1 May, 2009: Global Civil Society Weighs In Supporting Petition for a Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group at ICANN
Dozens of civil society organizations from all corners of the globe signed a statement submitted to ICANN's Public Forum supporting the proposal to form a Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) from the Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC). Supporters of NCUC's petition include non-commercial organizations such as Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge, FreePress, European Digital Rights Initiative, ARTICLE 19, EPIC, Rits-Brazil, Alfa-Redi, Association for Progressive Communications, African Commons, Internet Society of Mauritius, UWI At-Large, ICT Consumers Association of Kenya, Knowledge Ecology International, Privacy International, Yale Law School Information Society Project, and dozens more...

19 Mar, 2009: Ralph Yarro and His Anti-Porn Crusaders March on ICANN & Demand Global Censorship
ICANN is accepting comments from the public on the proposed censorship constituency until 5 April 2009. SCO Group Chairman Ralph Yarro III, the ultra-conservative behind what Business Week dubbed "the most hated company in tech" (SCO) for stealing the computer code of thousands of Linux open source programmers is now behind efforts to flood ICANN with identical form letters encouraging the adoption of Yarro's "Cybersafety" Constituency during the Public Comment Period. The proposed "Cybersafety" Constituency claims to be concerned with "safety", but in reality is just a couple of anti-porn extremists in Yarro's flock who see ICANN as an opportunity for control of the flow of information on the Internet. The proposed constituency is run by CP80, ...

16 Mar, 2009: Non-Commercial Users File Petition to Form Stake-Holder Group at ICANN
The essential elements of this proposal are: Noncommercial stakeholders join the NCSG directly, and the NCSG keeps track of membership and administers voting for Council seats by the membership as a whole. The NCSG is administered by an annually elected Chair and a Policy Committee. The Policy Committee is composed of the 6 elected GNSO Councilors and one representative from each Constituency. There are three classes of membership: 1) large organizations (which receive 4 votes), small organizations (which receive 2 votes) and individuals (who receive 1 vote). Constituencies are formed as sub-units within the NCSG. We have deliberately made it relatively easy to form and join constituencies; at the same time we have de-linked Constituency formation from Council seats so ...

4 Feb, 2009: Associated Press Erroneously Claims Copyright Infringement on Obama’s Image in Campaign Poster
Poster-Child Case for Fair Use or Illegal Art? The Associated Press is claiming that it is the copyright owner of a photograph of President Obama that was used by an Obama supporter to create to poster for the political campaign and the now-famous poster is a copyright infringement of its photo. However this case could be considered the "poster-child" case for fair use. It is unfortunate that the AP is trying to turn political expression into illegal art. But these facts would be a good opportunity to set some positive legal precedent protecting fair use of political expression should the AP pursue this matter in the courts. ..."

7 Jan, 2009: Obama Picks Hollywood’s Favorite Lawyer for a Top Justice Post
Obama's voting record in the US Senate on civil rights issues always troubled me. Sure, he talks beautifully. But he voted for some of the worst things that the Bush Administration did to the US and the world (surveillance on US citizens in Patriot Act, telecom immunity for spying, invading Iraq, etc). So it should not be surprising to learn in this article from CNET News that Obama has picked attorneys for the notorious Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to lead his Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Ironically, attorneys who sue Peer-2-Peer file-sharers, chip away at online free expression guarantees, and have systematically worked to eliminate the privacy rights of US consumers are being put ...

2 Dec, 2008: Get Involved in Internet Policy at ICANN: NonCommercial Users Constituency (NCUC) Membership Drive
CALL TO ACTION: Individuals and nonprofit organizations are invited to join ICANN's Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) to become involved in Internet policy discussions. Protect privacy rights, free expression guarantees, and due process of law regarding Internet domain names by getting involved and joining NCUC today.

1 Dec, 2008: A2K@IGF Dynamic Coalition Session: Access to Knowledge and Freedom of Expression Policies for the Development of a Global Information Economy”
Hyderabad, India - 5 December 2008

28 Oct, 2008: Open Letter to World Customs Organization Concerning Increased Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
We the undersigned public interest groups and individuals are writing to raise our concerns about recent developments in the World Customs Organisation, in particular the setting of intellectual property enforcement standards that go beyond the TRIPS agreement (TRIPS plus) in the SECURE Working Group, the lack of dialogue with, and involvement of public interest organisations in the standard setting process and the lack of transparency surrounding the Working Group’s work. The Expansive IP enforcement standards being pushed hurriedly in the SECURE Working Group are of deep concern. It is well known that the recent push for strong TRIPS plus enforcement standards comes from developed countries and their commercial entities, and they are seeking international organizations to set such standards on their behalf. ...

