Collaboration Agreement with Harvard and Singapore

The FIR-HSG and the Institute for Media and Communications Management (MCM-HSG) have entered into a collaboration agreement with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Together with the Information + Innovation Policy Research Centre (i+i Centre) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, the participating institutions form a research network that stretches over three continents. This is the first such agreement in the history of the FIR-HSG, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this spring. Pictured: Dr. U. Gasser (Berkman Center), Prof. H. Burkert (FIR) and Prof. V. Mayer- Schönberger (i+i Centre) at the signing ceremony in Singapore (25.02.10).

Daniel Häusermann on Radio Argovia
Daniel Häusermann was interviewed by Radio Argovia, a local radio station in the canton of Aargau, about a case in which a German environmental pressure group induced its followers to flood a small municipality with thousands of protest emails (11.01.10).

Study on Broadband Deployment
Researchers of the FIR and the =mcminstitute have contributed to an independent review conducted by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University for the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The study evaluates broadband deployment and usage worldwide and makes policy recommendations to inform the FCC's development of a National Broadband Plan. The quality and penetration of broadband connections in Switzerland has been rated lower than in previous studies conducted by the OECD. However, Switzerland's overall performance is significantly above average also according to this study. The study is available here (PDF) (23 October 2009).

Interview with Urs Gasser in the Swiss newspaper "Tages-Anzeiger"
Dr. Urs Gasser, Member of the Executive Board and former Executive Director of the FIR, was interviewed by the Zurich-based "Tages-Anzeiger", one of the largest daily newspapers in Switzerland, on issues of free speech and censorship of the internet. The interview was conducted on the occation of a demand by the German Family Minister to control the internet more tightly (17 August 2009).

Publication Series "Studies in Information, Communication, Media and Law"
The FIR-HSG, in collaboration with the Dike Verlag (Zürich/St. Gallen), has created a publication series which is dedicated to interdisciplinary research into phenomena at the intersection of information, communication, media and the law. The series is edited by Prof. Dr. Herbert Burkert und Dr. Urs Gasser. The first volume is Daniel M. Haeusermann's dissertation, Vertraulichkeit als Schranke von Informationsansprüchen (Confidentiality as a limitation of disclosure duties). (19 June 2009)



Urs Gasser quoted in Financial Times
An article discussing millenials in the workforce featured comments from Dr. Urs Gasser concerning the challenges and great potential of digital natives as employees. The article is available here with registration. (3 June 09)

Prof. Dr. Mayer-Schoenberger publishes critique of Lessig
Prof. Dr. Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, member of the Executive Board of the FIR-HSG, has published a critique of Lawrence Lessig's famous theory that continues to shape cyberlaw scholarship. He argues that Lessig's theory fails to capture the full dynamic at play in many legal cases concerning the internet, that Lessig overvalues transparency, and that Lessig's directional view of the relationship of markets, technology and society are outdated. The article (2008 Wisconsin Law Review 714) can be downloaded here. (30 April 09)

Prof. Dr. Hoeren accepts new commission for a study on the handling of music rights in the EU
Prof. Dr. Thomas Hoeren, member of the Executive Board of the FIR-HSG, has signed a research contract with the European Parliament regarding the future of the music industry and copyright law in Europe. Together with colleagues from Greece, Denmark, United Kingdom, France and Spain, he is investigating the impact of collecting societies in the area of digital music rights. The study, due to conclude in June 2009, will describe the figures of the European music rights market, the effects of recent EC decisions regarding the music collecting societies and the classification of new music rights agencies such as CELAS. (29 April 09)

Changes in Management of the FIR
On February 16, the University Senate approved the following changes to the FIR's Board and acting management: Prof. Dr. Urs Gasser, Prof. Dr. Miriam Meckel, and Prof. Dr. Anne van Aaken have all been named to the FIR's Board. Prof. Dr. Beat Schmid and founding member Prof. Dr. Rainer J. Schweizer have withdrawn from their positions as Board Member and Faculty Director, respectively, in light of their official retirement from the University of St. Gallen. Prof. Dr. Peter Hettich has stepped in to serve as Director of the FIR. We regret the departure of the highly accomplished Professors Schmid and Schweizer, but warmly welcome our new Board Members and new Director. (2 April 09)

