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EFFector - Volume 22, Issue 3 - CA Action Alert: Say No to Biometrics in California Drivers’ Licenses

EFFECTOR

EFFector - Volume 22, Issue 3 - CA Action Alert: Say No to Biometrics in California Drivers’ Licenses

EFFector Vol. 22, No. 03  February 6, 2009  editor@eff.org

A Publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
ISSN 1062-9424

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In our 498th issue:

* CA ACTION ALERT: SAY NO TO BIOMETRICS IN CALIFORNIA
DRIVERS' LICENSES. The California DMV is attempting to
bring biometric information to California IDs through an
obscure, rushed exception to the ordinary budget process.
Though the impact on California citizens' privacy would be
tremendous, the DMV would be able to bypass the public and
begin implementation of its biometrics plan unless the
budget committee actively rejects the request by February
11, 2009. Contact the Senate President Pro Tem and
encourage the legislature to reject the DMV's attempt to
implement its new biometrics proposal without genuine
public scrutiny.

Contact California State Senator Steinberg:
https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=416

* ACTION ALERT: TELL THE NEW CONGRESS TO OPEN THE SECRET IP
PACT. New revelations about the secretive
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) have emerged,
and the news is not good for technology users or their
digital rights.

Instead of concentrating on physical fakes and fraud,
leaked draft language suggests ACTA will provide expansive
powers to customs authorities worldwide to search and seize
digital technology at the border on suspicion of IP
infringements and globally widen the criminalization of IP
law way beyond profit-seeking pirates.

An entire section of the trade agreement would create new
regulations over the Internet and DRM -- but those details
remain secret.

Write to your representatives now to demand that Congress
bring transparency to this clandestine pact:
http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=420

Learn more about ACTA:
http://www.eff.org/action/act-on-acta

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EFF Updates

* EFF Leads Call of Support for Live Webcast of RIAA
Hearing
EFF, representing a coalition of media and public interest
nonprofits, urged a federal appeals court to allow the live
webcasting of a hearing in one of the thousands of lawsuits
that have been brought against users of peer-to-peer
file-sharing systems.
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/01/28

* Thousands Sign Petition Demanding Cell Phone Freedom
EFF submitted a petition to the U.S. Copyright Office
signed by more than 8200 people demanding that the office
lift the legal cloud hanging over cell phone customers who
modify their phones.
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/02/02-0

* Parody Site Back Up After Settlement of Bogus IP Claims
Savitri Durkee's website is back online after a copyright
lawsuit and other legal action brought by Union Square
Partnership led to a nearly six-month shutdown.
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2009/02/02

* YouTube's January Fair Use Massacre
This is what it's come to: teenagers singing "Winter
Wonderland" being censored off YouTube.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/01/youtubes-january-fair-use-massacre

* More Bad Law in WoW Glider Case
Ars Technica has an update on the latest chapter in the MDY
v. Blizzard case, which pits the maker of World of Warcraft
against the maker of Glider.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/02/more-bad-law-wow-glider-case

* Google Book Search Settlement
EFF recommends two articles for those who want more
in-depth analysis of the October 2008 settlement.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/02/google-book-search-settlement-two-articles-read

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miniLinks

~ Google Executives Face Jail Time for Italian Video
Italian prosecutors are holding Google executives
accountable for the posting of an objectionable video.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/google-executives-face-jail-time-for-italian-video/?hp

~ AP Alleges Copyright Infringement Over Obama Image
The Associated Press says artist Shepard Fairey's remix of
an AP photo is copyright infringement -- but Stanford's
Fair Use project thinks otherwise.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090204/ap_en_ot/obama_poster

~ "Managed" Copies?
New software enables users to make copies from DVDs -- but
manages those copies with DRM.
http://www.contentagenda.com/blog/1500000150/post/100040010.html

For more miniLinks:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/02/minilinks-2009-02-05

For global miniLinks:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/02/global-minilinks-2009-02-04

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Announcements

* Come see EFF at SCaLE!

The 7th Annual Southern California Linux Expo will be
February 20-22, 2009, at the Los Angeles Airport Westin
Hotel.  EFF will have a booth on the expo floor, which is
open on the 21st and 22nd. Stop by to say hello, and update
your membership!

For more information on SCaLE:
http://scale7x.socallinuxexpo.org/

* EFF Updates Privacy Policy

On January 26, 2009, EFF updated our privacy policy,
clarifying EFF's data collection and retention practices.
As explained in detail in the policy, EFF temporarily logs
standard technical information, such as the IP addresses of
the visitors to our website, for up to 48 hours, in order
to assist EFF in diagnosing technical problems and
defending against attacks on the site.  After 48 hours, EFF
anonymizes, obfuscates, aggregates and/or deletes unneeded
technical information.

In addition, EFF's policy reflects that EFF no longer uses
Google to provide third-party search functions, using
Yahoo! instead.  To protect your privacy, no information
from your browser (including your IP address or any
cookies) is transmitted to Yahoo!

The EFF Privacy Policy was last updated in February 2007.

For the full policy:
http://www.eff.org/policy

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Administrivia

EFFector is published by:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
http://www.eff.org/about

Editor:
Sara Bassett, Membership Services Assistant
sara@eff.org

Membership & donation queries:
membership@eff.org

General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries:
information@eff.org

Back issues of EFFector are available at:
http://www.eff.org/effector/

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