Tech Daily Dose

'If You Google Ron Paul'

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the self-described "constitutionalist" Republican candidate for Congress, has arguably the most loyal Internet following of all of the 2008 candidates, so his visit to the campus of the Google Internet firm was a bit hit earlier this month.

Now, courtesy of the Paul campaign, you can get the condensed version (less than 15 minutes) -- and a catchy tune titled "If You Google Ron Paul" that promises "hope for America."

The song has plenty of red-meat lyrics for the civil liberties crowd. Here's a sample: "If you Google Ron Paul, you will find the man who will save us ... from the PATRIOT Act and Homeland Security. ... If you Google Ron Paul, you will find a man who will ... protect our privacy, stop the national ID card."

Posted by Danny at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Stunned Lounge Owner Reacts To ASCAP Suit

Technology Daily's PM Edition on Tuesday reported on a string of new lawsuits filed by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers against bars, nightclubs and restaurants that allegedly played content owners' tunes without permission.

Attempts to contact several of the named defendants were unsuccessful by deadline, but late in the afternoon I heard from one pretty startled lounge owner. Abi Eshagi, proprietor of the Ibiza Dinner Club in Seattle did not know about the legal action even though the complaints were filed in courts around the country on Monday.

"I have been paying to two different commercial music service subscriptions -- [an] online service and cable service with music channels," Eshagi said. "I have informed ASCAP of this and I have heard nothing further from them. I don't know how many different times an establishment has to pay for the same copyright use."

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New Issue, New Grassroots Group

What do you do when Congress tackles a new issue that promises to be a hot topic among feuding industries? You start a grassroots group, of course. On Tuesday, local radio broadcasters, minority groups, non-profits and others formed the Free Radio Alliance to oppose what they see as a "performance tax" being pushed by the recording industry.

The announcement coincided with the House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property examination of whether musicians should be paid when their songs are broadcast over AM and FM radio, which is the norm when their work is played on satellite, cable and Internet radio.

"More than half of the proposed performance tax would go to line the pockets of the record-label conglomerates, three out of four which are headquartered in other countries," said Free Radio spokeswoman Cathy Rought. "The record labels are desperately looking for financial help to support their failing business model, and they are doing so at the expense of local communities across the country."

Victims of the so-called tax would include smaller, specialized radio stations "that serve as the cultural lifeline to numerous religious, Hispanic, African American and other niche communities," Rought said in a press release.

Read more about the alliance here and read Technology Daily's coverage of the hearing here.

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CNN Drops Blog-Watcher

The Politico's gossip gal Anne Schroeder reported Tuesday that CNN's blogosphere-watching duo Abbi Tatton and Jacki Schechner have split up. Schechner's contract wasn't renewed and she was out of work as of Friday.

The popular pair, who covered Internet and new media news for the network, appeared routinely on "The Situation Room" and I had the pleasure of working with them both on election night during last November's midterms.

Schechner came to CNN after producing and hosting video news segments for a reality-based video game company in the Big Apple, according to her bio. During the 2000 presidential election cycle, she was the on-camera chat host for Pseudo.com, an interactive Web TV service. She got her start in TV at Miami's WSVN and the NBC station in Hagerstown, Md.

Pssst! Jacki -- we're hiring.

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March Of The Big Green Buttons

The House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property was the place to be Tuesday morning before its hearing titled "Ensuring Artists Fair Compensation: Updating the Performance Right and Platform Parity for the 21st Century."

The topic is a contentious one in the music industry -- a recent push to pay artists for music that is broadcast over AM and FM radio. But the mob scene outside the hearing room was a bit unexpected. The line stretched all the way down the hallway.

There was a great deal of hand-shaking and back-patting, with industry executives and lobbyists presumably swapping stories about where they will be vacationing when Congress adjourns for August.

A flurry of representatives with the musicFirst coalition handed out big olive green buttons to anyone with a free hand. The pins championed their cause better than a press release ever could. They read: "I support a performance right now."

The National Association of Broadcasters, which opposes changes to the provision of copyright law, were buttonless. Perhaps they'll think of another gimmick to spread the word.

Read Technology Daily's PM Edition for the full story.

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The YouTube Debate Controversy

For readers interested in the ongoing controversy about the Republican CNN/YouTube debate, click over to Beltway Blogroll, my personal blog on NationalJournal.com, for news and commentary to supplement the coverage at Tech Daily Dose.

Here are direct links to my latest entries:
-- GOP Campaign Chief Touts YouTube Debate
-- The Debate About YouTube Debates Rages On
-- Forget The Snowman Already
-- The Snowman Question

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FishbowlDC Names 'Hottest' Newsies

FishbowlDC's annual "Hottest Media Types" contest ended Monday and Bill Press was crowned His Royal Hotness. The nationally syndicated radio show host took home first place in the on-air category. Some speculate that his win was due to voter fraud.

The media and politics blog ran a screen shot of this original post on Bill Press' Web site that instructed readers to game the system in order to boost his poll numbers.

Read about the other winners here. They included writer Kriston Capps; Washingtonian's Catherine Andrews; PR pros Jonathan Shradar and Jade Floyd; and WJLA's Pamela Brown.

Posted by Andrew at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Conyers Asks Gonzales For More Spying Info

The New York Times reported on Sunday that a 2004 dispute within the Bush administration over a secret anti-terrorism surveillance program was prompted by concerns about the National Security Agency searching through large amounts of computer data.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers didn't waste much time trying to get to the bottom of this latest plot twist. On Monday, the Michigan Democrat asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to provide copies of "all opinions, memoranda, and background materials, as well as any dissenting views, materials, and opinions," linked to the alleged data mining.

