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How to remove yourself from Jerk.com

Jerk.com is a website that appears to try to profit from consumers who are concerned about their online reputation.

We've recently heard from individuals who have come across Jerk.com after they Google themselves and find that they have a profile on Jerk.com.  You may be one of these individuals.  If so, please contact us at 619-591-8870 or support@newmediarights.org so we can help you address the issue.

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 03/31/2015 - 3:22pm

Internet rights battles don't end with SOPA - February 2012 newsletter

What an amazing time for Internet rights!  Millions of internet users and creators like you put a stop to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) in Congress.  These laws threatened free speech and innovation by allowing blocking of entire web services due to infringing content posted on a single webpage. 

You have the power to shape the future of a free and open internet, but Internet rights battles don't end with SOPA & PIPA. Wireless carriers, large media companies, and other gatekeepers continue to find ways to artificially limit your ability to access services and share content online. Our February newsletter explains how NMR has been working tirelessly on behalf of internet users, creators and consumers in the new year.

Read the entire newsletter!

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Fri, 03/09/2012 - 11:38am

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.

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Mon, 02/09/2015 - 11:05am

Your 4G phone may not actually be 4G (even if your carrier says it is)

4G speed test - Sprint PCS

Are you in the market for a new phone and want the best one out there? Many wireless companies say in their commercials that in order to be on the crest of the wave of the future, you must get one of their 4G phones. You can download the latest blockbusters, or make your own home movies and share them with friends and family. Speeds are advertised that apparently allow you to do anything from be part of a flash mob to data intensive downloading. But there are some serious limits to the companies’ claims.

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Tue, 02/14/2012 - 9:48am

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

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Mon, 02/06/2012 - 12:00pm

How Apple, Google, and your wireless carrier control your phone

You own your cellphone. So you should be able to do with it what you want, right? Wrong, unfortunately. Apple, Google, your wireless carrier, and others all control what you can do with your phone. They prevent you from downloading apps; they may remotely delete apps from your phone; they may even prevent you from downloading operating system updates necessary to use your phone.

Just how do they exercise this control, and how does it affect you? Read on to find out.

Submitted by Dan Terzian last modified Wed, 08/08/2012 - 11:04am

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

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.

Submitted by Dan Terzian last modified Wed, 08/08/2012 - 6:39pm

Our recent accomplishments: 2011

We want to update you, our community, on our recent successes and what the future holds for New Media Rights.  Since July, we have been supported by a grant from the California Consumer Protection Foundation (CCPF).

By partnering with New Media Rights, CCPF took a leadership role in ensuring that consumers and creators have a source of assistance for the difficult questions that arise with the use of the Internet, mobile applications, and other new communications technologies.  CCPF support has provided consumers / creators free, expert one-to-one assistance for digital rights issues, so CCPF should be recognized as an innovator in the digital rights field and we thank them for their support.

In addition to our free assistance, we have produced cutting edge guides addressing problems actually faced by internet users.  This educational material has already reached thousands and will continue to help people for years to come. Through our policy comments on the AT&T-T-Mobile merger (here and here) and other issues, we’ve communicated the issues that independent media creators and consumers face to policy makers.

We thank the CCPF, and our many generous individual supporters for supporting this important work.

We particularly thank those who have recently supported us through our Founder’s program.  
 
We're trying to raise $25,000 by December 31. Please help us by donating to our Founders campaign, please visit this page.

For other ways to support New Media Rights, visit this page
Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Mon, 02/25/2013 - 5:47pm

Stop the Stop Online Piracy Act

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 Google and Facebook 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.

Submitted by Dan Terzian last modified Wed, 11/23/2011 - 10:47am

Are parents liable for children’s illegal filesharing?

If you’re reading this, you may be a parent who has received a notice that your Internet account has been flagged for alleged illegal filesharing, and your child has admitted to illegally uploading/downloading the music or movie in question. The extent that you as a parent are liable for the “copyright infringement” of your children is still up for legal debate. New Media Rights has created this guide for parents to along with the “Mass Copyright Lawsuit” guide to help you understand what you or your child may be accused of.

Submitted by New Media Rights last modified Thu, 10/15/2015 - 2:38pm

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