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In the heart of the Silicon Valley, legal doctrine is emerging that will determine the course of civil rights and technological innovation for decades to come. The Center for Internet and Society (CIS), housed at Stanford Law School and a part of the Law, Science and Technology Program, is at the apex of this evolving area of law.

CIS Non-Residential Fellow Application Process now open

The Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society (CIS) is now accepting applications for the CIS Non-Residential Fellowship Program for the 2006-2007 academic year.

CIS Non-Residential Fellows work independently and with CIS staff and faculty on projects related to CIS’ mission. These non-supported fellowships allow practitioners to benefit from synergies with Stanford Law School in their scholarly research. Non-Residential Fellows are encouraged to make their work available through CIS and to present their work at the CIS Speaker Series.

This fellowship is particularly appropriate for individuals who are interested in studying a cyberlaw issue or working on a cyberlaw project that is outside the scope of their usual work and who would benefit from the affiliation with and support of Stanford CIS. Applicants must submit a specific research proposal which they plan to accomplish during the one- year fellowship. While fellowships are generally for one year, they may be renewed if the collaboration proves productive and would benefit from additional time.

Applications will be accepted until August 15 and are *only* accepted through the CIS website. For more information about CIS and to apply to become a Non-Residential Fellow, visit our Fellows page.

CIS Fair Use Project Sues Joyce Estate on Behalf of Scholar Carol Shloss

On June 12, 2006, CIS filed suit against the Estate of James Joyce on behalf of Stanford English professor Carol Shloss. In a nutshell, the Complaint asks for a declaration that Professor Shloss is permitted under “fair use” to make use on her academic website of certain Joyce materials that are copyrighted. In addition, the suit argues that due to the Joyce Estate’s history of misusing its copyrights, the Court should hold that the Estate is barred from enforcing its copyrights against Professor Shloss.

Read more about the case here. And see thecomplaint here.

Cyberlaw Clinic Fights Inadequate FOIA Response

Student Megan Adams drafted and filed this complaint alleging that the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection violated the Freedom of Information Act by failing to conduct an adequate search and wrongfully witholding documents.

CIS is Hiring: Executive Director, Fair Use Project

Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society
Executive Director, Fair Use Project

The Center for Internet and Society, located at Stanford Law School, is a leading center for the study of the relationship between the public interest, law and technology. CIS was founded by Founder and Director, Professor of Law Lawrence Lessig. and is headed by Executive Director Jennifer S. Granick, who also teaches the Cyberlaw Clinic. he Center for Internet and Society (CIS) is a public interest technology law and policy program at Stanford Law School and a part of Law, Science and Technology Program at Stanford Law School. The CIS brings together scholars, academics, legislators, students, programmers, security researchers, and scientists to study the interaction of new technologies and the law and to examine how the synergy between the two can either promote or harm public goods like free speech, privacy, public commons, diversity, and scientific inquiry. The CIS strives as well to improve both technology and law, encouraging decision makers to design both as a means to further democratic values.

The Center for Internet and Society (CIS), located at Stanford Law School, is hiring an Executive Director to create, build and operate its Fair Use Project. Fair use has traditionally been employed as a shield, protecting creators after they are sued. However, threats of lawsuits and the corresponding expenses deter creative expression even where the law would allow it. By taking a proactive stance, the Fair Use Project hopes to give creators legal imprimateur for their creations. Also, through publicity, copyright holders inclined to abuse their rights will be deterred. As a result, creative expression will flourish. Through the use of affirmative litigation in both commercial and noncommercial contexts, the Fair Use Project will defend and expand the legal definition of “fair use.”

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Granick to Speak as ACS Luncheon Panel on Domestic Spying

The Bay Area Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society invites you to a luncheon panel on:
“Domestic Spying: Illegal or Inevitable?”

featuring:

Goodwin Liu, Professor of Law, Boalt Hall UC Berkeley and Board of Directors, American Constitution Society

Jennifer Stisa Granick, Lecturer in Law and Executive Director of the Center for Internet and Society (CIS), Stanford Law School

12:00 pm
Monday, February 13, 2006
Morrison & Foerster LLP
425 Market Street
San Francisco, CA

The luncheon is $15 for private sector, $10 for nonprofit and students.

1 hour of MCLE will be provided. Thank you to Morrison & Foerster for providing the MCLE credit and location.

Please RSVP BayArea @ ACSLaw.org by 5 pm, Friday, February 10, 2006.

President Must Get Serious to Meet Universal Broadband Goal

CIS Associate Director Lauren Gelman wrote an op-ed for the Wireless Internet Institute urging President Bush to support the Community Broadband Act of 2005 sponsored by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and John McCain (R-AZ) and “network neutrality” provisions in the Telecommunications Act rewrite because they are the keys to his universal broadband goal.

CIS Fellow Julian Dibbell asks why Feds don’t tax online game winnings

Journalist and “Ultima Online” junkie Julian Dibbell asks why fans of online games that involve selling imaginary assets don’t have to pay taxes on those assets in the most recent issue of Legal Affairs magazine. Julian will be speaking at SLS March 20.

Towards an Economic Framework for Network Neutrality

CIS Fellow Barbara van Schewick’s paper “Towards an Economic Framework for Network Neutrality” is available on ssrn.

The Abstract:

Over the past years, the merits of network neutrality regulation have become a hot topic in telecommunications policy debates. Repeatedly, proponents of network neutrality regulation have asked the Federal Communications Commission to impose rules on the operators of broadband access networks that forbid network operators to discriminate against third-party applications, content or portals (independent applications) and to exclude them from their network. These proposals are based on the concern that in the absence of such regulation, network operators may discriminate against these products and that this behavior may reduce innovation by providers of these products to the detriment of society.

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