In the letter, Conyers said he was concerned that the disclosure through the media, stemming from "current and former officials briefed on the program," might be an attempt to respond to congressional pressure "via administration leak of potentially classified information."

New York Democrat Jerrold Nadler, who chairs the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott, who chairs the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, also signed the letter.

On a related note, Technology Daily's PM Edition has coverage of President Bush's weekly radio address, which focused on reforming the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and reactions to his speech by civil libertarians and lawmakers.

Posted by Andrew at 04:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

CNN Works To Resolve GOP Schedule Conflicts

CNN is trying to resolve some schedule conflicts that some GOP frontrunners say are keeping them from committing to the Republican CNN YouTube debate now scheduled for Sept. 17 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

CNN's Washington bureau chief David Bohrman said CNN is in talks with the campaigns. A spokeswoman says they may consider changing the date. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and New York major Rudy Giuliani had said late last week they would not attend due to scheduling conflicts.

A spokesman for Romney confirmed they have been speaking to Bohrman and may attend if the date could be "pushed back." The Giuliani campaign said it is working with CNN to find a date that would work for everyone.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson and libertarian Ron Paul had said earlier they would attend the debate.

Conservative bloggers, including former Republican National Committee e-campaign director Patrick Ruffini, http://www.techpresident.com/node/4009) are urging Republican frontrunners to show up for debate in the early primary state. They've also created an online petition. http://www.savethedebate.com/

The Florida primary is Jan. 29.

Posted by Heather at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sen. Durbin Embraces Blogging

Reprinted from the July 27, 2007 edition of National Journal's Technology Daily

Sen. Durbin Uses Blog To Craft Broadband Bill

By Aliya Sternstein

In a role reversal, Sen. Dick Durbin has been blogging about bloggers all week. Since Tuesday, the Illinois Democrat has been conversing with the "netroots" on the liberal blog Open Left to help him write high-speed Internet legislation.

"Today I'm writing to invite you to participate in an experiment -- an interactive approach to drafting legislation on one of the most significant public policy questions today: What should be America's national broadband strategy?" Durbin wrote on Sunday.

Each night, Durbin began his online discussions by asking for legislative proposals that touch on some of his core principles, like achieving universal, affordable broadband coverage. Should the four-day series prove fruitful, Durbin wrote, "it may become the way lawmakers approach drafting bills on other issues like education, health care and foreign policy."

At the outset, Open Left and Durbin's office invited the major telecommunications and cable companies to participate. All of them declined, but on Wednesday, representatives from AT&T's Hands Off the Internet and the AT&T/Verizon Communications-backed Latino Coalition joined the online discussion.

Conservative blogger Robert Bluey of the Heritage Foundation also took note of the development. He wrote on his personal blog, RobertBluey.com, that while it is admirable for Durbin to involve the netroots, "I think it's incredibly short-sighted to have a one-sided conversation with just liberals."

He added, "I wonder if he will be posting on RedState? Or if he plans to reach out to a non-ideological Web site?"

Bluey then e-mailed Durbin's office, which agreed to host a similar forum next Tuesday on the Republican blog RedState, where Bluey also writes.

"We'd be fools not to take him up on that," Durbin spokesman Joe Shoemaker said. Durbin's office also is in talks with a nonpartisan technology news site to host the e-legislation project.

Bluey said he thinks that Durbin's Open Left effort is getting positive reaction across the political spectrum. Bluey noted one comment left on RedState: "I would hope that if Durbin did decide to engage at RedState, we would afford him some degree of respect and stick to the issue at hand. The problem comes in when some nimrod decides to start beating on him about something completely unrelated."

Next week's RedState event will be an experiment of another kind. "It seems that liberal blogs are just much more active in terms of the number of commenters," so the quantity of posts will be something to watch, Bluey said.

On Friday, Shoemaker said the project "has been a very successful experiment thus far." For example, participants have suggested that federal legislation address the issue of broadband networks run by governments in a handful of U.S. cities.

"Nobody's flamed Durbin," Shoemaker said. "There's been no sort of off-topic discussions. People have disagreed with other participants," but the content "wasn't, 'SHUT UP.'"

Open Left co-Editor Matt Stoller said the venture is engaging citizens from rural areas who typically are not a part of the legislative or lobbying process. "I haven't even wrapped my head around how to describe it," he said.

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SIIA Unveils Trend-Watching Web Videos

The Software and Information Industry Association will host quarterly videocasts with Credit Suisse analyst Jason Maynard, the trade group announced Monday. The series -- geared toward examining the latest trends driving the software industry -- kicks off Friday.

The organization strives "to operate on the cutting edge of technology and at the forefront of the software industry" and Maynard's videocasts are part of that mission, SIIA President Ken Wasch said in a press release. The live programs are free for SIIA members and journalists and $89 for non-members.

Future installments will be Nov. 9, Feb. 19 and May 19. For more information, click here.

Posted by Andrew at 10:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Musicians Slated To Testify Tuesday

The music industry is bringing some star power to Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Renowned folk singer Judy Collins and R&B artist Sam Moore are slated to testify before the House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

The hearing, titled "Ensuring Artists Fair Compensation: Updating the Performance Right and Platform Parity for the 21st Century," will focus on a recent push to pay artists for music that is broadcast over AM and FM radio.

The movement is being led by the recently launched musicFirst coalition, which has amassed an impressive list of backers, including pop star Christina Aguilera, crooner Celine Dion and soul singer Patti LaBelle.

The National Association of Broadcasters has vowed to fight the effort, calling the proposal a "performance tax on local radio." Stay tuned for the fireworks...

Posted by Andrew at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Scoring Debate Points

Reprinted with permission from National Journal magazine.

