Linkmeister

What price Medicare or ISP confidentiality?

"Mr. Daniels suggested that in the new budget, Mr. Bush would propose long-term limits on spending for Medicare, the health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. The budget director called this 'a serious attempt to modernize Medicare.'" I call it malfeasance. Every working American pays into that system, and is entitled to a return on his contributions. In another attack on the average American, this time the small investor, the SEC has issued rules for corporate accountants and lawyers which are far less stringent than had been initially proposed.

The big news today in the Internet arena is that the RIAA won a case requiring Verizon to disclose the name of a customer accused of downloading music via its pipes. Count on appeals. Many more links can be found here. How can this be, you ask? Well, here's the pertinent section of the Digital Millenium Copryight act (17 USC 512):

h) Subpoena To Identify Infringer. -
(1) Request. - A copyright owner or a person authorized to act on the owner's behalf may request the clerk of any United States district court to issue a subpoena to a service provider for identification of an alleged infringer in accordance with this subsection.

My Dad wintered over at McMurdo Sound in Antarctica back in 1961-1962, so the idea of building a road between there and the Scott-Amundsen base at the South Pole is intriguing. By the way, at current exchange rates, the 12.5M pounds translates to about 20.2M US dollars; pretty cheap road construction costs, these days.

Posted by Linkmeister at January 22, 2003 02:35 PM