Policy Advocacy

Our latest work on media policy and intellectual property policy.

Explore the coalitions we've worked withExplore the coalitions we've worked with to defend your rights: to defend your rights:

Emory Roane
May newsletter: The legal issues today’s journalists, creators, and entrepreneurs share
The legal issues today’s Journalists, Creators, and Entrepreneurs share
In our 9 year history providing legal services on over 1400 individual matters, we’ve tracked a significant convergence in the legal needs of journalists, creators and entrepreneurs. This convergence is the result of the rise in the importance of nonprofit and independent projects and the common use of the internet as the means of distribution. As a result, a common set of core legal issues has emerged among journalists, creators, and early stage tech entrepreneurs.  Click here to check out the top 10 legal issues these groups share, and to learn about ways you can help us meet the growing demand for legal services.
Become a Organizational Supporter!
If you or your organization are already a Supporter, you know the benefits it brings, and and the tremendous impact you make.  If you aren't a Supporter already, what are you waiting for?  Check out the benefits of being a Supporter here.
 
Year Round Clinic for CWSL students!
We're proud to announce that our Internet & Media Law Clinic will now be offered year round at California Western School of Law!  The clinic provides students with experience working one-on-one with Internet & Media law clients in the field, as well as knowledge and skills regarding regulatory and policy work, scholarship, and public education and outreach. This year, clinic students will help us reach a milestone of providing services on our 1400th matter. We remain an independently funded program, so we also want to thank our individual supporters and foundations that allow us to assist clients and train students.
Applications are now open for fall, and close on June 9th!
 

 

NMR Testimonial: Filmmaker Shannon Sun-Higginson & the documentary GTFO:The Movie

I am an independent documentary filmmaker based in New York City, and worked with New Media rights on my first feature film, "GTFO." I was referred to New Media Rights by one of women featured in my movie, director/producer Anita Sarkeesian.

GTFO Trailer from GTFO Movie on Vimeo.

The top 10 legal issues today’s Journalists, Creators, and Entrepreneurs share

“For too many journalists, one lawsuit could bankrupt them or their newsroom.” -Josh Stearns, GR Dodge Foundation

In our 9 year history providing legal services on over 1400 individual matters, we’ve tracked a significant convergence in the legal needs of journalists, creators and entrepreneurs. This convergence is the result of the rise in the importance of nonprofit and independent projects and the common use of the internet as the means of distribution. As a result, a common set of core legal issues has emerged among journalists, creators, and early stage tech entrepreneurs.  We share the top 10 areas of convergence below.

Photo credit: "A Bridge to Nowhere" by Paolo Crosetto on Flickr, used via Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license

Erika Lee
Joelle Bartkins
New Media Rights Executive Director Art Neill reappointed to FCC Consumer Advisory Committee for a third term

New Media Rights' internet user and consumer advocacy efforts were recognized again this week with the appointment of New Media Rights Executive Director Art Neill to a third term on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC). Neill previously has served as the Co-Chair of the CAC’s Broadband Working Group.  Staff Attorney Teri Karobonik will join Neill, serving as New Media Rights’ alternate representative to the CAC for a second term. The FCC committee works to serve the interests of consumers by soliciting their input during the regulatory process and working to improve consumer access to modern communications services.

 “Our appointment to the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee gives us a place where we can share the concerns of internet users and consumers directly with regulators,” said Neill. “Good public policy starts with actually knowing what’s happening on the ground. New Media Rights focuses its efforts on helping a variety of consumers and creators often left out of conversations about public policy that affects them.”

Nicholas J. Petruolo
Event: Unintended consequences of hyperlocal social apps

Hyperlocal social platforms, like Yik Yack and Whisper,  are hot right now. But when things turn ugly, or they get into the wrong hands, whose responsibility is it? Who foots the bill for the fallout? The founders and developers who didn't foresee the (negative) possibilities? Parents? Teachers? Consumers? Law enforcement?

Staff Attorney Teri Karobonik will join a panel of other experts on Thursday May 14th to discuss these issues and more at CyberHive's StartUp Breakfast; Unintended Consequences:  Who is responsible when hyperlocal social apps get in the wrong hands?

For more information and to RSVP check out theCyberTECH and CyberHive Startup Incubator Meetup page for the event here.

NMR Testimonial: AS220

AS220 is an artist-run organization committed to providing an unjuried and uncensored forum for the arts. AS220 offers artists opportunities to live, work, exhibit and/or perform in its facilities, which include several rotating gallery spaces, a performance stage, a black-box theater, a print shop, a darkroom and media arts lab, a fabrication and electronics lab, a dance studio, a youth program focusing on youth under state care and in the juvenile detention facilities, four dozen affordable live/work studios for artists, and a bar and restaurant.

Click here to read their full story of how New Media Rights helped AS220.