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Of Note

Communications Forum Luncheon

February 24, 2010, Luncheon Speaker

NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling,
Asst. Secretary of Commerce
for Communications & Information
(shown with NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith, right)

Read: Lawrence Strickling's speech from this luncheon

Video: Video of Speech (coming soon)

» Read More

Open Letter to Keith Olbermann From
First Amendment Advisory Council Members

The Big Chill
Government 'Saving' Journalism

FCC ‘Future of Media’ Initiative
(But Is This the Future We Want for the FCC?)

“The goal of this project: to help ensure that all Americans have access to vibrant, diverse sources of news and information....” » Read More

» Also Read The Future of Media Blog

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FTC News Media Workshop, Dec. 1-2, 2009

Rupert Murdoch to FTC: "Lay Off"

“The prospect of the U.S. government becoming directly involved in commercial journalism ought to be chilling for anyone who cares about freedom of speech.” » Read More

» More Comments & Papers

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Policy Views

Performance Fees on Radio Stations:
A Debacle Waiting To Happen
by Richard T. Kaplar

Chances are slim that many individuals who enjoy listening to music on the radio stop to think about the web of relationships among radio stations, record labels, artists, composers, songwriters, and publishers that enable their favorite songs to be broadcast.... » Read More

Read Kaplar's interview with FMQB.com here.

Intellectual Property Issues

The Rebirth of Copyright
As an Opt-In System?
by Prof. Jim Gibson,
University of Richmond School of Law

For most of the history of Anglo-American copyright law, copyright was an opt-in system: Authors had to jump through certain regulatory hoops if they wanted to prevent others from copying their works without consent....
» Read More

“The sole right ... shall return to the Authors”:
Part II: Implementing Authors’ Recapture Rights
Under the 1976 Copyright Act
by Prof. Jane C. Ginsburg,
Columbia University School of Law

In our previous column (Dec. 8, 2009) we addressed the history and policy of authors’ reversion rights in U.S. copyright law, as well as the general outlines of the 1976 Act provisions on terminations of grants of copyright. In this column, we will review the caselaw construing those provisions....
» Read More

Google Books: Finally, Fair Use
by Prof. Doug Lichtman,
UCLA School of Law

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin held a much-anticipated “fairness hearing” during which a chorus of interested parties spoke both for and against Google’s proposed settlement to its Book Search litigation....
» Read More

Media & Communications Policy Blog

The Intrinsic Menace in 'Media Reform'

Christian theologians refer to the first three books of the New Testament as the synoptic gospels. This, because of their similarities in content and order. The new religion of “media reform,” whose principal tenet is that government needs to “save” journalism, is developing its own synoptic....
» Read More

The American Samizdat
by Patrick Maines

Back in the bad old days, “samizdat” was the name given to that body of politically forbidden literature that was clandestinely published and circulated in the Soviet Union. In 2010, the Internet serves as an American samizdat, to the advantage of conservatives of one shade or another....
» Read More

Citizens United and the Commentariat
by Patrick Maines

Nothing’s quite so inspiring as the sight of journalists, in high dudgeon, trashing the First Amendment. Such has been the rule since last Thursday, when the Supreme Court issued its opinion in the campaign finance case called Citizens United.... » Read More

Speaking Freely

A Taboo Topic:
Government Subsidies for the Media
by Harold Furchtgott-Roth

Are there some topics that should not be part of any governmental deliberations? Establishing a state religion or organizing a military coup would surely be on the short list. Another topic that should be on the list is public financial support (and implicitly, therefore, control) of the media....
» Read More

Of Note

Communications Forum Luncheon

February 24, 2010, Luncheon Speaker

Open Letter to Keith Olbermann From First Amendment Advisory Council Members

The Big Chill Government 'Saving' Journalism

FCC ‘Future of Media’ Initiative (But Is This the Future We Want for the FCC?)

FTC News Media Workshop, Dec. 1-2, 2009

Policy Views

Performance Fees on Radio Stations: A Debacle Waiting To Happen by Richard T. Kaplar