By K. Daniel Glover

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- What happens when a wild range of nonjournalists get to grill candidates in a presidential debate? After several weeks of hype, CNN and YouTube answered that question here this week in an innovative two-hour event that featured questions posed via video clips.

The result was a mix of serious and silly questions -- and serious ones in silly packaging, such as the snowman who asked the eight Democratic candidates what they would do about global warming "to ensure that my son will live a full and happy life."

Other questioners came across as plain scary. A Michigan man brandished an assault weapon as he asked the presidential wannabes what they would do to protect "my baby." New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson gave a polite answer about the importance of instant background checks for gun buyers, but Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware lashed out at the questioner. "I don't know that he is mentally qualified to be owning that gun," Biden said. "I'm being serious.... I hope he doesn't come looking for me."

Many of the debate questions were ones that professional journalists probably wouldn't ask. To Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois: Are you black enough? To Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York: Are you feminine enough, and would you ever be taken seriously as president in talks with Arab nations that treat women as second-class citizens?

The candidates were quizzed on whether they support reparations for slavery, think that women should be eligible for the draft, and have talked to their kids about sex. But the questioners also touched on more-traditional debate topics: the Iraq war, genocide in Darfur, health care, education policy, and alternative energy.

Some of the queries were framed with precision and effectively exposed the candidates' differences. A question about whether the candidates would agree to unconditional diplomatic meetings with the leaders of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela revealed distinctions among the three front-running Democrats -- Clinton, Obama, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

"This YouTube debate really started showing separation on who's going to take on Washington," Joe Trippi, a senior adviser to Edwards, said afterward. Trippi and other campaign aides joined the candidates and traditional talking heads in praising the new format, which CNN and YouTube will use for a Republican presidential debate in September. "It really is the voice of the people," said Peter Daou, Clinton's Internet director.

But Andrew Rasiej, founder and publisher of a website called TechPresident.com that tracks the candidates' use of the Internet, gave the overall production a C. He said that debate host Anderson Cooper too often let candidates "pivot off questions and go wherever they wanted."

Rasiej also complained that CNN had chosen the videos. "It all felt like they were trying to sprinkle a little bit of Internet gold dust on themselves and make themselves look cool," he said.In an interview with Rasiej after the debate, Trippi agreed to consider involving Edwards in a debate that TechPresident would organize. Internet users would pick the questions, Rasiej said.

Dan Gillmor, who heads the Center for Citizen Media at Harvard University, favors an even broader revolution in presidential debates. He said that candidates should agree to debates on the Internet that stretch over several days. Gillmor also said that they should embrace one-on-one debates "instead of having a contest to see who can come up with a glib sound bite."

CNN Senior Vice President David Bohrman said his network felt compelled to filter the questions to avoid having the process gamed by particular campaigns or by people who would have preferred goofy questions or costumes. He also acknowledged that the number of video questions and candidates presented a challenge."I felt robbed on time," Bohrman said. "I wanted to hear from every candidate on every question. But then you would [have gotten] only four questions."

Nevertheless, he said, CNN is eager to try the format again, not just with Republicans in September but also during the general election campaign. The debate showed that "there's clearly a place at the table for new media in electoral politics," Bohrman concluded.

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Happy Sysadmin Appreciation Day

Just in case you didn’t mark your calendars, the last Friday in July is System Administrator Appreciation Day. The holiday's Web site proudly proclaims: "If you can read this, thank your sysadmin."

A sysadmin worries about spam, viruses, spyware, but also power outages, fires and floods, the site says. When the e-mail server goes down at 2 a.m. on a Sunday, your sysadmin is paged, wakes up, and goes to work.

"Systems administrators are the unsung heroes of the 21st century, our tireless morlocks who keep the entire universe running," tech blogger Cory Doctorow writes on BoingBoing. "They understand that they’re keeping the infrastructure of the information age alive and functional."

So if you haven’t already done so, give your sysadmin a pat on the back… after he/she stops berating you for not being able to fix the paper jam yourself. And if you're really feeling generous, click here for gift ideas.

Posted by Andrew at 02:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Strange Bedfellows: KISS & Cisco

Cisco posted this video of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley from KISS on its corporate blog on Thursday. The legendary rock band entertained the Networkers at Cisco Live! crowd on Wednesday night.

In the clip, the costumed crooners weigh in on the current state of "the connected life," which happens to be the theme of Cisco's new corporate positioning campaign.

"The connected life is finally happening right here, right now. What's happening is in the palm of your hand," Simmons muses. Stanley also marvels at technological advancement but really shows his age when he complains that handheld screens are too small and hard to read.

Posted by Andrew at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

'Miles And Miles' Of Paper At FBI

FBI Director Robert Mueller told the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday that there are "miles and miles" of paper records that have not yet been digitized by the agency, despite progress being made on Sentinel, the bureau's new case-management system.

Phase 1 of the program, which ushered in a more user-friendly Web interface for a accessing files, was implemented in June. Officials are now preparing to move to Phases 2 through 4.

"It's always hard to have a record-keeping function that competes with personnel in the field [but] that ought to be one of the highest budget priorities," Rep. Zoe Lofgren said. Digitization will "give power to your agency in ways that will far exceed the funding necessary" in the short-term, the California Democrat added.

"We have to bring ourselves into the modern era and we have to digitize everything," Mueller agreed. "It is question of resources and bringing on board the next technology," he said, predicting that in the year ahead, "we'll leap ahead" in that effort.

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Legalize Web Gambling, What Say You?

While much of the focus of Thursday's FBI oversight hearing in the House Judiciary Committee was on anti-terrorism, so-called "national security letters," and other issues surrounding government surveillance, Rep. Bobby Scott had something else on his mind.

