TECHNOLOGY MEASURES IN THE 108TH CONGRESS - While the 107th
Congress left dozens of technology-related bills on the table when it adjourned,
observers expect renewed attention and interest in measures dealing with spam,
copyright, and Internet taxes from the 108th session of Congress. A bill that would
significantly alter the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was recently reintroduced
Tuesday. The bill would affirm users' rights to circumvent copy-protection measures
in the name of fair use of legally purchased products. Last year Sen. Fritz Hollings
introduced a bill that would force makers of computers and consumer electronics
to install copy-protection technology, but the bill died, in part due to opposition from
Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Dick Armey. In the new Congress, however, Leahy
has lost his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee and Armey has retired, signaling
a possible reintroduction of the Hollings bill. A recent announcement that the Direct
Marketing Association will support anti-spam measures, coupled with a continued
rise in the amount of spam and associated costs, could lead to spam-limiting legislation
from this session of Congress. View: (CNET, 8 January 2003 - Edupage 9 Jan 03) http://news.com.com/2100-1023-979623.html

BUSH SIGNS eGOVERNMENT ACT - President Bush recently signed the
eGovernment Act of 2002, which is intended to foster more effective and efficient
electronic communication among government agencies and with government
employees and the public. The bill creates an Office of Information, within the
Office of Management and Budget, which is directed by a federal chief information
officer. Groups such as the Information Technology Association of America
supported the bill and said its passage relatively soon after the September 11
attacks - which highlighted breakdowns in government systems - was coincidental.
The bill also won support from privacy groups, which typically are opposed to
measures that facilitate greater and easier gathering and sharing of personal
information among government agencies. (CNET, 17 Dec 02 - Edupage 18 Dec
02) See: http://news.com.com/2100-1023-978297.html