura' .

Here's the intro from Marcus:

The topic of June at the - empyre - mailing list will be Liquid Narratives. The concept of 'liquid narrative' is interesting in that it allows to think about the unfoldings of contemporary languages beyond tech achievements, by relating user controlled applications with formats such as the essay (as described by Adorno in "Der Essay als Form", The essay as a form) and procedures related to the figure of the narrator (as described by Benjamin in his writings about Nikolai Leskov). Both authors are accute critics of modern culture, but a lot of his ideas can be expanded towards contemporary culture. As a matter of fact, one of the main concerns in Benjamin's essay is a description of how the rise of modernism happens on account of an increasing nprivilege of information over knowledge, which is even more intense nowadays. To understand this proposal, it is important to remember how Benjamin distinguishes between an oral oriented knowledge, that results from 'an experience that goes from person to person' and is sometimes anonymous, from the information and authoritative oriented print culture. One of the aspects of this discussion is how contemporary networked culture rescues this 'person to person' dimension, given the distributed and non-authoritative procedures that technologies such as the GPS, mobile phones and others stimulate.

READ ON »


state of the planet infographics


stateoftheplanet.jpg
a small collection of beautiful information graphics documenting the current state of the planet.
see also gapminder & 3d data globe.
[seedmagazine.com]

READ ON »



Discussions (909) Opportunities (8) Events (16) Jobs (0)
DISCUSSION

World's Worst Internets


~ World's Worst Internets
Reporters Without Borders lists the 15 countries as "enemies
of the Internet" --including Tunisia, the EU, and the US.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article613

DISCUSSION

Fwd: [NLCBW] U.S. Military Wants to Own the Weather


Begin forwarded message:

