Your 4G phone may not actually be 4G (even if your carrier says it is)

4G speed test - Sprint PCS

Are you in the market for a new phone and want the best one out there? Many wireless companies say in their commercials that in order to be on the crest of the wave of the future, you must get one of their 4G phones. You can download the latest blockbusters, or make your own home movies and share them with friends and family. Speeds are advertised that apparently allow you to do anything from be part of a flash mob to data intensive downloading. But there are some serious limits to the companies’ claims.

New Media Rights signs open letter sent to Congress regarding SOPA, PIPA, and internet freedom with 70 other groups

February 6, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Art Neill, Executive Director, New Media Rights, (619) 591-8870

On February 6, 2012, New Media Rights joined approximately 70 grass-roots groups, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, human rights groups, communities of color, and Internet companies in sending a letter asking Congress to stop its work on intellectual property issues in the wake of massive public protests against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA).

Read the letter in its entirety

How Apple, Google, and your wireless carrier control your phone

You own your cellphone. So you should be able to do with it what you want, right? Wrong, unfortunately. Apple, Google, your wireless carrier, and others all control what you can do with your phone. They prevent you from downloading apps; they may remotely delete apps from your phone; they may even prevent you from downloading operating system updates necessary to use your phone.

Just how do they exercise this control, and how does it affect you? Read on to find out.

How mobile apps track and share your location and other personal information

You are being tracked. The tracking device is your smartphone. And the tracker? Apple and Google. And your cellphone carrier. And software companies. And countless other third parties. And shopping malls. Oh, and also potentially law enforcement agencies.

Just what, exactly, are these groups tracking? And why? Read on to find out.

Our recent accomplishments: 2011

We want to update you, our community, on our recent successes and what the future holds for New Media Rights.  Since July, we have been supported by a grant from the California Consumer Protection Foundation (CCPF).

By partnering with New Media Rights, CCPF took a leadership role in ensuring that consumers and creators have a source of assistance for the difficult questions that arise with the use of the Internet, mobile applications, and other new communications technologies.  CCPF support has provided consumers / creators free, expert one-to-one assistance for digital rights issues, so CCPF should be recognized as an innovator in the digital rights field and we thank them for their support.

In addition to our free assistance, we have produced cutting edge guides addressing problems actually faced by internet users.  This educational material has already reached thousands and will continue to help people for years to come. Through our policy comments on the AT&T-T-Mobile merger (here and here) and other issues, we’ve communicated the issues that independent media creators and consumers face to policy makers.

We thank the CCPF, and our many generous individual supporters for supporting this important work.

We particularly thank those who have recently supported us through our Founder’s program.  
 
We're trying to raise $25,000 by December 31. Please help us by donating to our Founders campaign, please visit this page.

For other ways to support New Media Rights, visit this page

Stop the Stop Online Piracy Act

Congress is once again considering passing new laws regulating piracy on the Internet. The House of Representatives is currently considering passing the Stop Online Piracy Act. But many oppose the Act—and you should too. If it becomes law, as one Congresswoman exclaimed, it “would mean the end of the internet as we know it.” Similarly, Internet companies like Google and Facebook also openly oppose it. The Act even prompted online protests by Tumblr, Reddit and Firefox. Why do so many oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act, and why should you be concerned? Read our coverage to find out.

Are parents liable for children’s illegal filesharing?

If you’re reading this, you may be a parent who has received a notice that your Internet account has been flagged for alleged illegal filesharing, and your child has admitted to illegally uploading/downloading the music or movie in question. The extent that you as a parent are liable for the “copyright infringement” of your children is still up for legal debate. New Media Rights has created this guide for parents to along with the “Mass Copyright Lawsuit” guide to help you understand what you or your child may be accused of.

Become a Founder of New Media Rights!

It's the time of year to give thanks, and we are thankful for all those who have supported our work over the last four years.

New Media Rights is at a crossroads, and we need your support today to make sure we can continue to provide our services.

By giving today, you can help ensure that hundreds of creators, innovative new media projects, and internet users like you will get the quality legal help they need to keep creating their work, avoid lawsuits, and resist attempts to silence free speech on the internet.

We are looking for donations to help us meet a goal of $25,000 raised by the New Year.  We would greatly appreciate any amount that is appropriate for you. Anyone donating $250 or more will be entitled to have their name placed on a prominent, permanent Founders page on our website.
 
Please visit our Founders Campaign page to donate now, and track the progress of the NMR community in raising these funds! Every donation counts!

Net Neutrality Rules: Illogical logic governs what ISPs can block

Net Neutrality Illogical logic thumbnail

As we recently discussed, the FCC’s new Net Neutrality rules forbid Internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking access to certain materials. These rules make clear that “fixed broadband” ISPs (AKA cable and DSL Internet providers) cannot block access to lawful materials. But, illogically, whether they can block access to unlawful materials is not at all clear.

Pages