Policy Blog
A Quick Guide to the Current Phone Unlocking Bills
Follow @sherwinpkAs you probably know, there are currently three different proposals to make sure that you can unlock your phone, despite the Library of Congress's thoughts on the matter.
Notes From Today's Hearing: The Register's Call for Updates to U.S. Copyright Law
Follow @sherwinpkMaria Pallante, the Register of Copyrights (and thus, head of the Copyright Office) was the sole witness in a hearing today with an ambitious title: "The Register's Call for Updates to U.S. Copyright Law." (An archived copy of the hearing is here) Her testimony provides a guide to the sorts of changes she thinks are necessary in the coming years.
Five Fundamentals for the Phone Network, Part 4: Network Reliability
Each week we’ve focused on one of Public Knowledge’s five fundamentals for the PSTN transition to an all-IP (Internet Protocol) phone network. We believe that the principles of service to all Americans, interconnection and competition between carriers, consumer protection, network reliability, and public safety are needed to guide the technological upgrade while keeping the necessities we’ve all come to expect from the phone network.
Today, let’s talk about one of the most basic principles of the phone upgrade: the network still has to function reliably.
Kirtsaeng Shows Why Trade Negotiators Don't Always Know What the Law Actually Is
Follow @bergmayerSomething we commonly hear when the United States Trade Representative or others are negotiating "trade" agreements is that, to the extent that these agreements mention other areas of law or policy--such as copyright law--they are "consistent" with it. "Who could object," we are asked, "to simply restating what the law already is?"
The first problem with this is that such agreements don't just restate the law--they can freeze it in place. It is politically more difficult for Congress to pass a law if there's an argument (even a wrong one) that doing so would take us out of "compliance" with a trade agreement. If trade negotiators want to freeze US law in place they should explain that is what they are doing and not frame the issue as a technical one without real consequences.
The Kirtsaeng Decision is a Victory for Ownership Rights
Follow @bergmayerThe Supreme Court's decision in Kirtsaeng today is a big win for the public, for ownership rights, and free trade. In a compellingly-argued 6-3 decision, the Court held that copyright owners do not have a perpetual right to control the resale of goods, even when they are manufactured overseas.
Cell Phone Unlocking Debate Highlights Trade Negotiation Process Problems
The issue of cell phone unlocking has been hot for the past month. The White House response to the over 100,000 person petition to allow for the unlocking of cell phones has led to a flurry of legislative proposals in Congress and broad interest in a quick solution to the issue.
preservesthe openness of the Internet and the public's access to knowledge, promotes creativity through balanced copyright, and upholds and protects the rights of consumers to use innovative technology lawfully.
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