> http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051031_mystery_monday.html
>
> U.S. Military Wants to Own the Weather
> By Leonard David
> Senior Space Writer
> posted: 31 October 2005
> 06:24 am ET
>
> The one-two hurricane punch from Katrina and Wilma along with
> predictions of more severe weather in the future has scientists
> pondering ways to save lives, protect property and possibly even
> control the weather.
>
> While efforts to tame storms have so far been clouded by failure, some
> researchers aren't willing to give up the fight. And even if changing
> the weather proves overly challenging, residents and disaster
> officials can do a better job planning and reacting.
>
> In fact, military officials and weather modification experts could be
> on the verge of joining forces to better gauge, react to, and possibly
> nullify future hostile forces churned out by Mother Nature.
>
> While some consider the idea farfetched, some military tacticians have
> already pondered ways to turn weather into a weapon.
>
> Harbinger of things to come?
> The U.S. military reaction in the wake of Hurricane Katrina that
> slammed the U.S. Gulf coast might be viewed as a harbinger of things
> to come. While in this case it was joint air and space operations to
> deal with after-the-fact problems, perhaps the foundation for how to
> fend off disastrous weather may also be forming.
>
> Numbers of spaceborne assets were tapped, among them:
> *Navigation and timing signals from the Global Positioning System
> (GPS) of satellites;
> *The Global Broadcast Service, a one-way, space-based, high-capacity
> broadcast communication system;
> *The Army's Spectral Operations Resource Center to exploit
> commercial remote sensing satellite imagery and prepare
> high-resolution images to civilian and military responders to permit a
> better understanding of the devastated terrain;
> *U.S. Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center
> Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites that
> compared "lights at night" images before and after the disaster to
> provide data on human activity.
>
> Is it far-fetched to see in this response the embryonic stages of an
> integrated military/civilian weather reaction and control system?
>
> Mandate to continually improve
> The use of space-based equipment to assist in clean-up operations --
> with a look toward future prospects -- was recently noted by General
> Lance Lord, Commander, Air Force Space Command at an October 20th
> Pacific Space Leadership Forum in Hawaii.
>
> "We saw first hand the common need for space after the December 2004
> tsunami in the Indian Ocean," Lord said. "Natural disasters don't
> respect international boundaries. Space capabilities were leveraged
> immediately after the tsunami to help in the search and rescue
> effortSbut what about before the disaster?"
> Lord said that an even better situation is to have predicted the
> coming disaster and warned those in harm's way. "No matter what your
> flag or where you waive it from...the possibility of saving hundreds
> of thousands of people is a mandate to continually improve," he
> advised.
>
> The U.S. Air Force is also looking at ways to make satellites and
> satellite launches cheaper and also reduce the amount of time it takes
> to launch into space from months to weeks to days and hours, Lord
> said. Having that capability will increase responsiveness to
> international needs, he said, such as the ability to send up a
> satellite to help collect information and enhance communications when
> dealing with international disasters.
>
> Thunderbolts on demand
> What would a military strategist gain in having an "on-switch" to the
> weather?
> Clearly, it offers the ability to degrade the effectiveness of enemy
> forces. That could come from flooding an opponent's encampment or
> airfield to generating downright downpours that disrupt enemy troop
> comfort levels. On the flipside, sparking a drought that cuts off
> fresh water can stir up morale problems for warfighting foes.
>
> Even fooling around with fog and clouds can deny or create concealment
> - whichever weather manipulation does the needed job.
>
> In this regard, nanotechnology could be utilized to create clouds of
> tiny smart particles. Atmospherically buoyant, these ultra-small
> computer particles could navigate themselves to block optical sensors.
> Alternatively, they might be used to provide an atmospheric electrical
> potential difference -- a way to precisely aim and time lightning
> strikes over the enemy's head - thereby concoct thunderbolts on
> demand.
>
> Perhaps that's too far out for some. But some blue sky thinkers have
> already looked into these and other scenarios in "Weather as a Force
> Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025" - a research paper written by
> a seven person team of military officers and presented in 1996 as part
> of a larger study dubbed Air Force 2025.
>
> Global stresses
> That report came with requisite disclaimers, such as the views
> expressed were those of the authors and didn't reflect the official
> policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of
> Defense, or the United States government. Furthermore, the report was
> flagged as containing fictional representations of future situations
> and scenarios.
>
> On the other hand, Air Force 2025 was a study that complied with a
> directive from the chief of staff of the Air Force "to examine the
> concepts, capabilities, and technologies the United States will
> require to remain the dominant air and space force in the future."
>
> "Current technologies that will mature over the next 30 years will
> offer anyone who has the necessary resources the ability to modify
> weather patterns and their corresponding effects, at least on the
> local scale," the authors of the report explained. "Current
> demographic, economic, and environmental trends will create global
> stresses that provide the impetus necessary for many countries or
> groups to turn this weather-modification ability into a capability."
>
> Pulling it all together
> The report on weather-altering ideas underscored the capacity to
> harness such power in the not too distant future.
>
> "Assuming that in 2025 our national security strategy includes
> weather-modification, its use in our national military strategy will
> naturally follow. Besides the significant benefits an operational
> capability would provide, another motivation to pursue
> weather-modification is to deter and counter potential adversaries,"
> the report stated. "The technology is there, waiting for us to pull it
> all together," the authors noted.
>
> In 2025, the report summarized, U.S. aerospace forces can "own the
> weather" by capitalizing on emerging technologies and focusing
