U.S. internet laws – the good, the bad and the ugly

Informit.com has an interesting article by IP lawyer Eric Goldman on the best and worst U.S. internet laws.

eWeek.com reports that “Google, which generates billions of dollars from online advertising, is racing to bring consumer services like search to the phone. Its rivals in this field include Yahoo Inc., which has made strides in the fast-emerging mobile Web market, and Microsoft Corp., which bought voice-recognition technology company Tellme Networks Inc. last month.”

According to the Mercury News, “[n]ew legislation could team California and MySpace in an innovative but controversial way to fight sex offenders who prowl chat rooms for child victims.  […]  The proposal calls for California to require registered sex offenders to report their e-mail addresses and Internet identities to the state, which would make them available to MySpace and other social networks to block participation.” However, “[o]pponents [of the bill] argue that the state should not distribute personal identifying information to a profit-making firm, and that AB841 would infringe upon free-speech rights of many convicts who have not acted suspiciously.”

The International Herald Tribune points out that “[a]s YouTube, the Internet video-sharing service, generates millions of new fans in far-flung countries, it is making enemies of some of their governments. Many are putting pressure on the company to tailor, or self-censor, its site to take account of local sensibilities, analysts say.”  Similarly, “[s]ince April 11 […] China has quietly blocked access to DailyMotion, a French video-sharing site, for unexplained reasons, company executives said.”

ZDNetNews.com wonders if multimedia can finally make thin clients in.