February 2011 Newsletter: bridging communities at Drumbeat San Diego and legal trends in indy media

You know New Media Rights as a network that offers in-depth legal analysis through one-to-one legal assistance, numerous how-to and legal guides, as well as an innovative forum where diverse communities build together and learn from each other through events like Drumbeat San Diego and our film screening of 10 Tactics.

This is an important year for us, as a community, to together make New Media Rights sustainable for years to come. Please help us explore creative ways of funding our organization. If you have funding ideas, are aware of relevant grants, have volunteer grantwriting skills, or otherwise want to discuss making this community sustainable far into the future, get involved by writing to support@newmediarights.org

Now... Here's what's new at New Media Rights:

We were thrilled to see technologists, engaged citizens, artists, filmmakers and activists all at the same event on February 5th, 2011. The event offered proof of the value of bringing together diverse groups to learn from each other and build solutions for San Diego!

Tell us how Drumbeat San Diego can serve your community going forward filling out our survey.

Check out Photos, Videos and Notes from the Drumbeat San Diego event in our Drumbeat Wrap-up Section

The event offered a whole spectrum of community projects that were enhanced by the use of technology and by a positive spirit of collaboration from the participants. The spaces included an open data visualization and discussion, open source music and video experimentation, and using technology to enhance our community's connection with local farms and farmer's markets.  It was a tremendous day and we can't wait to do it again, can you?

As we continue building the Drumbeat San Diego community, stay updated by visiting: http://www.newmediarights.org/drumbeat and signing up for Drumbeat updates.

• What's wrong with Youtube's inappropriate content flagging system? Many of us depend on private companies (intermediaries) like Youtube and Facebook to distribute our creativity and our content to the world.  When an individual has content removed inexplicably from an online service, New Media Rights is there to assist the individual in understanding their rights, and has fought to ensure that users' are treated fairly.

As a recent example, we assisted Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist cultural critic and remix artist, in getting her remix video back up on Youtube after it was unfairly taken down. Anita has shared her story so that we can help identify systematic problems with Youtube's inappropriate content flagging system, and get them corrected.  Here is her write-up of her situation and how New Media Rights assisted her: http://www.feministfrequency.com/2011/02/how-i-fought-against-a-youtube-takedown-and-eventually-won/

• Shake down? - Adult entertainment and large movie companies are intimidating many individuals in San Diego and around the country into settling for alleged illegal downloading, even when they have done nothing wrong. We are advising these individuals of their rights, and making sure innocent victims (often older ones) are not getting shaken down.

• The FCC Chairman & The US Broadband Spectrum by guest blogger Thomas Yohannan
• Open Attribute, a simple way to attribute Creative Commons licensed works on the web
  

Upcoming Speaking Engagments:

Art, Director of New Media Rights will be speaking at the Cal Western "The Business of Social Media Law" Conference, and will be on a panel for the "Social Media Effects on Copyrights, Trademarks and the Use of Likeness" discussion. 

In April Art will speaking at the National Conference for Media Reform on copyright, and creators online publishing rights.

Ways YOU can get involved! :

Don't forget that we rely on you to help shape our work. We want you to stay involved with New Media Rights, and here's a couple ways you can do so:

- Give us a shoutout on twitter, facebook, your own blog or website, or other social media

- Offer us a donation in whatever amount is suitable to you by visiting our secure donation page.  We rely on donations from individuals like you to provide our services.

- Comment on the New Media Rights website and social media presences.

- Share news and links with us as you come upon them

- Become a part of the Drumbeat San Diego community by stay updated by visiting: http://www.newmediarights.org/drumbeat and signing up for Drumbeat updates.

- Suggest new resources, projects, and advocacy efforts for us to participate in by using our contact us form

- We are always open to publishing blogs written on new media topics (you can submit those to support@newmediarights.org), and there are volunteer opportunities as well, some of which can be done remotely. 

Please connect with us on social media, including our Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube. We invite you to give @newmediarights a shoutout, or write a review on our wall of your experience with New Media Rights.