By Justin Sanders
In July, The New York Times reported on an organization called the Global Antitrust Institute (GAI), a think tank funded by the likes of Google and other Big Tech heavyweights. Its goal, per the newspaper: to wine and dine, cajole, pamper, and influence government officials around the world who enforce competition laws. Offering opulent... Read more
ALL TIMELINE UPDATES August 18, 2004 A Catchphrase Is Born Google makes its unofficial corporate motto, “Don’t Be Evil,” part of the public record, devoting an entire section to the catchphrase in their public offering prospectus. “We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served—as shareholders and... Read more
By Justin Sanders
You might think that the jobs of actor and doctor are colossally, incompatibly different. That not only do they have nothing to do with each other, but that each is rife with its own tremendous challenges and time commitments. “Surely,” you might be thinking, “it’s difficult enough pursuing just one of these... Read more
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, then Google and the Internet Archive (IA) are clearly driving creatives insane. For those who may not be familiar with the Internet Archive, it is the nonprofit entity that congratulated itself for making... Read more
By Ruth Vitale
I produced and distributed movies for over 30 years. During that time, I never really gave a second thought to how a news article came to be. I assumed that reporters came across a story they found intriguing, went out to gather the facts, and then presented them fairly without... Read more
We recently saw a Mercury News interview with Wendy Liu, a former Google software engineer turned techlash cheerleader, talking about her new book, “Abolish Silicon Valley.” And we found ourselves nodding in agreement with some of her concerns. “Why are Google and Facebook so big? They have control over the advertising thing and... Read more
By Justin Sanders
Artificial intelligence is already impacting how artistic works are created – in ways both exciting and troubling. Soon, it will profoundly affect how we interpret ownership of those works. In some cases, it already has. As the robots expand their cold arm extenders across music, publishing, film, and every other creative... Read more
By Ruth Vitale
RUTH VITALE: Representative Roby, thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed. How did you come to be interested in intellectual property and copyright policy? CONGRESSWOMAN MARTHA ROBY: I always wanted to work in the music industry. I was a music major in college, graduating with a Bachelor of Music... Read more
In times of crisis, it is important to stay calm, level-headed, and to avoid rash behavior. And, in times of crisis, it is also important to face reality and deal with it. A couple of op-ed writers from the Hoover Institution recently published a piece in Silicon Valley’s hometown newspaper, The... Read more
We want to express our heartfelt solidarity with the individuals, families, and communities in crisis. Our nation is hurting. Centuries of violence against black communities have left us hoping for justice and for peace and equality. As a community, we must do better to promote reconciliation and equality for all.... Read more