> development of those technologies to war-fighting applications.
>
> "Such a capability offers the war fighter tools to shape the
> battlespace in ways never before possible. It provides opportunities
> to impact operations across the full spectrum of conflict and is
> pertinent to all possible futures," the report concluded.
>
> But if whipping up weather can be part of a warfighter's tool kit,
> couldn't those talents be utilized to retarget or neutralize life,
> limb and property-destroying storms?
>
> All-weather worries
> "It is time to provide funds for application of the scientific method
> to weather modification and control," said Bernard Eastlund, chief
> technical officer and founder of Eastlund Scientific Enterprises
> Corporation in San Diego, California.
> Eastlund's background is in plasma physics and commercial applications
> of microwave plasmas. At a lecture early this month at Penn State
> Lehigh Campus in Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, he outlined new concepts
> for electromagnetic wave interactions with the atmosphere that, among
> a range of jobs, could be applied to weather modification research.
>
> "The technology of artificial ionospheric heating could be as
> important for weather modification research as accelerators have been
> for particle physics," Eastlund explained.
>
> In September, Eastland filed a patent on a way to create artificial
> ionized plasma patterns with megawatts of power using inexpensive
> microwave power sources. This all-weather technique, he noted, can be
> used to heat specific regions of the atmosphere.
>
> Eastlund's research is tuned to artificial generation of acoustic and
> gravitational waves in the atmosphere. The heating of steering winds
> to help shove around mesocyclones and hurricanes, as well as
> controlling electrical conductivity of the atmosphere is also on his
> investigative agenda.
>
> Carefully tailored program plan
> Eastlund said that the reduction in severity or impact of severe
> weather could be demonstrated as part of a carefully tailored program
> plan.
>
> "In my opinion, the new technology for use of artificial plasma layers
> in the atmosphere: as heater elements to modify steering winds, as a
> modifier of electrostatic potential to influence lightning
> distribution, and for generation of acoustic and gravitational waves,
> could ultimately provide a core technology for a science of severe
> weather modification," Eastlund told SPACE.com.
>
> The first experiments of a program, Eastlund emphasized, would be very
> small, and designed for safety. For example, a sample of air in a jet
> stream could be heated with a pilot experimental installation. Such
> experiments would utilize relatively small amounts of power, between
> one and ten megawatts, he pointed out.
>
> Both ground-based and space weather diagnostic instruments could
> measure the effect. Computer simulations could compare these results
> with predicted effects. This process can be iterated until reliable
> information is obtained on the effects of modifying the wind.
>
> Computer simulations of hurricanes, Eastlund continued, are designed
> to determine the most important wind fields in hurricane formation.
> Computer simulations of mesocyclones use steering wind input data to
> predict severe storm development.
>
> After about 5 years of such research, and further development of
> weather codes, a pilot experiment to modify the steering winds of a
> mesocylone might be safely attempted. Such an experiment would
> probably require 50 to 100 megawatts, Eastlund speculated.
>
> "I estimate this new science of weather modification will take 10 to
> 20 years to mature to the point where it is useful for controlling the
> severity and impact of severe weather systems as large as hurricanes,"
> Eastlund explained.
>
> Inadvertent effects?
> Another reason for embarking on this new science could be to make sure
> inadvertent effects of existing projects, such as the heating of the
> ionosphere and modifications of the polar electrojet, are not having
> effects on weather, Eastlund stated.
>
> As example, Eastlund pointed to the High frequency Active Auroral
> Research Program (HAARP). This is a major Arctic facility for upper
> atmospheric and solar-terrestrial research, being built on a
> Department of Defense-owned site near Gakona, Alaska.
>
> Eastlund wonders if HAARP does, in fact, generate gravity waves. If
> so, can those waves in turn influence severe weather systems?
>
> Started in 1990, the unclassified HAARP program is jointly managed by
> the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval
> Research. Researchers at the site make use of a high-power ionospheric
> research instrument to temporarily excite a limited area of the
> ionosphere for scientific study, observing and measuring the excited
> region using a suite of devices.
>
> The fundamental goal of research conducted at the facility is to study
> and understand natural phenomena occurring in the Earth's ionosphere
> and near-space environment. According to the HAARP website, those
> scientific investigations will have major value in the design of
> future communication and navigation systems for both military and
> civilian use.
>
> Messing with Mother Nature
> Who best to have their hands on the weather control switches?
>
> The last large hurricane modification experiments -- under Project
> Stormfury -- were carried out by the U.S. Air Force, Eastlund said.
> "It is likely the Department of Defense would be the lead agency in
> any new efforts in severe storm modification."
>
> Additionally, federal laboratories with their extensive computational
> modeling skills would also play a lead role in the development of a
> science of weather modification. NASA and the National Oceanic and
> Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would find their respective niches
> too. The satellite diagnostic capabilities in those agencies would
> play a strong role, Eastlund suggested.
> It appears that only modest amounts of government dollars have been
> spent on weather modification over the last five years.
>
> "Hurricane Katrina could cost $300 billion by itself," Eastlund said.
> "In my opinion, it is time for a serious scientific effort in weather
> modification."
> "Global warming appears to be a reality, and records could continue to
> fall in the hurricane severity sweepstakes," Eastlund said. "When I
> first suggested the use of space-based assets for the prevention of
> tornadoes, many people expressed their displeasure with 'messing with
> Mother Nature'. I still remember hiding in the closet of our house in
> Houston as a tornado passed overhead. It is time for serious,
> controlled research, with the emphasis on safety, for the good of
> mankind," he concluded.

