Welcome to the Citizen Media Law Brief, a weekly newsletter highlighting recent blog posts, media law news, legal threat entries, 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 blog...

Matt Sanchez assesses Tennessee's proposed Open Records bill.
Bill Will Revamp Tennessee Open Records Law

Sam Bayard notes a company's patent claims to image-based linking technology.
Singaporean Company Claims Patent to Image-Based Linking: Patent Busting Needed!

CMLP staff highlight the recently launched trade secret section of the legal guide.
Highlights from the Legal Guide: An Overview of Trade Secrets

Sam Bayard discusses a free speech victory in a recent UDRP case.
Consumer Advocate's Free Speech Rights Upheld in UDRP Trademark Proceeding

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Recent threats added to the CMLP database...

Blumenthal v. Drudge
Posted May 30th, 2008

Webster v. Albero
Posted May 30th, 2008

Southern California Regional Rail Authority v. Arkow
Posted May 27th, 2008

Bradley v. Conner
Posted May 23rd, 2008

Ganjavi v. Smith
Posted May 23rd, 2008

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Other citizen media law news...

Anger Simmers, As Some Democratic Bloggers Are Shut Out From the National Convention Floor
Wired/Threat Level - Thurs. 5/29/08

Federal judge won't reinstate Calif. reporters
First Amendment Center - Thurs. 5/29/08

The Museum of Intellectual Property
PrawfsBlawg - Wed. 5/28/08

YouTube: Viacom dumping piranhas in our DMCA safe harbor
Ars Technica - Tues. 5/27/08

Editorial - Joe Lieberman, Would-Be Censor
New York Times - Sun. 5/25/08

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The full(er) Brief...

"Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen is expected to sign into law a recently passed bill that would provide a much-needed overhaul of the state's open records practices. The bill, SB3280, corrects a number of deficiencies in the current Tennessee Open Records Act. . . . Sadly, one of the more promising provisions did not survive the legislative process. The original version of the bill would have allowed any citizen to request records. Later amendments reverted this provision to its original form, which affords the privilege to Tennessee citizens alone. . . . "
Matt Sanchez, Bill Will Revamp Tennessee Open Records Law

"Vuestar, a patent-holding company from Singapore that describes itself as 'the Pioneer of visual search,' is asserting patent rights in the technology that enables websites to link to other webpages using an image rather than text. According to Ars Technica, the firm recently has been sending invoices to companies that it believes are using its patented technology. The impact of this patent claim could be huge -- as another report puts it, 'almost every site on the Internet' uses this technology to link photos and graphics to other webpages. . . ."
Sam Bayard, Singaporean Company Claims Patent to Image-Based Linking: Patent Busting Needed!

"This is the tenth in a series of posts calling attention to topics we cover in the Citizen Media Legal Guide. In this post, we highlight the section on trade secrets, which describes the limitations imposed on publishers who rely on or publish certain confidential business information and offers practical advice to citizen media creators on how to avoid liability for publishing trade secrets. . . ."
CMLP staff, Highlights from the Legal Guide: An Overview of Trade Secrets

"Back in 2006, Robert Arkow, a self-styled consumer advocate who played a role in establishing the California (and then federal) Do Not Call lists, created a website at 'metrolinkriders.com.' The site hosts a forum for users and employees of Metrolink, the local commuter railway service in southern California, to comment upon Metrolink's services and policies. A small group of readers frequent the site, contributing on topics like possible fare increases and customer service issues. The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), the government authority that runs Metrolink, took umbrage and ended up initiating an administrative proceedings against Arkow under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). Recently, Arkow won his case. . . ."
Sam Bayard, Consumer Advocate's Free Speech Rights Upheld in UDRP Trademark Proceeding