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ACM
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USACM Recommends
Copyright Changes to Government Review Panel
Legislation to
Authorize Nanotechnology Research Advances
USACM Co-Chair
Appointed to White House Advisory Committee
USACM Members to
Assist in Domain Name Management
TIA Report Delivered
to Congress
The DOJ Responds to Questions Regarding NCIC Rule Change
New E-Voting Bill
Introduced
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INTRODUCTION
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POLICY BRIEFS
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USACM Recommends Copyright Changes to
Government Review Panel
At a recent hearing before a panel of the U.S.
Copyright Office, USACM Co-Chair Dr. Barbara Simons testified
that the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act (DMCA) are having "substantial negative impacts on the conduct of
basic research in the
Dr. Simons noted that circumventing access technologies is a legitimate technique for recognizing shortcomings in security systems, defending patents and copyrights, discovering and fixing dangerous bugs in code, and conducting forms of desired educational activities. She proposed changes to the DMCA law to shift the focus from legislating technology to penalizing acts of nefarious behavior. In closing, Dr. Simons concluded that technologists should not be penalized for conducting research or for making other non-infringing uses of copyright protected materials.
To review a 2002 article that discusses USACM concerns with the DMCA, see:
http://www.acm.org/membernet/stories/usacm_11-02.html
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Legislation to Authorize Nanotechnology
Research Advances
The House recently voted overwhelmingly to approve H.R. 766,
the Nanotechnology
Research and Development Act of 2002.
The legislation authorizes $2.36 billion over three years for
nanotechnology research and development programs at the National Science
Foundation and other agencies. In
addition to authorizing research funding, the bill includes provisions to
emphasize interdisciplinary research and to provide incentives for
Supporters of the legislation point to nanotechnology as the key to the future of information technology. In a letter to Congress supporting H.R. 766, the Computing Research Association (CRA) concluded, “the real promise of nanotechnology will be revealed when fundamental research leads to the development of tools that allow its use across the spectrum of disciplines”. H.R. 766 has strong bipartisan support and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has identified funding for nanotechnology as a priority in the Administration's fiscal 2004 proposed budget.
To review a section-by-section analysis of H.R. 766, see:
http://www.house.gov/science/hearings/full03/may01/766sec.htm
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USACM Co-Chair Appointed to White House
Advisory Committee
USACM Co-Chair Dr. Eugene H. Spafford has an appointment to the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) and will serve from 2003-2005. In addition, ACM Council Member Dr. Edward D. Lazowska will serve as the Co-Chair of PITAC. The PITAC is comprised of leading information technology experts from academia and industry. The Committee’s goal is to provide expert technical advice to the President, Congress and the Executive Branch regarding high performance computing, technology, and science.
In related news, the President signed an executive order extending the term of both the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) and the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) through 2005.
To review an article on the PITAC, see:
http://www.acm.org/membernet/stories/pitac_05-03.html
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USACM Members to Assist in Domain Name
Management
USACM Co-chair Dr. Barbara Simons received an appointment to the Public Interest Registry’s (PIR) .ORG Advisory Council. Dr. Simons will serve on the Advisory Council’s Policy Committee, which will focus on developing management policy statements for the Council and the PIR Board’s consideration.
In related news, USACM member Marc Rotenberg received an appointment to the PIR Board in December of last year. In this capacity, he will work with other Board Members to guide the transition of PIR as it takes on the role of managing the .ORG top-level domain.
The PIR, created by the Internet Society (ISOC), was the successful candidate of the 11 applicants who sought the management of the .ORG registry. The .ORG domain, which has come to be associated with noncommercial activities, is the Internet’s third largest non-country specific top-level domain hosting over 2.7 million domain names worldwide. The top two domains are .COM and .NET.
The ISOC is a not-for-profit open membership organization founded in 1991. ISOC has become a leader in addressing issues that confront the future of the Internet, and is the organizational home for many of the groups responsible for Internet standards.
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TIA Report Delivered to Congress
This month the Department of Defense presented a legally mandated report to Congress regarding the Total Information Awareness Program (TIA). Among other things, the report announced the renaming of the program from “Total Information Awareness” to “Terrorism Information Awareness”--leaving the TIA acronym unchanged.
The TIA program gained mainstream attention after it came under the scrutiny of national media for its potential use of data-mining tools and techniques. This attention spurred Congressional and Senate oversight concerns resulting in the Congress adopting an amendment to an omnibus appropriations bill that restricts all Department of Defense funding to the TIA program. The amendment makes future Pentagon spending on the program conditional upon a full explanation of the data-mining plan and assessment of its impact on civil liberties. The amendment also prevents deployment of the surveillance program until it receives congressional approval. The report made by the DOD was in direct response to the conditions set forth in this amendment.
Earlier this year, USACM sent a letter to Congress recommending a rigorous independent review of the TIA Program. While recognizing that research and development in data-mining, fusion methods and privacy enhancing technologies are needed and welcomed, USACM raised concerns with the serious security, privacy, economic, and personal risks associated with the development of a vast database surveillance system such as TIA. USACM noted that a thorough examination of the technical feasibility and practical reality of the entire program should be conducted and the results used to assist in such a review.
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The DOJ Responds to Questions Regarding NCIC
Rule Change
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently responded to a number of questions asked in a letter sent to them by the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary. The letter sought information on how the DOJ has been using new law enforcement powers provided by the Patriot Act Law.
One of the questions dealt with DOJ’s change in administrative policy regarding the need for accuracy in
the FBI’s National Crime Information
Center (NCIC) electronic criminal databases. The change releases NCIC from its statutory
duty to make a reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of
their criminal records. The Privacy Act of 1974 provides
guidance regarding accuracy in electronic information held by the federal
government. The rule change came
after the DOJ met the statutory requirement of public notice, through the
publication in the Federal Register on
Earlier this year, USACM joined a broad coalition of groups
in signing an
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New E-Voting Bill Introduced
Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ), introduced an electronic voting bill, H.R. 2239, the “Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act of 2003.” Introduction of the legislation came in response to growing concerns among computer scientists and technologists regarding the security and reliability of electronic voting technology.
The bill requires all voting systems to produce a voter-verified paper record; bans the use of undisclosed software and wireless communications devices in voting systems; requires electronic voting systems to provide for persons with disabilities; requires recounts under certain conditions; and establishes November 2004 as the date that most requirements must go into effect.
USACM has consistently recommended that policymakers include a voter-verified audit trail as an essential requirement for certification of new voting systems. Accordingly, USACM recently sent a letter to Congressman Holt commenting on the introduction of H.R. 2239.
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The State of Vermont recently enacted the a new state law that includes a "bomb-shelter"
provision to shield Vermont's residents and businesses from the controversial
"UCITA" laws of other states. Similar to
"bomb-shelter" laws enacted in
USACM and many professionals in the software engineering industry consider UCITA to be a threat to the professionalism of their work, the safety of the public, the quality of products delivered to the public, and the long-term competitive position of the industry. In particular, USACM is concerned that UCITA enables software producers to: limit their legal accountability for defective products; ban reverse engineering by means of contractual use restrictions in many instances; place software vulnerabilities in a purchaser's software; and, ban users from comparing software or publicizing information about unsecure products.
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see: http://www.acm.org/usacm/update/.
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