DISCUSSION

Fwd: LACE Presents | The Elizabeths and Post-traumatic Institute for Social Satisfaction Friday 18 November


Begin forwarded message:
>
>
> LOS ANGELES CONTEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
> 6522 Hollywood Boulevard | LA CA 90028
> http://www.artleak.org
>
> 18 November | 7 PM
> The Elizabeths: ELIZABETH SPEAKS
>
> The Elizabeths are proud to present the premiere performance of
> Elizabeth Speaks. In a provocative and revolutionary act of oration,
> translation, and interpretation, the Elizabeths will present political
> speeches from both past and present. In an engaging, audience
> participatory forum, the Elizabeths Speaks will underscore the
> correlations between historical political rhetoric and the
> governmental agendas that are often camouflaged with doublespeak.
> Amplifying the need for continued free speech, public debate, and
> individual contributions, the Elizabeths will also give voice to any
> audience member who wishes to participate in this public address. Let
> the Elizabeths be your megaphone!
>
> The Elizabeths are: Kristin Elizabeth Calabrese, Elizabeth Tremante,
> and Micol Elisabeth Hebron.
>
>
> Post-traumatic Institute for Social Satisfaction: Info-Booth
> The Post-traumatic Institute for Social Satisfaction (P.I.S.S.) is
> widely considered a leading force for research into the neo-liberal
> sublime and its accompanying networks of Religio-Corporate-Renal
> Control. Known for its motivational seminars in Psychic Disobedience,
> Evangelical Onanism and Ontological Diuretics as well as it's
> expertly-choreographed public demonstrations, the Institute can fairly
> claim prescience and influence in the global renal arena, and a proven
> track record in disseminating Urologic to both influential and popular
> audiences.
>
> Representatives will be on hand to provide an intensive introduction
> to the Institute, its operatives, its aspirations and the arsenal of
> techniques it aims to employ in the ongoing struggle for Social
> Satisfaction.
>
> P.I.S.S. is: Natalie Zimmerman, Michael Wilson, Jennifer Nelson,
> Melissa Longenecker, M.T. Karthik and anonymous others .
>
> www.socialsatisfaction.com
>
>
> Upcoming LACE Events
>
> * * *NEW ADDITION* * *
> 22 November | 6-9 PM
> Sustaining Human Values in a Globalized World
> featuring a roundtable discussion hosted by Linda Pollack 7-8 PM
> as part of Building Bridges and Dialogue
> an initiative of the Charles-Leopold Mayer Foundation
> http://www.fph.ch
> Please RSVP by Monday 21 November: 323.957.1777 x10
>
>
> 8, 9, 10 December | 7PM
> Shrimps: HACK
> $15 General, $10 LACE Members
> Space is limited. Make your reservation now 323-957-1777 x10
>
>
> 15 December 2005 | 7 PM
> Joe Sola and musician Michael Webster present a ragtime slapstick
> pizza-spinning piano extravaganza. $5 admission; free for LACE members
>
>
> 16 December | 7PM
> Ultra-red, Slanguage, Jeff Cain, and Adam Overton
> $5 General, Free to LACE Members
>
>
> For more information about Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and
> its programs please visit www.artleak.org or call 323.957.1777

DISCUSSION

Fwd: [CAE_Defense] ARTIST RELEASED FROM PRETRIAL SUPERVISION


Begin forwarded message:
>
>
> November 15, 2005
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> Contacts:
> Edmund Cardoni 716-812-9237
> Gregg Bordowitz 312-420-6092
> Lucia Sommer 716-359-3061
> media@caedefensefund.org
>
> ARTIST RELEASED FROM PRETRIAL SUPERVISION DESPITE
> DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OBJECTIONS: Case Continues At
> Slow Pace
>
> Buffalo, NY

DISCUSSION

Fwd: EFFector 18.39: Are You Infected with Sony-BMG's Rootkit?


