Communications Law Commons^™

Bond Repudiation, Tax Codes, The Appropriations Process And Restitution Post-Eminent Domain Reform, John H. Ryskamp

ExpressO

This brief comment suggests where the anti-eminent domain movement might be heading next.

Opening Bottlenecks: On Behalf Of Mandated Network Neutrality, Bill D. Herman

ExpressO

This paper calls for mandated “network neutrality,” the principle that broadband service providers (BSPs) should generally treat all nondestructive data equally. Without such a mandate, BSPs will likely begin charging content providers for the right to send data at the fastest speeds available. The present frequency with which BSPs block some data entirely will also likely increase.

Neutral networks are preferable for two key reasons. First, they spawn innovation, as illustrated by the explosive online innovation to date. Second, neutral networks better distribute communication power, promoting First Amendment values. Extant and likely future acts of discrimination erode both goals. The …

Regulatory Status Of Voip In The Post-Brand X World, Jerry Ellig

ExpressO

During the past several years, the Federal Communications Commission has engaged in a series of rulemakings to determine the regulatory status of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The Supreme Court’s Brand X decision clarifies that even if the FCC’s determination conflicts with that of a court, the FCC’s judgment holds sway as long as the decision is reasonable. We believe that VoIP should be classified as an information service, rather than a telecommunications service, for several reasons. First, the Internet Protocol nature of VoIP technology means that it functions like an information service, rather than a telecommunications service. Second, in …

Seeking Privacy: Examining A Role For The Fiduciary In Protecting Personal Information, Marcey L. Grigsby

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Challenging Standard Conceptions Of Tradition, Science And Technology In 2006: Why Laws Prohibiting The Sale Of Violent Video Games To Minors Should Be Ultimately Upheld, Ilana Lubin

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note argues that regulating the sale of violent video games to minors is constitutionally justifiable, supported by scientific evidence on adolescent brain development and legal precedents. It critiques the lack of a clear legal standard in court decisions and advocates for a nuanced approach that balances First Amendment rights with public safety concerns.

Software Copyright Law And The Digital Millennium Copyright Act Under The Microscope: Blizzard V. Bnetd As The Lens, David Brett Kinitsky

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Relative Access To Corrective Speech: A New Test For Requiring Actual Malice, Aaron Perzanowski

Articles

This Article reexamines the First Amendment protections provided by the public figure doctrine. It suggests that the doctrine is rooted in a set of out-dated assumptions regarding the media landscape and, as a result, has failed to adapt in a manner that accounts for our changing communications environment.

The public figure doctrine, which imposes the more rigorous actual malice standard of fault on defamation plaintiffs who enjoy greater access to mass media, was constructed in an era defined by one-to-many communications media. Newspapers, broadcasters, and traditional publishers exhausted the Court's understanding of the means of communicating with mass audiences. As …

Catch 1201: A Legislative History And Content Analysis Of The Dmca Exemption Proceedings, Bill D. Herman, Oscar H. Gandy

ExpressO

17 USC Section 1201(a)(1) prohibits circumventing a technological protection measure (TPM) that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work. In the name of mitigating the innocent casualties of this new ban, Congress constructed a triennial rulemaking, administered by the Register of Copyrights, to determine temporary exemptions. This paper considers the legislative history of this rulemaking, and it reports the results of a systematic content analysis of its 2000 and 2003 proceedings.

Inspired by the literature on political agendas, policymaking institutions, venue shifting, and theories of delegation, we conclude that the legislative motivations for Section 1201 were laundered through international treaties, …

Breaking The Bank: Revisiting Central Bank Of Denver After Enron And Sarbanes-Oxley, Celia Taylor

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

A Model For Emergency Service Of Voip Through Certification And Labeling, Patrick S. Ryan, Tom Lookabaugh, Douglas Sicker

ExpressO

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) will transform many aspects of traditional telephony service, including the technology, the business models, and the regulatory constructs that govern such service. Perhaps not unexpectedly, this transformation is generating a host of technical, business, social, and policy problems. In attempting to respond to these problems, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could mandate obligations or specific solutions to VoIP policy issues; however, it is instead looking first to industry initiatives focused on the key functionality that users have come to expect of telecommunications services. High among this list of desired functionality is user access to emergency …