The Virginia Democrat, who chairs the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, asked FBI Director Robert Mueller for his thoughts on Internet gambling. He wanted to know whether it would make more sense to legalize, regulate and tax the now-illegal enterprise in the U.S.

Mueller said he had not "thought long and hard on it" but he would be averse to legalizing the practice. But the FBI chief did note how hard it is to track down and prosecute online gaming outfits because they can "go offshore so quickly." Why? The "ubiquitous nature of the Internet," duh.

Read more about the FBI hearing in Technology Daily's PM Edition.

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Bush: "No Earthly Idea"

Earlier this week, Tech Daily Dose reported on President Bush's response to a question during a Nashville Q&A about music royalties. Now, thanks to YouTube, there is video of the incident.

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Fuzzy Math? CNN/YouTube Debate Stats

Food for thought from politics and media blog Big Head DC:

Maybe Anderson Cooper needs a “time”-out? His network currently has a press release out saying that “CNN continues the trend of record-breaking debates with Monday night’s CNN/YouTube Debate posting the highest P18-34 delivery in cable news history.”

But that statement doesn’t tell the full story. According to the Nielsen ratings, CNN’s debate ranked ninth among debates since 1999. And it’s quite unusual for a network to tout 18-34 rankings as a victory for a primary debate.

Posted by Andrew at 09:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

NAB: Still Stumping For Web Royalties Bill

Nearly a week went by without me writing about the Internet radio royalty controversy and I started to get the shakes. Thanks to the National Association of Broadcasters, the dry spell is over.

In a Wednesday afternoon press release, the trade group renewed its "unequivocal support" for legislation sponsored by Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., that would overturn a Copyright Royalty Board ruling from earlier this year. The legislation has garnered 140 co-sponsors since its introduction.

NAB's backing of the Inslee bill followed a June 6 offer made on behalf of its member radio stations to digital royalty collector SoundExchange. NAB has yet to receive a response from the group, officials said.

Posted by Andrew at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hottest Media Types Contest

FishbowlDC's annual "Hottest Media Types" contest is underway. The inside-the-Beltway blog about journalism and politics is asking readers to cast their votes for the most sizzling on- and off-air reporters and PR practitioners.

Some contestants are utilizing social-networking site Facebook to get out the vote while others have written their own self-aggrandizing press releases and campaign blogs.

In a mere 24 hours, more than 63,000 votes had been cast (and cheating charges are also mounting). Voter fraud! Voter fraud!

Cast your own votes here:
Hottest Media Types, Male, On Air
Hottest Media Types, Female, On Air
Hottest Media Types, Male, Off Air
Hottest Media Types, Female, Off Air
Hottest Media Types, PR, Male
Hottest Media Types, PR, Female

There are two folks from our company in the running -- Government Executive's Greg Grant and The Hotline's Amy Dudley -- as well as Congress Daily alum Greta Wodele. And a member of the Tech Daily staff almost won last year's contest (and was ineligible this time around). Go team!

For more hotness, check out The Hill newspaper's annual "50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill."

Posted by Andrew at 03:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

'Obama Girl': A Crush On Mike Gravel?

Remember Amber Lee Ettinger, the actress who became an online video sensation as "Obama Girl" a few weeks back?

Well, her latest role was as a video journalist at Monday's CNN/YouTube debate in Charleston, S.C. Presumably, she was in the "spin room" to interview the object of her affection, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. But Obama never showed (at least not while I was in the spin room), so Obama Girl had to settle for the likes of Mike Gravel.

Here are some other snapshots from the "spin room" after the debate, and you can check the new Flickr page for Technology Daily to see the rest of our photo coverage of the first user-generated presidential debate:

Actor Richard Schiff, who played Toby Ziegler on "The West Wing"

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of candidate John Edwards

Joe Trippi, adviser to John Edwards

Steve Grove, the news and politics editor at YouTube

Republican new media consultant David All, one of the bloggers granted access to the debate hall

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Copyright Hearing Abuzz Over Troubled Teen Star

What was the hottest topic of discussion among stakeholders who assembled at the Copyright Office on Wednesday morning to talk about cable and satellite statutory licenses? Was it the operation and revision of rules under Sections 111, 119 and 122 of Title 17 of U.S. Code?

Nope. It was troubled teen starlet Lindsay Lohan. Sure, the roomful of policy experts conversed about copyright-related issues before the event began, but Lohan's latest turmoil generated the most buzz. Everyone (even policy wonks) enjoys a little gossip, right?

Less than two weeks out of rehab, with another drunken-driving case pending, the 21-year-old actress was arrested this week with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit. She was released on bail after being charged with suspicion of driving under the influence, possession of cocaine and transport of a narcotic.

Read more about the Copyright Office hearing (sans Lohan) in Technology Daily's PM Edition.

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Cybersettle Case... Still Unsettled

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month heard oral arguments in a case involving feuding Internet-based dispute-resolution providers Cybersettle and the National Arbitration Forum. At issue was a complex Cybersettle patent that pertains to various methods and computer systems for performing online dispute resolution.

The three-judge panel this week remanded the case. On appeal, the court found that a claimed method requires actual practice of the method -- not simply the capability, according to Dennis Crouch's Patently-O blog. Now, the lower court will need to determine what portion of NAF's infringing actions included multiple offers and demands, he said.

For added insight, read our original coverage of the case after the jump.
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Reprinted from the July 9, 2007 edition of National Journal's Technology Daily

Intellectual Property: Online Dispute-Resolution Firms Fight Over Patent

By Andrew Noyes

A pair of feuding Internet-based dispute-resolution providers continued their ironic yet high-stakes patent battle in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. The case involves competitors Cybersettle and the National Arbitration Forum.

