With experts warning that the Coronavirus pandemic may last well into next year, the urgency of limiting the spread of the virus is sure to increase. Cellphone and social media data will increasingly be viewed as a valuable source of information for public health authorities, as they seek to identify outbreaks in communities more quickly, rapidly warn people that they may have been exposed to the virus, or enforce quarantining orders. Israel has implemented a system that involves the collection and use of cellphone location data to identify at-risk individuals, who may receive text messages warning that they need to self-quarantine. That system has been challenged at the Israeli Supreme Court, which last week rejected elements of the plan and established a requirement of Israeli parliament approval for the measures. Tel Aviv University law professor Michael Birnhack joins me on the podcast to discuss the details of the measures and the civil liberties and democratic concerns they raise, even at a time of global crisis.
Post Tagged with: "israel"
Israel Reacts Angrily to Inclusion on US IP Watch List
Israel has reacted angrily to its inclusion on the U.S. Special 301 Watch List. One report quotes a government official as saying the inclusion is “designed to force the country to make concessions beyond those agreed between Jerusalem and Washington” adding the “United States was violating bilateral agreements by putting […]
Israel To Be Downgraded on Special 301 List?
The IP Factor reports that Israel has negotiated a reduction in its standing on the USTR's Special 301 list.
Patry on Israel and the USTR
Bill Patry features a great blog posting on Israel, the USTR, and the IIPA.
Responding to the IIPA’s “Inaccuracies and Hyperbole”
Last month, the IIPA, a lobby group representing a handful entertainment industries, released its annual submission to the United States Trade Representative criticizing the copyright laws of dozens of countries around the world. That submission will likely play an influential role in next month's USTR Special 301 Report. As usual, Canada was on their list, leading to the usual press coverage claiming that Canada is a laggard on copyright reform. While Canadian officials have criticized the USTR Special 301 report, to my knowledge the government has never made a formal submission defending Canadian policies.
This year, the USTR received 24 submissions, including comments from three countries – Israel, Poland, and Turkey (the USTR has posted the non-governmental submissions for the first time this year). The Israeli submission has been posted online and provides a great model for how countries should be defending their national interests. The submission, which characterizes the IIPA submission as containing the "usual inaccuracies and hyperbole," includes a great defense of Israeli copyright policy. For example, on the issue of anti-circumvention legislation it notes:
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