Reuters; Democracy activists' books unavailable in Hong Kong libraries after new law
"Books by prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy figures have become
unavailable in the Chinese-ruled city’s public libraries as they are
being reviewed to see whether they violate a new national security law, a
government department said on Sunday.
The sweeping legislation, which came into force on Tuesday night at
the same time its contents were published, punishes crimes related to
secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with
punishments of up to life in prison.
Hong Kong public libraries “will review whether certain books violate
the stipulations of the National Security Law,” the Leisure and Cultural
Services Department, which runs the libraries, said in a statement.
“While
legal advice will be sought in the process of the review, the books
will not be available for borrowing and reference in libraries.""
Issues and developments related to Intellectual Property (e.g. Copyright, Fair Use, Patents, Trademarks, Trade Secrets) and Open Movements (e.g. Open Access, Open Data, Open Educational Resources (OER)), examined in the "Intellectual Property and Open Movements" and "Ethics of Data, Information, and Emerging Technologies" graduate courses I teach at the University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information. -- Kip Currier, PhD, JD
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democracy. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
It’s Copyright Week 2020: Stand Up for Copyright Laws That Actually Serve Us All; Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), January 20, 2020
Katharine Trendacosta, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF); It’s Copyright Week 2020: Stand Up for Copyright Laws That Actually Serve Us All
"We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation...
We continue to fight for a version of copyright that does what it is supposed to. And so, every year, EFF and a number of diverse organizations participate in Copyright Week. Each year, we pick five copyright issues to highlight and advocate a set of principles of copyright law. This year’s issues are:
As we said last year, and the year before that, if you too stand behind these principles, please join us by supporting them, sharing them, and telling your lawmakers you want to see copyright law reflect them."
"We're taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of copyright law and policy, addressing what's at stake and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation...
We continue to fight for a version of copyright that does what it is supposed to. And so, every year, EFF and a number of diverse organizations participate in Copyright Week. Each year, we pick five copyright issues to highlight and advocate a set of principles of copyright law. This year’s issues are:
- Monday: Fair Use and Creativity
Copyright policy should encourage creativity, not hamper it. Fair use makes it possible for us to comment, criticize, and rework our common culture. - Tuesday: Copyright and Competition
Copyright should not be used to control knowledge, creativity, or the ability to tinker with or repair your own devices. Copyright should encourage more people to share, make, or repair things, rather than concentrate that power in only a few players. - Wednesday: Remedies
Copyright claims should not raise the specter of huge, unpredictable judgments that discourage important uses of creative work. Copyright should have balanced remedies that also provide a real path for deterring bad-faith claims. - Thursday: The Public Domain
The public domain is our cultural commons and a crucial resource for innovation and access to knowledge. Copyright should strive to promote, and not diminish, a robust, accessible public domain. - Friday: Copyright and Democracy
Copyright must be set through a participatory, democratic, and transparent process. It should not be decided through back-room deals, secret international agreements, unaccountable bureaucracies, or unilateral attempts to apply national laws extraterritorially.
As we said last year, and the year before that, if you too stand behind these principles, please join us by supporting them, sharing them, and telling your lawmakers you want to see copyright law reflect them."
Saturday, January 18, 2020
National Archives exhibit blurs images critical of President Trump; The Washington Post, January 17, 2020
Joe Heim , The Washington Post; National Archives exhibit blurs images critical of President Trump
""There's no reason for the National Archives to ever digitally alter a
historic photograph," Rice University historian Douglas Brinkley said.
"If they don't want to use a specific image, then don't use it. But to
confuse the public is reprehensible. The head of the Archives has to
very quickly fix this damage. A lot of history is messy, and there's
zero reason why the Archives can't be upfront about a photo from a
women's march."...
Karin
Wulf, a history professor at the College of William & Mary and
executive director of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History
and Culture, said that to ensure transparency, the Archives at the very
least should have noted prominently that the photo had been altered.
"The
Archives has always been self-conscious about its responsibility to
educate about source material, and in this case they could have said, or
should have said, 'We edited this image in the following way for the
following reasons,' " she said. "If you don't have transparency and
integrity in government documents, democracy doesn't function.""
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
New York Today: 104 Years Old, and Still Voting; New York Times, 11/8/16
Alexandra S. Levine, New York Times; New York Today: 104 Years Old, and Still Voting:
"On this Election Day, as the presidential campaigns of two New York residents come to an end, another New Yorker — Rose Orbach — plans to do her civic duty and vote — again. The resident of Bayside, Queens, is 104. She’s voting in her 16th presidential election. (Stevenson. Kennedy. Johnson. Humphrey. McGovern. Carter, twice. Mondale. Dukakis. Clinton, twice. Gore. Kerry. Obama, twice. You may spot a trend.) Born in 1911, Mrs. Orbach emigrated from Poland shortly after World War II. She became an American citizen by 1955, and voted in her first presidential election here the following year. The idea of having and using her voice, without facing persecution, was novel. “In Poland, it was a whole different system,” she said. “Especially for Jewish people, who weren’t treated like everybody; they were always beneath.” When she stepped behind the curtain to vote in the 1956 race, things felt different. “I was one with the people: I was different, I was Jewish, but I pushed the button,” she said. “I had my idea, and I was treated nice no matter what. You had your privacy and you were allowed to think what you wanted to think.” In her nearly 60 years of living in New York, she has not missed a single presidential election — that’s at a time when more than 100 million Americans who can vote don’t vote. So exercise your right — it’s one that many people in this world do not have."
Friday, August 19, 2016
Sydney Morning Herald Faces Uncertain Print Future in Australia; New York Times, 8/17/16
Keith Bradsher and Michelle Innis, New York Times; Sydney Morning Herald Faces Uncertain Print Future in Australia:
"Kate McClymont, 58, has been breaking news at The Sydney Morning Herald for decades. One of the newspaper’s marquee journalists, Ms. McClymont appears in the paper’s ads. “We have been holding the powerful in this city to account for a long time,” Ms. McClymont said. Most recently, she pursued a state government minister, Eddie Obeid, uncovering how his private businesses were improperly benefiting from his public role. Mr. Obeid was found guilty in June of misusing his public office. He will soon face a second court case over mining leases he obtained from the state government. “We have shone a light where crooks would prefer places remained dark,” Ms. McClymont said. “I hate the idea of people getting away with anything.” “It is bad for democracy,” she added, “if this voice is diminished in any way.”"
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