9 Oct, 2008: Freedom Not Fear Day 2008 International Campaign
Please Join IP Justice, EPIC, and EFF in signing the Freedom Not Fear Declaration. In recognition of Freedom not Fear Day, many US organizations set out the following recommendations: - End Watch Lists, Fusion Centers and other data profiling programs that fail to comply with the full requirements of the federal Privacy Act; - Affirm international human rights, including freedom of expression and privacy protection, so as to strengthen democratic institutions and protect the rights of individuals; - Repeal the Patriot Act and other legal authorities that permit warrantless surveillance and unconstitutional monitoring and tracking of individuals; - End the culture of secrecy that allows government officials to hide mismanagement, fraud, and incompetence behind the veil of "homeland security"; ...

18 Sep, 2008: Coalition of Technology Companies and Digital Rights Groups Comment on ACTA to USTR
Joint Statement on ACTA from American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Center for Democracy & Technology Computer & Communications Industry Association, Consumer Electronics Association Digital Future Coalition, Entertainment Consumers Association, Home Recording Rights Coalition, Information Technology Association of America, Intel Corporation, Internet Commerce Coalition, IP Justice, Knowledge Ecology International, Medical Library Association NetCoalition, Public Knowledge, Special Libraries Association, US Internet Industry Association, Verizon, Yahoo! Inc.

16 Sep, 2008: UN Agency to Curb Anonymous Internet Communications
An alarming report shows that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency that coordinates global telephony policy, is quietly working to make anonymous Internet use impossible. The ITU's "IP Traceback" proposal would enable governments (and some big companies) to spy on every individual's Internet use via embedding specific technical standards in Internet communications protocols. The surveillance proposal was originally sponsored by the Chinese government, but now the US National Security Agency (NSA) is one of it's biggest proponents. Companies such as Cisco Systems and VeriSign are also working closely with the ITU, NSA, and Chinese government to install this global spy network, called the "Q6/17 Drafting Group". Anonymous communication is a well-recognized ...

15 Sep, 2008: Secret Counterfeiting Treaty Public Must be Made Public, Global Organizations Say
More than 100 public interest organizations from around the world today called on officials from the countries negotiating Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to publish immediately the draft text of the agreement. Secrecy around the treaty negotiation has fueled concerns that its terms will undermine vital consumer interests. Organizations signing the letter include: IP Justice, Consumers Union, Essential Action, Knowledge Ecology International, Doctors without Borders’ Campaign for Essential Medicines, Australian Digital Alliance, The Canadian Library Association, Consumers Union of Japan, U.S. Public Interest Research Group ...

10 Sep, 2008: Public-Interest NGO’s Express Concerns with Proposed Senate Bill on Intellectual Property Enforcement
Twelve Public Interest Organizations Send US Senate Judiciary Joint Letter on Concerns Regarding S.3325, the "Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008": "The undersigned groups write to express our concerns with S. 3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008, soon to be marked up in the Committee on the Judiciary. While enforcing IP rights is necessary to ensuring the progress of science and the useful arts, an unbalanced approach to enforcement would lead to unintended harms and impede that progress. Several of the provisions contained within S. 3325 threaten such an imbalance...."

24 Aug, 2008: Sen. Joseph Biden’s Anti-Free Speech, Anti-Privacy, and Anti-Internet Platform
"US Senator Joseph Biden, Barack Obama's choice for Vice-Presidential candidate has a long track record in the US Senate of chipping away at Americans' privacy rights and freedom of expression rights - especially when it comes to the Internet and technology. Biden has done the bidding of Hollywood in the Senate for decades - he's fought P2P file networks, been a staunch supporter of the controversial DMCA, and sponsored RIAA bills to restrict a consumer's right to record songs over satellite radio. Biden sponsored FBI wire-tapping bills, voted for war in Iraq, voted for the (Anti) "Patriot" Act, and has a long history of working to keep strong encryption out of the hands of Americans. Biden helped ...

7 Aug, 2008: Statement on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to USTR from US Tech Trade Associations and Companies
Letter from AT&T, Amazon.com, Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Consumer Electronics Association, eBay, Information Technology Association of America, Internet Commerce Coalition, NetCoalition, US Internet Service Provider Association, US Telecom Ass., Verizon Communications, Yahoo! Inc.

29 Jul, 2008: LEAKED: “Business Perspectives on Border Measures and Civil Enforcement”
Leaked Industry-Lobbyist Memo to ACTA Negotiators From "Concerned Business Groups in ACTA Nations" at 2nd Round of Secret Trade Negotiations in Washington, DC from 29-31 July 2008

23 Jul, 2008: Letter to USTR on ACTA from Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), Library Copyright Alliance, NetCoalition
Tech Industry Statement on 29-31 July 2008 ACTA Negotiations in DC: "We strongly oppose any requirement in ACTA that signatories enact statutory damages... Copyright statutory damages are one feature of our IP law that we should not seek to export.... Finally we wish to express our disappointment that we learned of the agenda for next week's negotiations from the DFAT [Australian Govt] website rather than our own government...."

9 Jul, 2008: G8 Declaration on the World Economy
Read Text of GB Declaration on a World Economy and G8's Pledge to Increase Intellectual Property Rights and International Enforcement and to Deputize Customs Agents to Search and Seize Laptops, iPods, and PDA's of Unsuspected Citizens in Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)