Begin forwarded message:
>
>
> EFFector Vol. 18, No. 39 November 11, 2005 editor@eff.org
>
> A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
> ISSN 1062-9424
>
> In the 355th Issue of EFFector:
>
> * Are You Infected with Sony-BMG's Rootkit?
> * Sony-BMG Rootkit: EFF Collecting Stories, Considering
> Litigation
> * News Website Can Keep Domain Name After Trademark Fight
> * PATRIOT Alert: A Battle Won, but Urgent Action Still
> Needed
> * Passing the Buck: or, the Printer as a Fine French Wine
> * Anti-Cell Phone Tracking Judicial Revolution Spreads to
> NYC
> * Non-Profit Coalition Wins Challenge to Federal Watch-List
> Policy
> * miniLinks (9): DRM This, Sony!
> * Administrivia
>
> For more information on EFF activities & alerts:
> <http://www.eff.org/>
>
> Make a donation and become an EFF member today!
> <https://secure.eff.org/support>
>
> Tell a friend about EFF:
> <http://action.eff.org/site/Ecard?ecard_id61>
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * Are You Infected with Sony-BMG's Rootkit?
>
> EFF Confirms Secret Software on 19 CDs
>
> San Francisco - News that some Sony-BMG music CDs install
> secret rootkit software on their owners' computers has
> shocked and angered thousands of music fans in recent days.
> Among the cause for concern is Sony's refusal to publicly
> list which CDs contain the infectious software and to
> provide a way for music fans to remove it. Now, the
> Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has confirmed that the
> stealth program is deployed on at least 19 CDs in a variety
> of genres.
>
> The software, created by First 4 Internet and known as
> XCP2, ostensibly "protects" the music from illegal copying.
> But in fact, it blocks a number of legal uses--like
> listening to songs on your iPod. The software also
> reportedly slows down your computer and makes it more
> susceptible to crashes and third-party attacks. And since
> the program is designed to hide itself, users may have
> trouble diagnosing the problem.
>
> "Entertainment companies often complain that fans refuse to
> respect their intellectual property rights. Yet tools like
> this refuse to respect our own personal property rights,"
> said EFF staff attorney Jason Schultz. "Sony's tactics here
> are hypocritical, in addition to being a security threat."
>
> If you listened to a CD with the XCP software on your
> Windows PC, your computer is likely already infected. An
> EFF investigation confirmed XCP software on 19 titles, but
> it's far from a complete list. Sony-BMG continues to refuse
> to make such a list available to consumers.
>
> Consumers can spot CDs with XCP by inspecting a CD closely,
> checking the left transparent spine on the front of the
> case for a label that says "CONTENT PROTECTED." The back of
> these CDs also mention XCP in fine print. You can find
> pictures of these and other telltale labeling at
> <http://www.eff.org/IP/DRM/Sony-BMG/> .
>
> "Music fans should protect themselves from this stealth
> attack on their computer system," said EFF Senior Staff
> Attorney Fred von Lohmann.
>
> For EFF's list of CDs with XCP:
> <http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004144.php>
>
> The "legalese rootkit" - Sony-BMG's EULA:
> <http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004145.php>
>
> For this release:
> <http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_11.php#004146>
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * Sony-BMG Rootkit: EFF Collecting Stories, Considering
> Litigation
>
> EFF is collecting stories from EFF members and supporters who
> have purchased Sony-BMG CDs that contained the rootkit copy
> protection software. We're considering whether the effect on
> the public, or on EFF members, is sufficiently serious to
> merit EFF filing a lawsuit.
>
> If you satisfy the following criteria, we would like to hear
> from you:
>
> 1. You have a Windows computer;
> 2. First 4 Internet's XCP copy protection has been installed
> on your computer from a Sony CD (for more details, see our
> blog post referenced above or the SysInternals blog,
> http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-
> digital-rights.html);
> 3. You reside in either California or New York; and
> 4. You are willing to participate in litigation.
>
> We have not made a final decision about filing any legal
> action, but we would like to hear from music fans who have
> been harmed by the Sony-BMG rootkit copy protection
> technology. Please contact allison@eff.org for more
> information.
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * News Website Can Keep Domain Name After Trademark Fight
>
> AcompliaReport.com Settles Fair Use Dispute with Drug
> Company
>
> San Francisco - A medical news website, with the assistance
> of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), settled a
> dispute with a French pharmaceutical giant over using the
> name of a trademarked medication, Acomplia.
>
> The settlement came after EFF filed suit on behalf of the
> AcompliaReport.com, an independent online newsletter
> devoted to reporting about a drug called Acomplia.
> Acomplia may help consumers lose weight and quit smoking,
> but is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug
> Administration (FDA). Since March 2004, AcompliaReport.com
> has published original news and commentary about Acomplia's
> clinical trials, the drug approval process, and