At issue is a complex Cybersettle patent that pertains to various methods and computer systems for performing online dispute resolution. The White Plains, N.Y., firm has used that technology for more than 160,000 transactions, which resulted in more than $1 billion in settlements.

A New Jersey federal court ruled last year that the Minneapolis-based arbitration forum infringed on Cybersettle's patent. The forum, which is also a major mediator of disagreements over Web addresses, had been hired to run the Garden State's no-fault automobile insurance personal injury protection program.

U.S. District Court Judge Mary Cooper determined that two versions of the forum's Web-based software were in violation of Cybersettle's patent for a double-blind, dispute-resolution program capable of multiple rounds of bidding.

But when the forum made its initial pitch to the state, it proposed a single-round negotiation tool called ANS, and Cybersettle did not challenge that system's validity. Therefore, ANS was not covered by the injunction against the two other versions, according to the forum.

The infringing systems -- known as ANS 3 and ANS 1X -- did not generate any revenue and Cybersettle claimed no damages as a result of the infraction. The forum no longer uses those systems and concluded that there is "little, if any, interest in those products in the marketplace."

Cooper issued an injunction in December 2006 and an appeal was filed with the federal circuit shortly thereafter. "We felt the district court's opinion on the issue was incorrect, and that it is important to seek clarity on what the patent covers," said Thomas Vitt, an attorney for the forum.

The three-judge panel that heard the case Monday seemed to concur. At one point, Judge Alan Lourie asked Cybersettle attorney Daniel Ladow why Cooper's opinion should not be read as "plainly wrong." Later, Chief Judge Paul Michel scolded Ladow for making an argument that he could not follow "at all, from A to Z."

After the hearing, the forum's Vitt said that based on the comments and questions from the bench, he is "optimistic about the outcome." Cybersettle CEO Charles Brofman said he was "very pleased with the argument that our counsel made."

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Reyes Responds To Republican FISA Bill

A group of House Republicans introduced a bill Tuesday that would amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to permit warrantless wiretapping of foreign citizens outside of U.S. borders. Read more details in Technology Daily's PM Edition.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, took issue with the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M. He said he supports "strong tools for our intelligence professionals to track the communications of terror suspects, infiltrate their cells, and disrupt their plans."

But Reyes said Wilson’s bill is based on "several faulty assumptions," which he outlined in a same-day letter to her. Reyes also said he was "highly concerned" because he heard about the bill and afternoon briefing "through outside organizations, and not from her." Ouch!

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Reax To Cybersquatting Group's Launch

The Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse launched Tuesday (see Technology Daily's PM Edition for details) with a mission to curb cybersquatting. The Internet Commerce Association's Philip Corwin, who represents domain-name investors and the direct-search industry, said he looked forward to working with the new kid on the block.

ICA wants to help assuage CADNA's "legitimate concerns about trademark infringement" on the Web, he said. Corwin's group supported a restocking fee for domain names ending with the .org suffix, which helped eradicate abusive domain "tasting." His members would welcome steps by ICANN and VeriSign to achieve the same result in the .com sphere.

Corwin went on to say that while ICA believes that such market-based mechanisms are the best approach, his group will carefully review any legislation proposed by the new coalition "to assure that it respects and affirms the rights of domain-name investors and preserves vigorous competition in consumer search models."

Posted by Andrew at 04:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sen. Inouye Gets His Own Web Address

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, has joined Ranking Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska as the proud owner of a .com domain name, thanks to Internet registration retailing giant GoDaddy.

The company's general counsel, Christine Jones, testified Tuesday at a hearing on Internet safety and children. During her testimony, she informed Inouye that she purchased the Web address "chairmaninouye.com" in anticipation of the hearing.

GoDaddy bought Stevens his own domain name when he was chairman of the panel in the 109th Congress. Inouye's Web address is "parked" for now and there was no word from the lawmaker on how (or if) he planned to use it. GoDaddy domains cost $8.95 to register.

Look for full coverage of the hearing in Technology Daily's PM Edition.

Update: Jones tells me that she has registered "a whole bunch of names," including ChairmanSmith.com and ChairmanWhitfield.com -- she does it every time she testifies.

In the 109th Congress, Texas Republican Lamar Smith chaired the House Judiciary Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property Subcommittee and Kentucky Republican Ed Whitfield chaired the House Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

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YouTube Format Declared A Winner

The fast-paced debate format with video questions from voters drew praise after the CNN You Tube debate from Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.

Dean said afterwards this debate format "brought the American people back into politics, which hasn't happened since the Nixon Kennedy debate. He also praised it for transferring power to the next generation.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said the questions had more emotional impact coming from voters, but he did not like just having 30 seconds to answer serious questions.

Look for more reaction to the debate format and its impact in the Tuesday PM edition of Technology Daily.

Posted by Heather at 01:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Debate Transcript, Lickety-Split

Just in case you'd like to reenact tonight's CNN/YouTube debate in your living room with friends and family (I get to be Mike Gravel!), the news network is working on posting a full transcript of the event, which aired live from Charleston, S.C.

By 10:15 p.m., quite a bit of the transcript was online. I can't wait to review the candidates' answers to the last question: "What's to like and dislike about the candidate to your left?"

Posted by Andrew at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Initial Reactions On CNN

CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin: "This debate was Gladys Knight & The Pips." Hillary Clinton "looked like someone who might be president."

In New Hampshire, CNN conducted a focus group with 24 undecided Democrat and Independent voters. Before the debate, they thought Clinton would be the best performer. Afterward, they said Barack Obama ranked first, followed by Joe Biden and John Edwards.

