Week in tech policy: “First thing, let’s kill all the lawyers” edition
The recording industry is clearly not amused that the target of one of their remaining file-sharing lawsuits has not only decided to fight back, but gotten Harvard law prof Charles Nesson to defend him. While they attempt to persuade an appeals court to prevent a hearing in the case from being webcast, RIAA attorneys are also seeking sanctions against Nesson himself for a variety of alleged procedural errors they say constitute "frivolous legal action." Can you copyright the sound of a thousand Ars readers' irony detectors simultaneously overloading?
You've probably seen those seat-belt promoting highway signs that remind you to "Click it or Ticket." Now one congressman wants to apply the same rule to cell phone cameras. Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has introduced legislation that would require device makers to make it impossible to silence the sound a phone makes when a photo is taken, in hopes of deterring the sneaky, geeky, and creepy from engaging in illicit digital voyeurism.
