Information Policy

Open source software gets bureaucratic backing

The use of open source software on public sector IT networks was today endorsed by a report from the parliamentary office of science technology. The British government is Microsoft's biggest customer outside the US and has less apparent interest in open source than its European counterparts.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,1516630,00.html

European Commission investigates barriers to e-government

Funded by the European Commission under the Modinis Programme, a three-year project has been launched to identify and explore key issues that can constrain e-government development.

The ’Breaking Barriers to e-Government’ project, was launched in January 2005 and now has a dedicated website that will be central to its development. Featuring an online inventory, the website facilitates the collection of information about e-government barriers by allowing visitors to comment on a number of issues. Indeed, the inventory cross-references each EU Member State with a number of possible barriers – such as for instance privacy, liability, channel rivalry, and organisational culture – and any visitor can simply add his or her comments to the designated space on the grid. Comments will then be reviewed and summarised by the project team. Destined to become a growing collaborative resource, the inventory will facilitate a better cross-European understanding of barriers facing e-government and how to overcome them.

Drawing on real-life case studies, researchers will identify and explore key issues that can constrain e-government development – such as legal, organisational, technological and cultural barriers. Among other things, the study will:

• Create awareness of potential e-government legal and regulatory constraints, with a particular focus on aspects relevant at the European level.
• Define and develop clear views on possible productive initiatives and solutions with a European dimension to overcome barriers to e-government growth.
• Engage a broad group of legal experts and e-government practitioners through a comprehensive outreach and consultation programme. This includes plans to establish and manage a multidisciplinary ‘e-Government Legal & Regulatory Aspects Working Group’, as well as to organise meetings with public administrations, the research community, industry, the European Commission, and other relevant stakeholders.

Outputs of the project will be disseminated via the website, while a bi-monthly newsletter will provide details of upcoming events, reports, publications and other developments. The findings of the study could then be used to define possible initiatives at European level, including best practice recommendations to overcome identified obstacles.

http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/4384/194

ITU presents methodology for measuring 'Digital Opportunity'

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has recently proposed a methodology for measuring a composite ‘Digital Opportunity Index’. As a proof-of-concept, the methodology has been applied to 40 leading economies, with Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Switzerland and Hong Kong appearing in the top five.

There are many different indices which rank the world's countries according to their level of ICT penetration or their ‘e-readiness’, but there is no agreement on what indicators to include or what methodology to use. To tackle this issue, a new methodology has been released for developing a composite Digital Opportunity Index (DOI). The methodology was prepared by the Telecommunications Management Group (TMG) on behalf of the ITU, in the framework of the implementation of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Plan of Action.

http://europa.eu.int/idabc/en/document/4388/194

North American Countries Establish E-Commerce Principles

The U.S., Canada, and Mexico have signed a new framework of common principles for e-commerce. The framework notably includes a plan to establish a formal process for consultation on issues related to the protection of personal information and trans-border data flows. Principles at

http://www.ic.gc.ca/cmb/welcomeic.nsf/vRTF/PublicationSRJune2005E/$file/Framework23june05ECDA.pdf

MGM v. Grokster

The US Supreme Court has ruled against file-swapping companies Grokster and StreamCast Networks in their high profile battle with the content indusries. The court sought to leave the 1984 Sony Betamax decision untouched, but added the notion of active inducement. Although the 9-0 decision was a loss for Grokster, the court provided a potential roadmap for future P2P services by ruling that there is no liability for knowledge of potential or actual infringement; no liability for product support or technical updates, and (absent other evidence of intent) no liability for failure to take affirmative steps to prevent infringement. Decision at http://laws.findlaw.com/us/000/04-480.html

Media coverage at
http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/MGM_v_Grokster/
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,121603,00.asp
http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/2005/06/27/grokster-file-sharing-copyright-cx_ah_0627grokster.html
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=24224
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/index.php?blogthis=1&p=1552
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000006&sid=adGEwGUNftnQ&refer=home
http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-5764998.html
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-5764787.html
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,68018,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/business/28media.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/technology/28peer.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/28/technology/28grokster.html