CNN did the same experiment in Nevada. Bill Richardson, a known name in that part of the country, did the best, followed by Clinton and Obama (who tied) then Edwards.

Maria Elena Salinas of Univision said Clinton "seemed to stand out because of the directness of her answers." She also said she was disappointed that there was not more talk about the immigration issue.

Rev. Reggie Longcrier of Hickory, N.C., who asked a question early on in the evening, said the debate was "dynamic" and unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Posted by Andrew at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

More From 'Hotline On Call'

Our colleagues at Hotline On Call were surprised that there were no technical glitches as the final few minutes of the debate neared. In New Hampshire, Rudy Giuliani was interuppted by static when he answered a question on religion.

Tonight's technology made that debate look like Nixon vs. Kennedy. YouTube executives said they had a couple of contingency plans if the small monitors on the candidates' stands didn't work, but it **seems** like those plans weren't even necessary.

Posted by Andrew at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Debate Is Over, Let The Videos Begin

YouTube invited 10 of the questioners to the debate, and now that the official event is over, those citizens will be able to use their videocameras in the debate hall.

Look for the clips coming to a YouTube video channel near you soon.

Posted by Danny at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

'This Is My Baby'

So said a citizen from Michigan while availing himself of the right to bear arms on film. Joe Biden: "I tell you what, if that's his baby, he needs help. ... I don't know that he's mentally qualified to own that gun. ... I hope he doesn't come looking for me."

Posted by Danny at 08:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Enough Bushes And Clintons In The White House?

Hillary Clinton: "I think it is a problem that Bush was elected in 2000. ... And I actually that it was someone else that elected."

Mike Gravel: "The Clintons and the [Democratic Leadership Council] sold out the Democratic Party to Wall Street. ... It's the people who brought you what you have today. Please wake up."

Barack Obama said he has heard cynicism in "every single question" asked in the videos aired tonight.

Posted by Danny at 08:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Meanwhile, At 'Hotline'…

Our colleagues at Hotline On Call are also live-blogging the CNN/YouTube debate. Here are a couple of posts…

Just Sayin'

So far On Call has counted 26 videos aired tonight. Of those videos so far, six were recorded by women and at least 17 were recorded by men. And a couple videos were either mixed or from non-gender entities. You know, like an animated snowman asking about global warming.

Don't Look At Us, We Didn't Write The Questions

A YouTube user asks both Clinton and Obama to confront their critics who say gender and race still play a roll in politics. As one reporter put it to me today at lunch, is CNN using the YouTube users to ask the questions they don't want to take responsibility for asking? Probably not, because CNN gets lots of second-wave press for asking controversial questions. But it's worth asking because this might be one of the first times both Clinton and Obama confronted the issue in the same room.

Posted by Andrew at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Personal Health Care Questions

These questions came from people who have serious healthcare problems or have people close to them who do: What are you prepared to do to fight Alzheimer's? How would you address chronic disease? What would you do to make low-cost or free preventive medicine available? How will you include the disabled in your health plan?

Barack Obama: "My mother, when she was between jobs, contracted cancer," and she spent the last days of her life trying to figure out how to pay for care. "We've got to have a president who's willing to fight" the healthcare industry to make sure they don't have "veto power."

John Edwards: Obama's plan "just doesn't cover everybody." He complained the politicians have talked about health care too long without standing up to insurance companies and drug companies.

Hillary Clinton: She said it is "a national disgrace" that people like those in the videos still struggle to get the care they need. Clinton said everyone should be covered.

Posted by Danny at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Does Your Health Plan Cover Undocumented Workers?

Chris Dodd: "Children certainly would be covered. ... If they're paying part of that thing, then they would also get covered."

Bill Richardson: "Every American deserves the right to the best possible health care."

Posted by Danny at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ooh, Goodie, A Question About Coins

I collect them, so I love that the mottoes like "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" made it into the debate. Too bad that only Joe Biden got to answer. His response: "I think the coin's got it just right."

What I want to know is what the candidates would do to keep the U.S. Mint from messing up more of the new $1 coins by leaving the mottoes off some of the coins. If you're going to move the mottoes to the side of the coins, where nobody will notice them, at least remember to strike the mottoes.

Posted by Danny at 08:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Text 'P-E-A-C-E'

That's the message Dennis Kucinich sent in his video interlude at the debate.

Posted by Danny at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A Direct Tech Question: Standardized Voting?

But only Bill Richardson got to answer before a commercial break: "As president, I would push the whole country to verified paper trails" for electronic votes.

Posted by Danny at 08:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Is Nuclear Power A Good Alternative Energy Source?

John Edwards: "I do not favor nuclear power" because it is extremely costly and there is still no safe way to dispose of nuclear waste."

Barack Obama: "We should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix."

Hillary Clinton: Take away the tax breaks from the oil companies and "focus on innovation and technology," including nuclear energy as a potential alternative source. "It can be a win-win if we do it right."

Posted by Danny at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Vodkapundit Drinking & Debate-Blogging

Over at Pajamas Media, Vodkapundit’s Stephen Green is "drinking his way through another evening of argument." Green submitted several videotaped questions for the Democratic presidential debate (here, here and here) then watched the showdown (presumably with a martini in one hand, typing with the other).

Several humorous posts:
-- "Mike Gravel pounces! Mike Gravel draws first blood! Mike Gravel is some dude running for President! No really!"
-- I have to admit, Chris Dodd at least looks presidential. Unfortunately, he looks like the president of a midwestern Savings & Loan circa 1990.
-- Edwards was asked about something his wife said, that he’d make a better advocate for women that Hillary. Correct answer: “Yes, you have seen my hair.”

