EFF is the acronym for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. This institution has an outstanding work in the protection of rights in Internet. For this reason, it is convenient that you know what is the Electronic Frontier Foundation and what are its goals.
You can find this in this post, where we will also explain how the EFF acts and what is the importance of its actions to protect freedom of expression.
For what you are 100% informed we will show you the history and origin of this entity and we will present you the most important achievements that the organization has had in its trajectory.
What is the Electronic Border Foundation and what are the objectives of this organization?
The Electronic Border Foundation, or EFF for its acronym in English Electronic Frontier Foundation is a non-profit entity that is in charge of educating legislators, journalists and the general public about the issues that relate to personal freedoms in the face of technology. To defend civil liberties, the EFF is financially supported by donations that is received from its associate members.
How does the EFF act and what is its importance in protecting freedom of expression on the Internet?
EFF acts to protect civil rights financing legal defense in court in cases related to freedom of expression on the Internet. It also specializes in protecting people and new technologies that can be inhibited by issues of current laws.
Besides this, provides advice to governments so that they act in accordance with the legal regulations so that they are not deprived of liberty. Through emails and political actions supports new technologies, performs a control of databases data and from websites that provide information on these elements. Further, controls and studies current legislation so that it complies with the freedoms of expression.
History and origin of the Electronic Border Foundation When and why was it created?
In 1990 Mitch Kapor, J. Gilmore and J. Perry Barlow founded Electronic Frontier Foundation, as a result of the embargo suffered by the publisher of role-playing and board games Steve Jackson Games through the federal agency of the Secret Service of the United States government. Which carried out the operation at the national level called Sundevil Operation. His second major case was Bernstein, which sued the US government for preventing the publication of its software Snuffle.
What have been the organization’s greatest achievements in its entire history?
Among the most important results obtained by the EFF, the following can be mentioned:
Exemptions to the Copyright Law
In 2003, the Copyright Office, through the EFF, special exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, known as DCMA. It was requested in this case that the playback of audio CDs can be reproduced with copy protection.
Further, DVD movies that were coded for US sectors are considered a non-violation. This also included the playback of films that are in the public domain in this format and allowing fast-forwarding of commercials in films of DVD.
Remote DVR
At the beginning of the year 2006 in the television company by cable Cablevision informed his clients that, instead of recording the contents in a DVR decoder from their homes, they would do it through a DVR remote located in the headquarters of the company.
This resulted in a demand for 20th Century Fox, since it considered that there was a violation of property rights by Cablevisión due to the fact that the programs that were transmitted with a time difference could not be recorded and delivered to customers. After a legal dispute that went as far as the Supreme Court of the United States and with the intervention of EFF it was ruled in favor of Cablevisión and therefore of the users of the company.
Requests to the Copyright Office
In 2009 the EFF requested 3 exemptions from the DMCA related to video remixes. It was requested to remove copyright in the works of these artists when they use excerpts from films in DVD for your non-commercial creations.
It was also requested that on the phones iPhone there is the possibility of install applications from sources other than the App Store. And finally, that the option be enabled so that the users unlock your phones and can choose the operator telecommunications services that interests me the most. A year later, in 2010, the Copyright Office ruled in favor of the Electronic Border Foundation in all extensions.