Please help us by making a tax-deductible donation

Please support us by donating to our Founders campaign today! We are a 501(c)3 so your donation can be tax-deductible. Here's a list of current Founders.

New Media Rights provides free help for artists and startups

New Media Rights answers questions from the public and takes media inquiries regarding the law and technology. Please contact us if you have a question and we'll be glad to assist you. Our free legal and how-to resources, as well as our free public media studio and equipment, are supported by donations by individuals like you, so please consider donating today! Contact us with questions about your digital rights.

How mobile apps track and share your location and other personal information

Dan Terzian's picture

You are being tracked. The tracking device is your smartphone. And the tracker? Apple and Google. And your cellphone carrier. And software companies. And countless other third parties. And shopping malls. Oh, and also potentially law enforcement agencies.

Just what, exactly, are these groups tracking? And why? Read on to find out.

Stop the Stop Online Piracy Act

Dan Terzian's picture

Congress is once again considering passing new laws regulating piracy on the Internet. The House of Representatives is currently considering passing the Stop Online Piracy Act. But many oppose the Act—and you should too. If it becomes law, as one Congresswoman exclaimed, it “would mean the end of the internet as we know it.” Similarly, Internet companies like Googlei and Facebooki also openly oppose it. The Act even prompted online protests by Tumblr, Reddit and Firefox. Why do so many oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act, and why should you be concerned? Read our coverage to find out.

Guide for defendants in mass copyright lawsuits (Bit Torrent Filesharing cases)

You may be a defendant, or may know a defendant involved in one of the “BitTorrent filesharing lawsuits.” These suits are also sometimes referred to as “Mass copyright lawsuits” because for the first time, hundreds and sometimes thousands of individuals like yourself have been implicated in lawsuits alleging “copyright infringement.” Indeed, as of September 2011, there are over 200,000 individuals involved in such lawsuits.

New Media Rights has drafted the guide below to provide you with basic, practical information regarding these lawsuits.
 

September Newsletter: Success stories, challenging AT&T, and Blogworld 2011

Our September newsletter brings news of success stories fighting DMCAi abuse, a grant awarded by the California Consumer Protection Foundation, and our continuing efforts to stop the AT&T-Tmobile merger. 

You can also catch us in person at Media Law in the Digital Age in October, a conference coproduced by Harvard Berkman Center's Digital Media Law Project and the Center for Sustainable Journalism at Kennesaw State University, as well as Blogworld 2011 in LA in November.

Critics of Comcast-NBC merger expect widespread consumer frustration if merger is approved

Mera Szendro Bok's picture

Cablevision subscribers have been put through the ringer as FOX and Cablevision had a drawn out their most recent dispute. Many subscribers could not watch FOX sports and entertainment programming which led to a lot of frustration. Mera Szendro Bok explains why all Americans who watch TV as well as independent creators will share their frustration, if the Comcast-NBC merger passes.

FCC gets an earful at Stanford public hearing on the need for diversity

Mera Szendro Bok's picture

Didn't make it to the latest FCCi hearing in Stanford, CA on media consolidation ? Here is a resource for a quick update.

FCC coming to Stanford University. Tell the FCC what you think about media consolidation and the future of journalism.

Please see the following from our friends at Free Press regarding the upcoming FCCi meeting on media consolidation in Stanford, California. If you or someone you know will be in the area please share this with them.

New Media Rights files comments in FCC Future of Media proceeding

San Diego, California - On Friday May 7th, 2010 New Media Rights submitted comments in the FCCi's Future of Media proceeding. 

New Media Rights' comments to the Commission draw directly on our experience providing one-to-one pro bono legal assistance as well as a free public media studio to creators of all types.  Our work has given us the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of media makers, advocates and citizens.  These comments are also intended to supplement a conversation held between New Media Rights, Free Press, Main Street Project, People's Production House, The Transmission Project and Mountain Area Information Network with the FCC's Steve Waldman on Thursday May 6th, 2010.

Respecting the linking economy and information aggregators - part 1 of 3 online rights battles that need fighting this decade

art neill's picture

"Rainbow" shared by Jakrome under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Intuitively, if you use the Internet even sparingly as a means of connecting you to the broader world, you'll recognize that much of the activity that takes place on the internet involves humans (and automated search engines and other services) filtering and aggregating basic facts and information.  This is so fundamental to our daily Internet use it largely goes unnoticed.  A link from search engine, a tweet, or a status update from a social media service are just a few examples.  There is huge value in helping citizens sift through the wonderful oversaturation of information the Internet offers.

There are, however, real threats to our ability to find content and navigate in our vast information ocean.  This very cornerstone of the Internet is threatened by fear, misunderstanding, and overreaching from some traditional content owners.

Exploring new experiments in journalism: Newsday paywall fails, while Spot.us lets readers decide what news to pay for

Mera Szendro Bok's picture

Are paywalls working? Or are there other experiments out there finding solutions to journalism's funding dilemma? New Media Rights covers the Newsday paywall failures, and explores on an innovative journalism venture based here in California, Spot.us.