> anti-obesity drugs in general--all aimed at helping
> consumers make more informed decisions about their health.
>
> To emphasize the newsletter's impartiality, every page has
> always included the subheading "your independent source of
> news and reviews about the new diet drug Acomplia."
> Nevertheless, drug maker Sanofi-Aventis claimed that the
> use of the term "Acomplia" in the AcompliaReport domain
> name created a "risk of confusion." Sanofi asked an
> international arbitrator to order the domain name
> transferred, alleging that the publisher of the
> AcompliaReport, Milton R. Benjamin, was a cybersquatter.
> Benjamin promptly sought a declaration from a U.S. district
> court protecting his right to the domain name, claiming
> both fair use and First Amendment rights to the name as an
> online publisher.
>
> "Sanofi's tactics threatened to quash free and accurate
> speech," said EFF staff attorney Corynne McSherry. "The
> website uses the Acomplia mark solely to refer to Sanofi's
> product. That use is a textbook fair use. And basic First
> Amendment principles barred Sanofi from using trademark law
> to shut down an independent news site."
>
> Under terms of Tuesday's settlement, AcompliaReport.com
> keeps its domain name, as long as there is a disclaimer
> stating that the website is not associated with
> Sanofi-Aventis.
>
> "We are happy to have this absurd dispute behind us,
> enabling us to focus on independent coverage of the
> regulatory process and further development of a novel drug
> that appears to have the potential to be of considerable
> benefit to many people," said Benjamin. "A news site needs
> to be able to use a trademarked name in order to report on
> a trademarked product."
>
> For this release:
> <http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_11.php#004143>
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * PATRIOT Alert: A Battle Won, but Urgent Action Still Needed
>
> Over the next few days, select members of the US House and
> Senate will be haggling in conference over the wording of a
> new bill to renew the USA PATRIOT Act.
>
> Thanks in part to your calls and lobbying, the House of
> Representatives has already instructed its conferees to
> attach shorter four year "sunset" provisions to some of the
> act's more outrageous surveillance powers. But there are
> plenty more checks and balances that still need to be added.
>
> That's why we're asking everyone to call your Representative
> and Senators and urge them to tell the conference members to
> support the Senate version of the bill, which contains new
> safeguards lacking in the House version.
>
> Now is your last best chance to influence the debate over
> PATRIOT before the renewal bill reaches the President's desk.
> Find out the phone numbers of your Representative and
> Senators by clicking below. You'll find more information on
> the PATRIOT bill and a suggested phone script for you to use.
>
> Don't hesitate -- call today!
>
> <https://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?alertId7&pg=makeACall>
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * Passing the Buck: or, the Printer as a Fine French Wine
>
> Xerox responded to our research on how printers made by Xerox
> and other companies track the origin of documents you print.
> Its new "Xerox Statement on Counterfeit Detection" contains
> some bizarre suggestions. The most prominent of these is that
> Xerox's invasions of privacy are OK because other privacy
> invasions are worse.
>
> "Unlike much of the computer spy-ware prevalent on the
> internet today, the yellow dots do not 'contact' Xerox or the
> government and send user content or location," the statement
> reads. "In a world where your cell phone gives your
> location, all your phone calls are logged and available on
> the net, your credit card transactions compiled and your
> network browsing stored, the 'yellow dots' are innocuous and
> they give considerable protection against specific criminal
> behavior, such as counterfeiting."
>
> That's right: Xerox defends its decision because it's not as
> big an intrusion as spyware, wiretapping, or spying on you
> through your cell phone. It's the everybody-else-is-doing-it
> excuse. The company seems to be channelling Sun CEO Scott
> McNealy, who told a group of journalists in 1999 that "[y]ou
> have zero privacy anyway. Get over it."
>
> EFF and other privacy advocates have been fighting for years
> to reverse the trends Xerox mentions, or to enhance the tools
> available to the public for defending themselves. This month,
> we won major victories as courts, agreeing with our legal
> arguments, restricted the government's ability to use cell
> phones to track individuals' movements. We also fought for
> the public's right to use encryption to send private e-mail
> and make private telephone calls, and we supported the
> development of Tor to help users browse the Internet without
> identifying themselves. We argued for computer users' rights
> to remove spyware from their own computers and to teach
> others how to do so. EFF fought and won court cases
> protecting the anonymity of on-line critics. Through these
> cases, we helped extend the U.S. tradition of legal
> protection for anonymous pamphleteers firmly into the on-line
> world.
>
> Xerox goes on to say that we should actually be reassured by
> the tracking, since it's for our own protection. "Many
