Wireless Net Neutrality strikes again! In an abrupt reversal of its past position, Verizon Wireless has announced that it will open up its network to any device and any application by next year.
Coverage at Ars Technica, Techdirt, The New York Times, CNet, and everywhere else (Google News).
Frank Pasquale at Concurring Opinions writes about the need for a modern legal citation format that is both vendor- and medium-neutral. He points to Ian Gallacher’s paper, Cite Unseen, for a more detailed explanation of the problem, with over 200 citations of its own.
Figuring out how to properly cite cases obtained from court web sites (which lack reporter page numbers) has been a major headache for AltLaw. Have an idea for a solution? Drop us a line.
Public.Resource.org is making 1.8 million pages of federal case law available on the web, through a partnership with Fastcase. These documents will be a valuable addition to AltLaw, our own project to build a free legal search engine.
James Vasile, Columbia J.D. graduate and counsel at the Software Freedom Law Center spoke this week to the New York Linux Users Group about GPL version 3 and licensing issues for open-source software communities. Video and audio of the presentation are available.
Columbia J.D. grad James Vasile will speak to the New York Linux Users Group this Wednesday, November 14, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. He will discuss the updated GNU General Public License and answer questions about licensing and other legal issues related to open-source software. RSVP is required; more information available on the NYLUG web site.
Prof. Tim Wu is twice-quoted in today’s New York Times. First, in Cellphone Straitjacket Is Inspiring a Rebellion, he explains why the cell phone market is ready to change: “On a personal level, the phone feels more like property. Once you start to make it yours, you feel like you have more rights to it.”
Second, the Times considers Will Success, or All That Money From Google, Spoil Firefox? Wu comments, “We’re living in a cold war between open and closed systems, and Google is happy to lend support to entities that it sees as allies.”
Well, not exactly, but Business Week did just publish a profile of Prof. Tim Wu, calling him a “Freedom Fighter” for the Internet and the wireless industry.
Google recently announced the Open Handset Alliance, to answer speculation that the company might be developing a “GPhone.” Instead, they’re supporting development of an open-source operating system for mobile applications. Prof. Wu’s Wireless Net Neutrality paper was an inspiration for the Google project.
Prof. Larry Lessig spoke at the TED conference about the future of copyright in the face of changing technology, with references to ASCAP, YouTube, remix culture, and John Philip Sousa.
Information Week reports that the lawsuit over GPL violations has been settled out of court. Columbia Prof. Eben Moglen, founder of the Software Freedom Law Center, filed the lawsuit against Monsoon Multimedia on behalf of BusyBox, an open-source collection of Unix utilities.
CNet News.com reports that Thanks to BitTorrrent, Net neutrality debate reignites, quoting Columbia Prof. Tim Wu, “The broadband market is really at an inflection point. And it’s important to establish laws now because it will essentially set the ground rules for how the market will play out in the future.”
The SaveTheInternet.com coalition has filed a petition with the FCC to stop Comcast from degrading the BitTorrent file-sharing service for its Internet customers.
Sumana Harihareswara, a Columbia Business School student, writes in with her notes on the Legal Summit for Software Freedom 2007. The topics include advice for open-source software developers and project leaders about copyright, non-profit incorporation, and patents, as well as a talk by Columbia Law Prof. Eben Moglen on the future of the Software Freedom Law Center.