loving relationships

I can not agree with you in 100% regarding some thoughts, but you got good point of view

Can it be that your server is infected with a virus – I get an Virus warning when I open your site with Firefox – Just for your Info.

EFF: Legal Guide for Bloggers

Updated April 20, 2006

Whether you’re a newly minted blogger or a relative old-timer, you’ve been seeing more and more stories pop up every day about bloggers getting in trouble for what they post.

Like all journalists and publishers, bloggers sometimes publish information that other people don’t want published. You might, for example, publish something that someone considers defamatory, republish an AP news story that’s under copyright, or write a lengthy piece detailing the alleged crimes of a candidate for public office.

The difference between you and the reporter at your local newspaper is that in many cases, you may not have the benefit of training or resources to help you determine whether what you’re doing is legal. And on top of that, sometimes knowing the law doesn’t help – in many cases it was written for traditional journalists, and the courts haven’t yet decided how it applies to bloggers.

But here’s the important part: None of this should stop you from blogging. Freedom of speech is the foundation of a functioning democracy, and Internet bullies shouldn’t use the law to stifle legitimate free expression. That’s why EFF created this guide, compiling a number of FAQs designed to help you understand your rights and, if necessary, defend your freedom.

To be clear, this guide isn’t a substitute for, nor does it constitute, legal advice. Only an attorney who knows the details of your particular situation can provide the kind of advice you need if you’re being threatened with a lawsuit. The goal here is to give you a basic roadmap to the legal issues you may confront as a blogger, to let you know you have rights, and to encourage you to blog freely with the knowledge that your legitimate speech is protected.

Please note that this guide applies to people living in the US. We don’t have the expertise or resources to speak to other countries’ legal traditions, but we’d like to work with those who do. If you know of a similar guide for your own jurisdiction or feel inspired to research and write one, please let us know. We can link to it here.

Table of Contents
or, see an index of all the questions » http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/questions.php

Blogger Legal Liability Issues

The Overview of Legal Liability Issues FAQ briefly addresses some common legal issues that affect you as a publisher, especially situations where you may face legal claims or threats based on the information you published on your blog.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Intellectual Property addresses issues that arise when you publish material created by others on your blog.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Online Defamation Law provides an overview of defamation (libel) law, including a discussion of the constitutional and statutory privileges that may protect you.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Section 230 Protections discusses a powerful federal law that gives you, as a web host, protection against legal claims arising from hosting information written by third parties.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Privacy addresses the legal issues surrounding the privacy rights of people you blog about.
Bloggers As Journalists

The Bloggers’ FAQ on the Reporter’s Privilege is useful to bloggers who report news gathered from confidential sources.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Media Access can help bloggers who need to get access to public records and government meetings, as well as secure press passes to help with newsgathering.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on the Freedom of Information Act can help bloggers use open government laws to get information from the government.
Other Legal Issues for Bloggers

The Student Bloggers’ Legal FAQ addresses legal issues arising from student blogging. It focuses on blogging by high school (and middle school) students, but also contains information for college students.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Election Law addresses the legal issues you may face blogging about political campaigns.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Labor Law addresses legal issues with workplace blogging, including union organizing, protections for political blogging away from the workplace, and whistle blowing.

The Bloggers’ FAQ on Adult Material addresses the legal issues arising from publishing risque adult-oriented content, including obscenity law, community standards on the Internet, and the new 2257 regulations.

So even if the PSA’s are stripped out (as you contend), it doesn’t look as if it will make any real difference, and Iraq will still be the wilderbeast corpse that the hyenas of Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, etc. will be able to feast on unmolested (as Zooey contended).

In short, your point about the PSAs is interesting, but largely irrelevant.

Comment by TripMaster Monkey — February 19, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
#

TMM, I did see that reference in the article (I actually read the whole thing :-).

The big difference it’ll make, I think, is that the oil companies won’t be able to ‘lock in’ their treatment for 30 years or more. So, removal of the PSA’s *will* make a difference (though I concede not as much as it could).

Comment by Dale — February 19, 2007 @ 3:00 pm

Moderation (progress) is such a great thing.

Now, how does this small amount (16% of what we import) affect what Iran COULD export. Remember we can use CAN-DU type reactors in Iran and upgrade their infrastrucutre.

The Military has tested and used fischer tropsch fuel, albeit expensive, from coal. (note to oil producing countries.)

The big difference it’ll make, I think, is that the oil companies won’t be able to ‘lock in’ their treatment for 30 years or more. So, removal of the PSA’s *will* make a difference (though I concede not as much as it could).

Thanks for the link, although I’m not sure how far you read that article.

From the article:

And now, even without the thievery of the PSAs, it looks like there’s still language in the law that will allow the oil companies to get what they were (allegedly) promised in those secret energy policy meetings with Vice President Cheney.

Antonia Juhasz, a visiting scholar at Institute for Policy Studies, reports for TomPaine.com that no-one really knows the actual specifics of the law, including and especially the Iraqi people. Secrecy, after all, is the hallmark of Bush-style democracy (secretive democracy is not unlike, say, pro-Jew Nazism). What is known, however, is:

“[The hydrocarbon law] also grants foreign oil companies “national treatment,” which means that the Iraqi government cannot give preference to Iraqi oil companies (whether public or privately owned) over foreign-owned companies when it chooses contractors. This provision alone will severely cripple the government’s ability to ensure that Iraqis gain as much economic benefit as possible from their oil.”

So even if the PSA’s are stripped out (as you contend), it doesn’t look as if it will make any real difference, and Iraq will still be the wilderbeast corpse that the hyenas of Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, etc. will be able to feast on unmolested (as Zooey contended).

In short, your point about the PSAs is interesting, but largely irrelevant.

Mahdi is an Iraqi and lecturer in Middle East economics at the University of Exeter

I need to get out of the house for a while. It’s been fun!

FWIW, I hope the Iraq’s *do* push for the best deal possible.

Here’s one link, the HuffPost (take note, Valiant, still no Fox News or Drudge links. Ready to admit you were wrong in #38?).

Still not the best deal for the Iraqi’s, but it’s better without the PSA’s.

The new law, if approved, is expected to encourage foreign oil companies with their huge investment clout and technology to quickly modernize Iraq’s oil sector and meet the country’s goal of doubling the current crude production of 2.5 million barrels per day by 2010.

I’m sure the foreign oil companies will be doing this from the goodness of their hearts. But I find nothing in your link regarding the PSAs being removed. Where are you getting that information?

It’s probably all a moot point, since the Iraqis will probably not agree to any version of the law.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1991321,00.html