Swiss Internet & Democracy Case Studies Released
As part of the Berkman Center's Internet and Democracy Project, the FIR undertook an examination of three Swiss examples of the interplay between the internet and democracy. The three case studies focused on smartvote.ch--an online candidate recommendation tool--Swiss e-voting projects, and political communication on the part of prominent Swiss political figures. All three studies as well as an executive summary are available here for download via the Berkman Center website. (1 April 09)

Social Networking Sites Gain Media and Regulatory Attention
A story on Tagesschau.de reveals that proposals for introducing new legislation to protect minors on social networking sites have recently been debated in the German Bundestag. The story features comments from Urs Gasser on the privacy and safety issues at stake and the extent to which new legislation may prove effective in addressing those issues. Gasser was also quoted in the story "Nackt unter Freunden," appearing in issue 10/2009 of Der Spiegel. That story explores evolving social phenomena and privacy and other issues on the internet in general and social networking sites in particular. (5 March 09)

Born Digital listed among best Sci-Tech Books of 2008 by LibraryJournal.com
John Palfrey's and Urs Gasser's recent book Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives has been listed by the Library Journal as one of the best Science and Technology-related books of 2008 in the category of computer science. A copy of the complete list is available here. See also this entry on the Digital Natives blog. (2 March 09, rev. 3 March 09)

Urs Gasser in the News
In an article appearing in the January 22 edition of the Swiss newspaper Der Landbote, Urs Gasser discusses the Facebook phenomenon, including risks and opportunities for both private individuals as well as companies. HSG Professor Thomas Geiser comments in the same edition on the legal and practical plausibility of banning Facebook in the workplace. In other media, Gasser discusses various issues relating to the generation of digital natives. An article appearing in the weekend feature "Moderne Zeiten" of the January 10 edition of the newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung focuses on media usage habits among digital natives, whereas an interview published in the magazine Kulturaustausch features a more general exposition of this generation's characteristics. Last but not least, Gasser penned an op-ed which was featured in the January 25 edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung. An online version is available here. (9 February 09)

Personnel Changes
Former Faculty Director Urs Gasser has stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Although a great loss for the FIR, we look forward to continuing work with Urs in his new position and continuing transatlantic cooperation with the Berkman Center. Berkman's official announcement can be found on their website here. We wish Urs all the best! At the same time, the FIR is pleased to announce that former associate Daniel Häusermann has taken over the position of Executive Manager of the Research Center. We thank former Executive Manager Stefan Humm for years of dedicated service and welcome Daniel back to the FIR in his new role! (4 February 09)

Case Comment on Cartoon Network v. CSC Holdings
James Thurman has published an article on a Second Circuit case examining whether a digital video recording service proposed by a cable operator would directly infringe the reproduction and public performance rights of television programming providers. The case is now up for the consideration of the U.S. Supreme Court which has invited the federal Solicitor General to present the views of the federal government concerning the case. The comment appears in Volume 17, Number 3 of Bright Ideas, a publication of the Intellectual Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (http://www.nysba.org/). By permission of the NYSBA, the article is available for download here. (28 January 09, rev. 3 March 09)

Daniel M. Häusermann hosted on local TV broadcaster Tele Ostschweiz to discuss the publication of wanted photos of football hooligans on the part of local authorities
The St. Gallen Prosecutor's Office published photos of individuals suspected of having committed various criminal acts at a football match in May 2008. Daniel M. Häusermann, Executive Director-in-waiting of the FIR, commented on the media law-related aspects of the photos' publication. The program can be viewed here. Häusermann will also be featured on the program "Sonntagsrunde Thema" tomorrow, the 25th of January at 6:00 pm. (24 January 09)