An Economic Theory Of Infrastructure And Commons Management, Brett M. Frischmann

ExpressO

In this article, Professor Frischmann combines a number of current debates across many disciplinary lines, all of which examine from different perspectives whether certain resources should be managed through a regime of private property or through a regime of open access. Frischmann develops and applies a theory that demonstrates there are strong economic arguments for managing and sustaining openly accessible infrastructure. The approach he takes differs from conventional analyses in that he focuses extensively on demand-side considerations and fully explores how infrastructure resources generate value for consumers and society. As a result, the theory brings into focus the social value …

Communication Breakdown?: The Future Of Global Connectivity After The Privatization Of Intelsat, Kenneth D. Katkin

ExpressO

In 1971, 85 nations (including the United States) formed the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization “INTELSAT,” a public intergovernmental treaty organization. INTELSAT was charged with operating the world’s first global telecommunications satellite system, in order to guarantee the interconnectedness of the world’s communications systems and the availability of international telecommunications service to every nation on earth. By the late 1980s, however, INTELSAT’s operations began to experience substantial competition from the private sector. In 2000, the proliferation of privately-owned telecommunications satellites and transoceanic fiber optic cables led the U.S. Congress to mandate the privatization of INTELSAT. That privatization process began in 2001, …

Internet Voting With Initiatives And Referendums: Stumbling Towards Direct Democracy, Rebekah K. Browder

Seattle University Law Review

Imagine that it is Tuesday, November 4, 2008, and you realize that you have not yet voted for the candidate that you want to be President of the United States. The polls close at 7 p.m., and it is already 6:45 p.m. Instead of rushing off to the nearest polling place, you simply go to your computer, log in, fill out a ballot, and email your ballot to your designated polling website. The whole process takes fewer than ten minutes, and you have done your civic duty. Leading proponents of Internet voting point to five possible benefits of electronic voting: …

Campaign Finance Reform, Electioneering Communications, And The First Amendment: Resuscitating The Third Exception, 38 J. Marshall L. Rev. 1315 (2005), Daniel B. Roth

UIC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Naked Before The Law: Reality Porn And The Capacity To Contract, Benjamin J. Cooper

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note examines the legal challenges surrounding reality pornography, particularly through the lens of the Girls Gone Wild series, highlighting the tension between First Amendment protections for producers and the rights of participants. It argues that the legal framework governing consent, exploitation, and contractual agreements in this context is unclear and often fails to protect participants, many of whom face severe consequences. The analysis underscores the complexities of balancing public interest, contractual capacity, and the rights of minors in this lucrative yet legally fraught industry.

Digital First Sale: Friend Or Foe?, Eurie Hayes Smith Iv

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Law, Geography And Cyberspace: The Case Of On-Line Territorial Privacy, Daniel Benoliel

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

Territorial privacy, one of the central categories of privacy protection, involves setting limit boundaries on intrusion into an explicit space or locale. Initially, the Restatement (Second) of Torts, which defined the privacy tort of intrusion as applied by courts, most notably designated two classes of excluded areas: "private" places in which the individual can expect to be free from intrusion, and "non-private" places, in which the individual does not have a recognized expectation of privacy. In the physical world, courts ultimately held, almost uniformly, that the tort of intrusion could not occur in a public place or in a place …

A Comment: Riaa V. Verizon And How The Dmca Subpoena Power Became Powerless, Katherine Raynolds

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Protecting The Future: A Strategy For Creating Laws Not Constrained By Technological Obsolescence, Jay Campbell

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

This note will examine the obsolescence of laws through the lens of recent cases relating to "wiretapping laws" and propose the creation of laws that protect certain rights independent of technology. Recently, a number of courts have held that laws created in the mid-1980's to protect communications do not apply to Internet-related communications, reasoning that the method of transmission falls outside the language of the statutes. As a result, e-mail and other forms of Internet-based communications are treated differently from older forms of communication such as telephone conversations. This note will propose a broad legislative solution with the aim of …

Voice Over Internet Protocol And The Wiretap Act: Is Your Conversation Protected?, Daniel B. Garrie, Matthew J. Armstrong, Donald P. Harris

