Welcome to the second issue of the Citizen Media Law Brief, a weekly newsletter highlighting recent blog posts, media law news, and other new content on the Citizen Media Law Project's website. You are receiving this email because you have expressed interest in the CMLP or registered on our site, www.citmedialaw.org. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, you can unsubscribe by following the link at the bottom of this email or by going to http://www.citmedialaw.org/newsletter/subscriptions.

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The latest from the Citizen Media Law Project...

Sam Bayard discusses the influence of Egyptian bloggers on mainstream media.
Bloggers Expose Torture in Egypt

David Ardia looks at the not-so-distant future of the Citizen Media Law Project.
Weeks and Months Ahead for the CMLP

Sam Bayard examines the risks associated with co-blogging and shared liability.
Co-Blogging and Cease-and-Desist Letters

David Ardia raises concerns about the federal shield bill.
U.S. House Overwhelmingly Passes Federal Shield Bill, Changes Definition of Who is Covered

David Ardia highlights Nevada's new public records law.
Nevada Enacts New Open Records Law

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Other citizen media law news...

Cease-and-Desist Letters as Self-Executing Copyright Bombs
Likelihood of Confusion - Sat, 10/13/2007

1st Amendment Prevails in Fantasy League Case
Silicon Valley Media Law Blog - Wed, 10/17/2007

Bahrain: Eighteen Censored Websites in the Kingdom
Reporters sans frontières - Wed, 10/17/2007

Newspaper Officials Arrested After Publishing Story on Subpoenas
First Amendment Center Press News - Thur, 10/18/2007

Judge Orders Users to be Named in Web Forum Libel Case
Press Gazette - Fri, 10/19/2007

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The full Brief...

"The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting article today about Egyptian bloggers posting cell phone videos to document endemic police torture in their country (thanks to 3arabawy for the tip). The most recent iteration of this phenomenon is a clip of a thirteen-year-old boy from Mansoura who died from injuries inflicted in police custody after he was arrested for stealing a few bags of tea a week earlier..."
Sam Bayard, Bloggers Expose Torture in Egypt

"We formally launched the Citizen Media Law Project's website back in April, so it's about time that I provided an update on what we have been up to and where we are headed in the next few weeks and months."
David Ardia, Weeks and Months Ahead for the CMLP

"Mike Madison published a thoughtful and thought-provoking post the other day on his madisonian.net blog about the effect that a cease-and-desist letter can have on a collaborative blogging (or "co-blogging") relationship. Madison publishes on a number of blogs, one of which is Blog-Lebo, which covers matters of local interest in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Madison used to co-run the blog with two other bloggers, but when they got a cease-and-desist letter from a local lawyer, things went slightly pear-shaped."
Sam Bayard, Co-Blogging and Cease-and-Desist Letters

"Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed -- for the first time ever -- a federal shield bill by a vote of 398 to 21. This follows on the heels of the Senate Judiciary Committee's passage of a similar bill on October 4. The House version, however, makes a critical change in the language regarding who is entitled to the bill's qualified protections by excluding those who do not receive "substantial financial gain" for their activities."
David Ardia, U.S. House Overwhelmingly Passes Federal Shield Bill, Changes Definition of Who is Covered

"Nevada has enacted a new public records law requiring government agencies to respond to written public records requests within five days. The law, which was signed by the Governor on June 13, went into effect on October 1, 2007."
David Ardia, Nevada Enacts New Open Records Law