Category: Legislation and Government Regulation

"Congress Will Finally Make Its Research Reports Public"

Joe Mullin has published "Congress Will Finally Make Its Research Reports Public" in DeepLinks.

Here's an excerpt:

Open access activists have long been asking for reports by the Congressional Research Service, or CRS, to be made publicly and easily available. . . .

Now, those reports will be published directly by Congress. If you dig down to page 1092 of the omnibus bill [PDF] passed last week, you'll find the provision requiring all CRS reports to be published on a public website. The law specifies that the reports must be "searchable, sortable, and downloadable, including downloadable in bulk." Finally, it notes that CRS reports "are not subject to copyright protection in the United States."

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"ACLU Report Urges Cities and Towns to Provide Internet Service as a Utility"

The ACLU has released "ACLU Report Urges Cities and Towns to Provide Internet Service as a Utility."

Here's an excerpt:

The American Civil Liberties Union released a report today calling on local governments to pursue providing broadband to residents to help counteract federal rollbacks of net neutrality and internet privacy protections. . . .

The report includes recommendations for policies that should accompany public internet systems so they are consistent with privacy, net neutrality, and free speech principles. The guidelines include enacting strict anti-censorship rules and establishing clear oversight processes.

The report also outlines ways for municipal systems to serve all residents equally, regardless of neighborhoods' income or racial make-up.

Read the report: The Public Internet Option: How Local Governments Can Provide Network Neutrality, Privacy, and Access for All.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Congress Funds $5 Million Open Textbook Grant Program in 2018 Spending Bil"

SPARC has released "Congress Funds $5 Million Open Textbook Grant Program in 2018 Spending Bil."

Here's an excerpt:

In a landmark victory for the Open Education movement, the U.S. Congress has included funding for a $5 million open textbook grant program in the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus appropriations bill unveiled today. This marks the first major investment by Congress explicitly in open educational resources (OER) as a solution to the high cost of college textbooks, and underscores that course materials are a significant factor in making higher education affordable. The FY18 omnibus is expected to proceed swiftly to votes in the House and Senate and get signed into law this week.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Blind Users Celebrate as Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Bill Drops"

Jeremy Malcolm has published "Blind Users Celebrate as Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Bill Drops" in Deeplinks.

Here's an excerpt:

Today the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Bill was introduced into Congress by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bob Corker (R-TN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The bill implements the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, a landmark treaty that was adopted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in June 2013, and has since been ratified by 37 other countries. The treaty is notable in that it is the first WIPO treaty passed primarily for a disadvantaged class of users, rather than for the benefit of copyright holders.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Cicilline Introduces Journalism Competition and Preservation Act"

U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline has released "Cicilline Introduces Journalism Competition and Preservation Act."

Here's an excerpt:

U.S. Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee introduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act today to incorporate a limited safe harbor into current antitrust laws. The safe harbor established under the bill gives news publishers the ability to collectively negotiate with big tech platforms, including Facebook and Google, on factors that impact public access to trusted sources of news, such as the quality, accuracy, and attribution of news sources. . . .

The bill provides a 48-month window for newspaper companies to negotiate fair terms that would flow subscription and advertising dollars back to publishers, while protecting and preserving Americans’ right to access quality news. Parameters included in the bill ensure that these negotiations would strictly benefit Americans and news publishers at-large; not just one or a few publishers.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Washington Becomes First State to Pass Net Neutrality Protections into Law"

Washington Govener Jay Inslee has released "Washington Becomes First State to Pass Net Neutrality Protections into Law."

Here's an excerpt:

In 2015, the FCC created rules against blocking legal content, throttling traffic and using paid prioritization for some traffic. The FCC reversed these net neutrality rules earlier this year.

Washington's new law, House Bill 2282, protects those net neutrality rules at the state level, ensuring that internet providers cannot advantageously manipulate internet speeds and access to content.

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"Debunking Chairman Pai’s Claims about Net Neutrality"

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn has released "Debunking Chairman Pai's Claims about Net Neutrality."

Here's an excerpt:

As an unwavering champion of net neutrality, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn believes in setting the record straight. Chairman Pai made a number of claims and predictions in his dissent from the FCC’s 2015 Open Internet Order.

Just how good were the Chairman's predictions?

Research Data Curation Bibliography, Version 8 | Digital Curation and Digital Preservation Works | Open Access Works | Digital Scholarship | Digital Scholarship Sitemap

"FCC’s Next Step on Net Neutrality: Blocking the States"

Margaret Harding McGill has published "FCC's Next Step on Net Neutrality: Blocking the States" in Politico.

The article states that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai's "Proposal to Restore Internet Freedom" order would pre-empt "state and local regulations attempting to regulate broadband in ways that run counter to the federal rules."