Posted by Andrew at 08:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Snowman Wants To Know ...

... what will you do about global warming?

Dennis Kucinich: "We need to move away from reliance on oil."

But I have to wonder: Why did CNN use a snowman to ask one question about global warming to only one candidate who is considered a longshot? Isn't that a slam against Kucinich -- not a serious candidate, so let's have a snowman ask him a question?

Posted by Danny at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The No Child Left Behind Rap

Finally, a technology-related question: Would you scrap or revise the 2002 education law?

Bill Richardson: "I would scrap it. It doesn't work. ... It doesn't emphasize teacher training" and more. He advocated a minimum wage of $40,000 a year for teachers, as well as an emphasis on science and math.

Joe Biden: "It was a mistake. ... I would scrap it" and start from the beginning. He said he only voted for it out of respect for Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., one of the key advocates of the law.

Posted by Danny at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

CNN: You Be the Talking Head

From CNN's Web site:

The CNN/YouTube presidential debate is all about you. You're asking the questions and driving the discussion. But that's just the beginning. We want you to give us your take on the candidates and issues during and after the debates. This is your chance to be a political analyst and call the shots. Watch the program at 7 p.m. ET on July 23, take notes and share your views via I-Report. Better yet -- turn on your camera to record your commentary and reaction video. Click here for more.

Posted by Andrew at 08:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lots Of Public School Fans Among Democrats

John Edwards said he sends his there still. Hillary Clinton said daughter Chelsea attended public schools in Arkansas until her husband, Bill Clinton, was elected president. Other candidates cited a mix of attendance at public and private schools. Mike Gravel said the school system needs competition.

Posted by Danny at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hillary: Woman, Best Candidate Or Both?

Hillary Clinton made a big fuss during the debate about how she's running for president because she's the best candidate for the job, not because she's a woman. It was a thoughtful, articulate answer. But moments later, as CNN was going to a commercial break, they showed a YouTube campaign video (see above) chosen by her team that featured this punch-line: "Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman." Hmm…

Meanwhile, the YouTube campaign video selected to air for John Edwards poked fun at the $400 haircut controversy -- complete with music from Broadway hit "Hair." Thanks for giving that story legs again. Sheesh!

Posted by Andrew at 07:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Should Women Register For Selective Service?

Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama all said yes. John Edwards called out a guest who was in the audience with his wife, Elizabeth.

Mike Gravel: "Of course. ... What's the difference" between men and women?

Posted by Danny at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

And Back To Clinton's Gender We Go

Noting that some Muslim countries treat women as second-class citizens, a questioner asked how Hillary Clinton could expect to be taken seriously in negotiating with those nations. She said that no one need doubt she would be taken seriously and that it "would be quite appropriate" to have a woman

Posted by Danny at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How Do We Get Out Of Iraq Now?

Barack Obama: "We have to begin a phased withdrawal, have our combat troops out by March 31 of next year."

Joe Biden: "You know we can't just pull out now. ... The truth of the matter is if we started now, it would take one year." He insisted that you have to have "a political solution" -- and that he's the only candidate who has one.

Posted by Danny at 07:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What Will You Do To Make Darfur Safe?

Bill Richardson: Diplomacy, U.N. peacekeeping troops ("primarily Muslim troops"), China pressuring Sudan, a no-fly zone. "The answer here is caring about Africa."

Joe Biden: Send U.S. troops. "Where we can, America must. Why Darfur? Because we can." He said 2,500 troops "can stop the genocide now."

Mike Gravel: Africans unfortunately don't want U.S. troops there.

Hillary Clinton: Sanctions on the Sudanese government and a no-fly zone. "American ground troops I don't belong in Darfur at this time."

Posted by Danny at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Democratic Politics Over Conscience On Iraq?

The question comes from the mother of a soldier.

Hillary Clinton: "There are a lot of questions that we are asking, and we're not getting answers."

Dennis Kucinich: "Yes. It is politics." He said Democrats who took control of Congress have failed the American people by not cutting off funds for the war so troops have to come home.

Chris Dodd: "We should set that time certain." He added that the situation in Iraq is connected to U.S. inaction in Darfur because the military is "bogged down" in Iraq and U.S. global leadership has been undermined.

Bill Richardson: Bring all of the troops home by the end of this year, "with no residual forces. ... No politics. Get it done."

Posted by Danny at 07:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Would You Allow Two Women To Marry?

Dennis Kucinich: Yes.

Chris Dodd: "Yes, they ought to have that ability in civil unions. ... But I don't go so far as marriage."

Bill Richardson: "What I think is achievable is full civil unions with full marital rights." He also said he would not tolerate any discrimination against gays.

Posted by Danny at 07:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Black Enough? Feminine Enough?

The question was posed to Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Obama: Ask the cabbies in Manhattan who think twice about picking him up.

Clinton: "I couldn't run as anything other than a woman. I am proud to be running as a woman. ... But obviously I'm not running because I'm a woman."

John Edwards offered his two cents, saying he wouldn't want the vote of anyone who would vote against Obama because he is black or Clinton because she is a woman. But he also said he is a better advocate for women than Clinton.

Clinton's response: "I have been on the forefront" of advocating for women. "I think it's terrific that we're up here arguing about who's going to be better for women."

Posted by Danny at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If You Miss A Question...

YouTube is posting the user-submitted videotaped questions as they are aired during the live debate. There is also a pretty massive collection of questions that did not make the cut (featuring costumes, kids, gimmicks, weirdos etc.) The most-viewed question was from a citizen whose entry mentioned California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and cyborgs, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper said.

