Filings

New Media Rights files comments at the Copyright Office supporting the right to jailbreak mobile devices and lawfully reuse video content

New Media Rights has filed comments with the Copyright Office supporting three exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s anti-circumvention provisions.  Similar to our 2009 comment to the Copyright Office, this comment supports the right to bypass anti-circumvention technologies to a) allow individuals to take control of the apps and services they use on their mobile devices, and b) allow creators and internet users to reuse video content for fair use purposes.  Our 2012 comment also supports recommendations that these exemptions should be extended beyond their 2009 counterparts in two very important ways – we argue that jailbreaking should also apply to tablets and that the bypassing of anti-circumvention technology should include non-DVD sources.

The exemptions provide an important safety valve for otherwise lawful behavior by consumers and creators.

New Media Rights signs open letter sent to Congress regarding SOPA, PIPA, and internet freedom with 70 other groups

February 6, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Art Neill, Executive Director, New Media Rights, (619) 591-8870

On February 6, 2012, New Media Rights joined approximately 70 grass-roots groups, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, human rights groups, communities of color, and Internet companies in sending a letter asking Congress to stop its work on intellectual property issues in the wake of massive public protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA).

Read the letter in its entirety

New Media Rights files comments in Copyright Office inquiry into remedies for small copyright claims

On October 27, 2011, the Copyright Office released a Notice of Inquiry soliciting commentary on how copyright holders and defendants address small copyright claims within the current legal system, the drawbacks and benefits of the current system, and potential alternative methods for handling such claims. The Copyright Office was primarily concerned that the high cost of federal copyright litigation (as much as $350,000 for claims under $1 million)  may be dissuading copyright holders from filing lawsuits where damages are relatively low, because the potential award will not justify the expense of the litigation. Unlike many other varieties of small claims, state small claims courts are not available as a venue for resolving disputes over small copyright claims, because federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over copyright claims.  The Copyright Office suggested a number of potential solutions including creating a federal small claims court and allowing state small claims courts to hear copyright disputes.

In our January 17, 2012 comment, New Media Rights identifies a key frustration afflicting small-scale defendants, the “settling culture” that has emerged within the current system whereby defendants are intimidated into paying settlements and accepting DMCA takedown requests rather than risk the high costs of federal litigation. Copyright holders exploit the high cost of federal litigation to extract unwarranted settlements from small-scale defendants and impose improper DMCA takedowns. We tell that story with real life examples.

New Media Rights files Reply Comments in the AT&T - T-mobile merger review at the California Public Utiltities Commission

AT&T T-mobile merger

New Media Rights and its affiliates Utility Consumers' Action Network and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse filed Reply Comments to the California Public Utilities Commission investigation into the AT&T - T-mobile merger.  After attending the innovation and consumer workshops, and reading a mountain of additional paperwork, we're more convinced than ever that the CPUC should recommend denial of the merger.

We talk about specific reasons why in our comments, and also suggest that in the event the Commission does choose to recommend to the FCC to approve with the merger, some significant conditions should be placed in California.

New Media Rights responds to the FCC Future of Media Report

We've now had a chance to read the recent FCC Future of Media Report. In May of 2010 we filed comments in the FCC's Future of Media "Untitled" by Flickr user Paul Goyette shared under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) License proceeding, a proceeding that asked for opinion on everything from journalism to open standards on the internet. While many of the findings and statements do reflect how we believe media is transforming in America, the report lacks specific goals and recommendations. 

Here's our thoughts on the future of media, and goals and recommendations that will help us achieve a better future for media in this country.

New Media Rights calls on California Broadband Council to set higher goals: inclusiveness, openness, and expanded definitions of digital literacy

On June 22, 2011, New Media Rights' Director Art Neill offered the following comments to the California Broadband Council. The comments suggested additional workgroups, an expanded definition of digital literacy, making all data and materials produced by the Council public domain or openly licensed, as well as observations on challenges with the Comcast's FCC mandated reduced price low-speed internet service.

New Media Rights calls for improved CA broadband buildout process and true digital literacy

On June 23, 2011 Art Neill spoke before the CA Broadband Council on the importance on community based working groups being involved in the $500 million-dollar broadband buildout process. Art also spoke about the importance of the council fully understanding what digital inclusion would look like in California, if they were to be successful.

New Media Rights files Petition to Deny the AT&T - T-mobile Merger at the FCC

New Media Rights, its parent organization Utility Consumers' Action Network, and its affiliated project Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, have filed a petition to deny with the Federal Communications Commission. 

Our petition makes clear the FCC must investigate AT&T's assumptions and claims carefully, and that on balance, the merger is not in the public interest of America's wireless consumers.  The merger's negative affect on innovation, access to the internet, customer service quality, prices, service availability, and consumer privacy are all discussed.

Read the full filing by clicking here.

New Media Rights encourages state regulators in California to investigate the AT&T T-Mobile merger

NMR and UCAN urged the The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) this week to protect telecommunications consumers in California, by taking an active role in response to the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger. The proposed merger will have such a significant impact on telecommunications consumers in California that the Commission should exercise any and all authority it has in this space. This is an opportunity for the Commission to reestablish a tradition of being a leader in protecting communications consumers in California.

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