Seattle University Law Review

10101101: Is this sequence of digits voice or data? To a computer, voice is a sequence of digits and data is a sequence of digits. The law has defined 10101101 to be data, and 10101001 to be voice communications. Courts have constructed a distinction between data, 10101101, and voice, 10101001. However, that distinction is blurred when voice and data are simultaneously transmitted through the same medium. The courts forbid third parties to tap or monitor voice communications, yet permit data packets to be tracked, stored, and sold by third parties with the implied consent of either party engaged in the …

The Origins Of Cctld Policymaking, Peter K. Yu

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article explores the evolution of country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) policymaking, tracing its transition from an informal, ad hoc system managed by individuals like Jon Postel to a formalized, international governance structure under the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). It highlights the power struggles between various stakeholders, including national governments, ICANN, and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), and discusses the implications for global internet governance.

Theories Of Cyber-Sociology: Communicating Culture Through Codes, Erica Schlesinger Wass

Cardozo Journal of International and Comparative Law

The article explores the cultural and social significance of country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), arguing that they extend beyond technical identifiers to reflect national identity, values, and priorities. By examining the history, structure, and policies of ccTLDs, the author illustrates how these domains serve as tools for communication, cultural expression, and social change, influenced by a nation's unique history and societal norms.

Media Policy Out Of The Box: Content Abundance, Attention Scarcity, And The Failures Of Digital Markets, Ellen P. Goodman

ExpressO

No abstract provided.

Essay, Digital Bowdlerizing: Removing The Naughty Bytes, Llewellyn Joseph Gibbons

ExpressO

Unlike Dr. Bowdler, who republished the works of Shakespeare with the naughty bits removed, the modern digital Bowdlerizer deletes offensive content from digital works in a variety of ways. This Essay will analyze the technologies used by the modern Bowdlerizer to determine when, if, and which technologies make copies in violation of the copyright owner’s § 106(1) right to control reproduction or make derivative copies of a preexisting work that may infringe the copyright owner’s 17 U.S.C. § 106(2) right to authorize the creation of derivative works. These technologies not only support militant prudery, but they also may add new …

The Dmca Subpoena Power: Who Does It Actually Protect?, Thomas P. Ludwig

ExpressO

After years of legal maneuvering and courtroom skirmishes, the lines in the war between copyright holders and online copyright infringers have been clearly drawn. This conflict, which is poised to erupt in courts across the country, began decades ago with the birth of the Internet, which gave rise to a previously unparalleled opportunity for the dissemination, sharing, and enjoyment of every conceivable form of human expression. In addition to the benefits it has provided, the Internet also has given rise to copyright infringement on a global scale through the unauthorized posting and sharing of digital files. After years of unsuccessfully …

Unleashing Instant Messaging From Regulatory Oversight, Fernando Laguarda

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

INTRODUCTION: { 1 } America Online, Inc. ("AOL") and Time Warner Inc. announced their intention to merge on January 10, 2000.' At that time, there was a great deal of excitement about combining these two companies and harnessing the power of an increasingly broadband Internet. In addition to the Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") and Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), more than one thousand local communities conducted their own reviews of the merger. The FTC identified "open access" to the Time Warner Cable platform as an issue meriting specific relief {2} The FCC, for its part, specifically identified "instant messaging" ("IM") as …

Introduction: A Regulatory Regime For The Internet Age, Philip J. Weiser

Publications

No abstract provided.

Monopoly Power In The Electronic Information Industry: Why, And So What?, Curt A. Hessler

ExpressO

This "law and economics" article diagnoses why monopoly power infects so many markets in the electronic media, communications, and information technology industries (collectively the "Industry"),and recommends changes to prevailing intellectual property and antitrust doctrines to remedy this problem.

The analysis focuses on a single "norm" -- the maximization of economic value, as defined by standard welfare economic theory. Identifying three distinct functions that operate throughout this otherwise diverse Industry -- authoring, publishing, and distribution -- the article notes that two economic peculiarities characterize most Industry markets: the technical feasibility of "non-rivalrous use" of digitized information products, and the frequent "creative …

Copyright And Computer Programs: A Failed Experiment And A Solution To A Dilemma, William F. Patry

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

Can Our Current Conception Of Copyright Law Survive The Internet Age?, Edward Samuels

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.