Posted by Andrew at 07:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Will Blacks Ever Get Reparations For Slavery?

The questioner said he fully expected the candidates to dodge the question, but not all did.

John Edwards: "I'm not for reparations."

Barack Obama: "The reparations we need ... are investments in our schools."

Dennis Kucinich: "A breach has occurred, and we must acknowledge that. ... Yes, I am for repairing the breach. Yes, I am for reparations."

Posted by Danny at 07:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Which Republican Would Be Your Running Mate?

Joe Biden: Warning that naming names would hurt the designated Republican, Biden named Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb.

John Edwards agreed that Hagel would be a good choice.

Posted by Danny at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Are You A Liberal, Hillary?

Question to Hillary Clinton: How would you define the world liberal, and would you use the word to describe yourself.

Clinton: The word used to mean being for freedom, but "it has been turned up on its head" to mean big government. "I prefer the word progressive," Clinton said.

Posted by Danny at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sorry, Joe, No Iraq Question For You

The attempt by Sen. Joe Biden to stuff the ballot box and get a question on Iraq asked didn't work. So said Anderson Cooper at the outset of the debate.

Posted by Danny at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let The Live-Blogging Begin

Introductory comments (from the live feed on campus):

-- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean on why the YouTube debate matters: "Ordinary Americans get to have their government accountable to them again."

-- CNN host Anderson Cooper: "After tonight, I think it's going to be hard to go back to the debates the way they were, without some sort of user-generated content."

Posted by Danny at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How Will CNN/YouTube Portray The Electorate?

I quoted Jeff Jarvis of PrezVid in my YouTube debate preview story today, and as typically is the case with traditional journalism, I wasn't able to fit all of his insights into our coverage. But that's OK because Jarvis is a blogger and addressed in detail at his own site the points he made in our interview.

Here's a sampling from PrezVid:

The YouTube debates could fundamentally change the dynamics of politics in America, giving a voice to the people, letting us be heard by the powerful and the public, enabling us to coalesce around our interests and needs, and even teaching reporters who are supposed to ask questions in our stead how they should really do it.

The debates could also demonstrate that democracy is in good hands, that we care, we are smart, we are informed. ... Finally, the debates could begin to change the relationship between candidates and voters. ... The wise candidates should go into those 2,000 questions and start answering the toughest ones.

All this could happen. Or CNN could pick the dutiful, dull, obvious, sophomoric questions and make us look like a nation of dolts.

Posted by Danny at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

YouTube Debates: Just How Innovative Are They?

By K. Daniel Glover

Reprinted from Monday's PM Edition of Technology Daily

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Old media stalwart CNN and new media upstart YouTube will break new politics and technology ground here Monday evening by hosting an Internet and voter-driven presidential debate. But before the first video question is put to the Democratic candidates on the stage, observers are asking their own questions about the process behind the debate.

The organizers of the debate -- and another one like it for Republican candidates on Sept. 17 in Florida -- bill it as a "history-making" event. The CNN/YouTube debates take to a new level the "town hall" concept introduced to presidential debates in 1992.

Since June 14, anyone with access to a computer and a webcam has been able to submit videotaped questions to the candidates via YouTube's Internet file-sharing service. By Sunday's deadline, 2,989 questions were submitted. CNN journalists screened the questions and decided which ones to ask when the cable network airs the debate live at 7 p.m.

Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, called the approach "a logical evolution of the marriage of new media and old media" that has been occurring in recent years. He added that it has made the Internet the "center focus" of politics just 11 years after its "coming-out moment" in the 1996 presidential race.

"This solidifies the notion that the Internet is a prime marketplace [of ideas], the commons of politics," he said.

People in the online politics world agree -- but they said they were hoping for more of a revolution than the evolution Rainie described.

Blogger Jeff Jarvis, who tracks the role of video in the presidential campaigns at PrezVid, lauded CNN and YouTube, which is owned by Google, for moving beyond the "Twinkie, dutiful and dull" questions of past debates. But he added that citizens should have been given more input about what will transpire on the air.

"They should have let go of the controls here and let us pick at least some of the questions," Jarvis said.

Colin Delany, who blogs at e.politics, said the problem with CNN picking all of the questions is that the debate could reflect the same conventional wisdom as traditional media-organized sessions. "I would like to see more so-called stupid questions" instead of the same tired questions repeated on journalism shows like NBC's "Meet The Press," he said.

At a luncheon with reporters in Charleston on Monday, a Google official said CNN made the call on not allowing Internet users to pick the questions the candidates will be asked and held out the possibility that future debates could evolve in that direction. Steve Grove, the news and politics editor at YouTube, added: "We would never say that's a bad idea. ... It's just not the direction we chose to go with this time."

Andrew Keen, author of a new book called "Cult Of The Amateur" that decries the Internet's impact on culture, criticized the CNN/YouTube debates for different reasons. He praised the involvement of CNN as a "formal gatekeeper" that acts as a "talent scout." But he said the "older, wiser, more traditional, authoritative" network should have done the debate alone.

Keen lambasted YouTube as a "self-interested," non-journalistic company whose only goal is to make money by driving traffic to its Web site. He said YouTube is "using the concept of the public interest to pursue its private interests."

"These are not responsible people," Keen said. "They're not the people I want to trust politics with."

Posted by Andrew at 04:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Grilling The Presidential Wannabes About Tech Policy

By Theresa Poulson

Reprinted from Monday's PM Edition of Technology Daily

None of the Democratic presidential candidates will know until Monday evening which voters' questions they must answer in the CNN/YouTube debate. But there were dozens of technology-related questions in the mix that CNN journalists reviewed.

Internet maven Jeff Jarvis, for instance