Not Quite a Blog

Take a look at this piece of shit of an editorial... I grow farther from the NYT every day ("Stands Strongly Against Theft on the Internet ..."):

In another landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against Grokster, a company that facilitates illegal exchanges of copyrighted music over the Internet. The justices got the issue exactly right, holding that actively encouraging copyright infringement is illegal, but merely creating new technology that makes it possible is not. The Grokster decision sets out a sensible framework for intellectual property law in the Internet age. [...]

In their zeal to protect technology innovators, Grokster's supporters have shown too little regard for other kinds of creative people. Musician[s], moviemakers and writers rely on sales revenue to support their art and to pay their bills. File sharing's most aggressive advocates like to say that on the Internet, information "wants to be free." But in the real world, creators of intellectual property want, and need, to be paid. Yesterday's ruling makes it more likely that as technology continues to evolve, they will be. (emphasis mine, biznitch)

They're lawyers will be paid... and will inevitably have to give protracted, opaque counsel.

Just got an IM from Matt Zimmerman (EFF) who said Cindy Cohn (EFF) just received a call from the clerk of the Supreme Court and Grokster has been reversed and remanded. Apparently, it was a unanimous decision!!!

Here's the decision: http://wid.ap.org/scotus/pdf/04-480P.ZO.pdf
Breyer concurrence: http://wid.ap.org/scotus/pdf/04-480P.ZC1.pdf Ginsburg concurrence: http://wid.ap.org/scotus/pdf/04-480P.ZC.pdf

Some interesting comments below (that you won't see elsewhere)...

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Please take the following blog survey if you are a blogger... your 15 minutes of time will help to increase our understanding of how and why people blog.

Our SoS has requested comments from the public on legislation surrounding requirements for AVVPAT in voting systems sold in California. Here is the text of what I submitted...

UPDATE [2005-06-24 16:12:49]: The EFF and CVF have co-authored a comment: "Re: Request for Public Comment on Voting System Audit Trail Standards".

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Randy Picker has set up a MobBlog which will serve as a clearinghouse for expert commentary on the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on MGM v. Grokster... commentators include: Doug Lichtman, Jessica Litman, Jim Speta, Julie Cohen, Larry Solum, Lior Strahilevitz, Phil Weiser, Ray Ku, Tom Hazlett and Wendy Gordon.

This mode of blogging -- where a group of experts convenes to address a topic and then disbands -- is becoming quite popular. It's a great way to interface with the press too... they get their quotes, we don't get misquoted, etc.