Blogging Free Speech and the Fairness Doctrine

bill of rights and constitutionAccording to FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (FCC Commissioner: Return of Fairness Doctrine Could Control Web Content), there’s a danger that Congress bringing back the Fairness Doctrine would hurt bloggers by hindering their free speech rights.

In the current political climate, Democrats in Congress and presumptive Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama support bringing back the Fairness Doctrine as a means to neutralize the effectiveness of conservative talk radio. Regardless of the underlying political agenda or your personal political party affiliation, the Fairness Doctrine is a horrible idea for free speech rights.

If the doctrine is revived, [Read more...]

Internet Privacy – Will Congress Pass New Laws?

congressmanBecause it is an election year, Congress is making moves to protect “the children” and the “consumer” once again in order to win more votes in November. In the consumer protection category of legislative nonsense comes Web Privacy on the Radar in Congress.

Here’s what to expect.

1. Because of partisan bickering, don’t expect a major overhaul of U.S. Internet privacy laws to be passed in this Congress. There will be a lot of holier-than-thou pronouncements by politicians (smoke but no fire).

2. Due to abuses of private information by [Read more...]

Patent Law Reform On The Way?

The FTC made recommendations to Congress for revising patent law that included making it easier to challenge the validity of questionable patents.

This appears to be jumping on a bandwagon. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently refused to hear the challenge to a dubious process patent, the dissent by three Justices suggests that the courts will change patent law if Congress doesn’t do so soon.