Steven Aftergood of FAS writes: The vast apparatus of government secrecy persisted through the last year with only limited changes in the contours of its multi-billion dollar operations, according to the latest “secrecy report card” published by Openthegovernment.org, a coalition of organizations working for increased transparency. The new report card (pdf), prepared by Patrice McDermott…
Locklear files another class action over TCPA
Kelly Holleran reports that Locklear Electric has filed another class-action lawsuit alleging that companies violated that Telephone Consumer Protection Act by sending them unsolicited (“junk”) faxes: Lead class plaintiff Locklear Electric of Wood River claims it received a faxed advertisement from Florissant Injury and Pain Relief Center and from William Straughn on Sept. 18, 2005….
National coalition of authors urge rejection of Google Book Search deal
From EFF: A coalition of authors and publishers—including best-sellers Michael Chabon, Jonathan Lethem, and technical author Bruce Schneier—is urging a federal judge to reject the proposed settlement in a lawsuit over Google Book Search, arguing that the sweeping agreement to digitize millions of books ignores critical privacy rights for readers and writers. The group of…
Japan’s govt., private firms to tackle cell phone music piracy
The Yomiuri Shimbun reports: The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry and the telecom and music industries plan to jointly introduce a system to prevent cell phone users from downloading illegally distributed music files to their cell phones via the Internet, it has been learned. The system, which could be operational as early as fiscal 2010,…