> products--cars, food, medicines, computers, toys and many
> more, have such features for the protection of customers.
> French wines put this proudly on their label."
>
> While it's comforting to know that our office equipment has
> something in common with a fine wine, our privacy is
> threatened in a particular way by tracking systems embedded
> in our communication technologies, in a way that it is
> typically not threatened by toys or beverages.
>
> For the full Xerox statement:
> <http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/?f=xerox-statement.html>
>
> For more analysis:
> <http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004151.php>
>
>
> * Anti-Cell Phone Tracking Judicial Revolution Spreads to NYC
>
> One more magistrate judge refused to allow the government's
> practice of secretly using cell phones to track people
> without probable cause--this time in the Southern District of
> New York (Manhattan). The magistrate judge declined to grant
> the government's request "without further briefing from the
> Government concerning the propriety of issuing these orders."
>
> The SDNY judge sought further briefing due to an August
> decision from a magistrate judge in the Eastern District of
> New York (Long Island) denying a similar government request.
> The government provided a letter brief in support, and, upon
> the court's request, the SDNY Federal Defender's Office
> responded last week with an amicus brief in opposition.
>
> The US Attorney for the SDNY faces an uphill battle: Two
> courts (the EDNY and the Southern District of Texas)
> considered the government's arguments so far, and both found
> them completely unpersuasive. Recognizing the importance of
> this decision, both magistrate judges urged an appeal in
> order to allow a Circuit Court to rule on this pernicious
> practice.
>
> Nevertheless, the US Attorney's Offices in those
> jurisdictions elected not to appeal the adverse decisions.
> This has not prevented the SDNY US Attorney from moving
> forward here, however. Distressingly, the government's brief
> reveals that US Attorneys offices all over the country have
> "routinely applied for and obtained court orders [compelling]
> cellular telephone companies to report...cell site data, for a
> particular cell phone on a prospective basis."
>
> EFF applauds those judges and magistrates who care enough
> about your rights to challenge the government when it makes
> these unsubstantiated requests for cell site data.
>
>
> For more on government cell phone tracking:
> <http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/USA_v_PenRegister/>
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * Nonprofit Coalition Wins Challenge to Federal Watch-List
> Policy
>
> EFF and 12 other national nonprofit organizations won their
> battle against a government fundraising policy that required
> checking employees against terrorist government watch-lists.
> It's a big victory for free speech and privacy--not to
> mention the nonprofits and the federal employees who want to
> support them through the Combined Federal Campaign, or CFC.
>
> CFC allows federal workers to donate to charities with
> automatic payroll deductions, and it raises hundreds of
> millions of dollars every year for thousands of
> organizations. But CFC rules put in place last year would
> have forced us to check all of our employees and expenditures
> against several anti-terrorism "black lists" of people and
> organizations that the government suspects are linked to
> terrorism.
>
> EFF withdrew from the program in protest. We knew that those
> watch-lists are created by the government with secret
> information that is notoriously unreliable and we refused to
> violate the privacy of our clients and employees. But now
> that the federal government dropped the list-checking
> requirements, EFF will join the CFC again. We hope that our
> members will support us and the new policy by donating to EFF
> through the CFC.
>
> Press release from the ACLU:
> <http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID239&c 6>
>
> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . :
>
> * miniLinks
> miniLinks features noteworthy news items from around the
> Internet.
>
> ~ DRM This, Sony!
> CNET's Molly Wood lays the smack down on Sony and their
> deceptive DRM.
> <http://www.cnet.com/4520-6033_1-6376177.html>
>
> ~ Forrester Grieves for the Music Industry
> Suggests they're passing through denial, anger, bargaining,
> depression--and hopefully, one day, acceptance.
> <http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/
> 0,7211,36036,00.html>
>
> ~ DRM Crippled CD: A Bizarre Tale
> Market strategist Barry Ritholtz fumes at the idiocy of copy-
> restricted CDs.
> <http://bigpicture.typepad.com/comments/2005/10/drm_crippled_cd.html>
>
> ~ DRM and Universities
> A sad, first-hand account of academics demanding DRM for
> their own lectures.
> <http://ono.cdlib.org/archives/shimenawa/000198.html>
>
> ~ Computer HDTV tuners down to $150
> In a market that would have been eliminated by the broadcast
> flag, competition works its magic.
> <http://www.fusionhdtv.co.kr/eng/Products/HDTV5usb.aspx>
>
> ~ The Hole Truth From Wendy Seltzer
> Brooklyn Law prof and EFF alumni deconstructs last Thursday's
> broadcast flag hearing.
> <http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/home?
> wid&func=viewSubmission&sid