Press Releases: October, 2004
EFF, Verified Voting Foundation Host Press Conference on Election Day
Legal, Technical Experts Will Report on Problems With E-voting Systems and Answer Questions
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Verified Voting Foundation (VVF) will host a press tele-conference from 6:00
Court Orders New Protections for People Targeted by RIAA
Public Interest Groups Help Protect Anonymity of Accused Infringers
EFF Launches "Paper or Plastic 2004" to Educate CA Voters About Paper Ballot Option
San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation today launched a campaign to inform California voters of their right to vote on a paper ballot in the upcoming election. The website and animation for Paper or Plastic 2004 are available at:
Sixth Circuit Court Protects the Right to Reverse Engineer
Big Win in Printer Cartridge Case Suggests Ways to Limit Use of DMCA
E-voting Ground Zero on November 2
EFF, Verified Voting Lead Teams of Experts, Hold Press Conference on Election Day
Nationwide - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been asked by the nationwide non-partisan Election Protection Coalition (EPC) to lead a team of technology lawyers who can serve as experts on Nov. 2 if troubles come up in e-voting "hotspots" around the country. Stationed in cities across the nation, these experts will be available to answer questions when people call the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE with issues related to e-voting.
EFF Challenges Secret Court Order
Motion Demands Information About the Seizure of Indymedia's Servers
Resources for Voters in E-voting Hotspots
San Francisco - The Electronic Frontier Foundation is redistributing a press release from Verified Voting Foundation announcing the release of several key resources for voters in e-voting "hotspots."
Voters Guides include step-by-step instructions for voting on the most commonly used electronic voting machines. There are also maps detailing what voting equipment is being used at polling places nationwide.
California Pollworkers Told to Withhold Information from Voters
Santa Clara County, CA - Pollworkers in Santa Clara County are being trained not to offer voters a chance to use paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has learned. California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley mandated in May that all polling places offer a paper ballot option, which would allow people concerned about e-voting machine reliability a chance to vote on paper ballots at the polls. But pollworkers in Santa Clara County are being instructed not to tell voters that this option is available.
Diebold Coughs Up Cash in Copyright Case
False Accusation of Infringement Results in Hefty Payment of Legal Fees, Damages
California - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) capped its historic victory in a copyright abuse case against electronic voting machine manufacturer Diebold today. The corporation agreed to pay $125,000 in damages and fees. The settlement, a win for free speech advocates, comes after a California district court found that Diebold had knowingly misrepresented that online commentators, including Indymedia and two Swarthmore college students, had infringed the company's copyrights.
Indymedia Servers Mysteriously Reappear, But Questions Remain
San Francisco, CA - Rackspace Managed Hosting, the San Antonio-based company that manages two Indymedia servers seized by the US government last Thursday, said yesterday that the servers have been returned and are now available to go back online. Immediate access to the servers, which host Indymedia's Internet radio station and more than 20 Indymedia websites, will be delayed so that the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) can ensure that the servers are secure and take steps to preserve evidence for future legal action.
EFF Challenges Secret Government Order to Shut Down Media Websites
Seizure of Servers Hosting Indymedia Websites Violates the First Amendment
San Francisco, CA -- The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is representing a coalition of independent Internet journalists whose websites were shut down on Thursday, October 7, when their servers were seized by the FBI. The two servers, which were located in the United Kingdom and managed by San Antonio-based Rackspace Managed Hosting, hosted Indymedia's Internet radio station and more than 20 Indymedia websites, as well as several email lists.
In File-Sharing Witchhunts, RIAA Is Foiled Again
Washington, DC - Today, the Supreme Court denied a request by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to hear its appeal of a lower court decision that Internet service providers (ISPs) do not have to hand over the names of people suspected of copyright infringement.
Servers in UK Containing Indymedia Websites Seized by Government
United Kingdom - Acting under a court order, Texas-based web hosting company Rackspace Managed Hosting handed over two UK-based servers containing Indymedia websites to government agents yesterday morning. Indymedia is a collective of online journalists who maintain a network of independent news websites. The order was apparently issued by a US District Court and served by the FBI, on behalf of a foreign government. Rackspace has refused to comment on what information had been requested or why the servers were confiscated, citing the court order.
Entertainment Giants Push Supreme Court to Rewrite Copyright Law
Washington, DC - A group of 25 entertainment companies filed a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court today, asking the Court to rewrite copyright law principles that establish when high-tech companies can be held liable for the copyright infringements of their customers.
Court to Rehear Email Privacy Case
Boston, MA - The First Circuit Court of Appeals decided today to rehear argument in a case that could have a profound effect on email privacy. Last month, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) submitted a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, US v. Councilman, urging such a rehearing.
EFF, Public Interest Groups Challenge Legality of the Broadcast Flag
Lawsuit Questions FCC's Authority to Mandate Copy Protection on All Hardware That Receives Digital TV Signals
WIPO Announces Plans to Support Public Domain, Open Source
Geneva - The United Nation's (UN) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has adopted a "development agenda" that acknowledges the need for balance in worldwide policy on trademark, copyright, and patents. In the past, WIPO has been roundly resistant to attempts to balance the interests of copyright holders, who make up the majority of WIPO participants, and the public, which had never been represented at the meetings.
California Ruling Makes Accurate Recount on E-voting Machines Impossible
Riverside, California - A superior court in a Riverside County, California ruled last week that the local registrar of voters does not have to hand over backup data from e-voting machines to verify the results of a recount.
