FCC Commissioner Micahel Copps says the recommendations proposed in the FCC report are far too narrow, and that while the FCC can enact and enforce solutions to the numerous problems highlighted, it is currently not acting on the authority it has.

This week, the Librarian of Congress ruled that “jailbreaking” your smart phone is not a violation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Many in the tech world cheered, but Jonathan Zittrain of Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society says that although you can break free ...

A company called The US Copyright Group have started targeting illegal movie downloading, picking up where the RIAA left off in 2008. Ars Technica senior editor Nate Anderson says that these lawsuits could be an attempt to create a new revenue stream for the movie industry ...

As a practical matter, who controls the internet is whoever enables you to access it -- and in the U.S. that would be service providers like Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner. The only check on their power has been the Federal Communications Commission. That is, until this week when a ...

The cell phone that you’re carrying doubles as a tracking device. That’s right, Verizon has a record of where you've been and now the government is seeking explicit permission from the courts to access those records without probable cause. Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Kevin Bankston explains.

This week a federal judge heard arguments to determine whether to approve the settlement between Google and two major arms of the publishing industry over Google Books. Many groups used this week's hearings to air grievances with the project. Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig argues ...

This week, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced plans to expand net neutrality rules. His announcement was met with consternation from at least one wireless service provider; AT&T argued that it should be allowed to limit some internet activity. But Genachowski disagrees.

For documentary filmmakers the ‘fair use’ of copyrighted material is a protection that allows them to create much of their work. But in recent years the terms of ‘fair use’ have been hotly contested. Gordon Quinn, producer of "Hoop Dreams," explains why he and a group ...

Every time bloggers hit publish they risk being sued for copyright infringement, invasion of privacy or defamation. While the risk seems small, groups like the Media Bloggers Association say frivolous lawsuits are chilling free speech in the blogosphere. So MBA founder Robert Cox has helped start ...

A court ruled this week that the FCC can't fine CBS for the 2004 Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction." Are we in for an era of foul language and nudity on America's airwaves? Adam Thierer, Senior Fellow with the Progress & Freedom Foundation, offers analysis.

When comedian George Carlin died last Sunday, most remembrances focused on his infamous “Seven Dirty Words” routine, which ran afoul of the FCC and engendered a landmark Supreme Court case. Miami Herald television critic Glenn Garvin says America is divided over indecency and past guests weigh ...

Tucked away into President Bush's 2009 budget was language that eliminates the FOIA ombudsman. The newly-created position was at the heart of legislation that Bush recently signed into law, and was intended to expedite government's response to Freedom of Information Act requests. Cox Newspapers' Rebecca Carr explains that ...

Our computers hold delicate personal documents, sensitive medical information and even confidential sources. So can border authorities search hard drives as freely as they search make-up bags? Adam Liptak, national legal correspondent for The New York Times, explains that a string of court cases may determine ...

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin helped push through two rulings this week - despite opposition from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, pro-business lobbyists, media watchdogs and all of his fellow commissioners. Jim Puzzanghera of the Los Angeles Times says the contentious rulings reflect Martin's ...

It’s been a busy week at the FCC. In a decision which affects millions of cable subscribers, they ruled against exclusive deals between cable companies and apartment owners. They also held public hearings on media consolidation. Broadcasting and Cable’s John Eggerton explains the stakes.

A bill offering a federal shield law just might go to the House floor for a vote this week. Which means that U.S. journalists are closer than ever to having legal protection for their conversations with sources. New York Times reporter Adam Liptak explains.

This week, a NYC court ruled against the FCC and in favor of the broadcast networks in a case that centered on “fleeting expletives,” uttered by the likes of Nicole Richie and President Bush, among others. Is this a free speech victory or a ...

One of the many shows singled out by the FCC in its recent indecency report was, it should come as no surprise, "NYPD Blue". The show ultimately avoided fines because it predates the current standards but the commission’s opinion did cite it for using language and situations that were “shocking, ...

In a three part order issued last week, the Federal Communications Commission levied the largest fines ever against broadcast stations for airing “indecent content.” The biggest blow was a $3.6 million fine for implied sexual situations on the CBS drama “Without a Trace.” Bob speaks with Democratic Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, ...