Cable and internet service provider Cox Communications was sued last week on the grounds that its customers have been torrenting music illegally. Cox is far from unique in this; it’d be hard to imagine any internet provider (including the federal government) not having some customers infringing copyrights. The reason we don’t see such suits all the time is because of the safe harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

On Monday, the Digital Reader revealed (confirmed in detail by Ars Technica here that Adobe’s ebook reader, Adobe Digital Editions, was reporting the reading habits of its users, and the contents of their digital libraries, to Adobe.

Last Wednesday’s copyright hearing in the House IP Subcommittee may have borne the soporific title of “Chapter 12 of Title 17,” but the debate involved was lively. The titular Chapter 12 involves the anticircumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”), the source of the crisis over phone unlocking.

This is the story of historic legislation getting passed through an extremely partisan and divided Congress.

Today, the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed suit against the Copyright Office and the Department of Justice, challenging the government’s enforcement of the technological controls imposed under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Under this statute, the Librarian of Congress is charged with reviewing and granting exemptions when necessary to protect legitimate innovation, free expression, and other public interests. Among its other claims, EFF alleges that the Copyright Office — which conducts this review on behalf of the Librarian — has mismanaged the process and repeatedly failed to grant valid exemptions, in violation of the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Public Knowledge is participating in the “International Day against DRM” where groups around the world are discussing the problems with Digital Rights Management, known commonly as DRM. As manufacturers attempt to sneak DRM into more and more products, it is important to remember the ways that DRM limit your right to make use of what you purchase.

Last Friday, PK joined the Organization for Transformative Works in supporting Stephanie Lenz in her suit to hold Universal Music accountable for abusing the notice-and-takedown system.

Today, Google announced that it would defend selected YouTube videos in court, if necessary, when it determined that those videos were fair uses and had received a DMCA takedown notice.

On this week's podcast we recap the government shutdown, the PK IP3 Awards, charging admission for viewing public artwork and DMCA safe harbor cases. Listen to Podcast

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Public Knowledge will host a press briefing Wednesday, October 28 at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the Digital Millennium Copyright Act triennial exemption process for digital locks. The DMCA’s rules against bypassing digital locks harm consumers and interfere with everyday uses of technology, holding people liable for copyright violations just for accessing their own data on their own devices.