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Creativity & Innovation | Electronic Frontier Foundation

<!DOCTYPE html> <!--[if IEMobile 7]><html class="no-js ie iem7" lang="en" dir="ltr"><![endif]--> <!--[if lte IE 6]><html class="no-js ie lt-ie9 lt-ie8 lt-ie7" lang="en" dir="ltr"><![endif]--> <!--[if (IE 7)&(!IEMobile)]><html class="no-js ie lt-ie9 lt-ie8" lang="en" dir="ltr"><![endif]--> <!--[if IE 8]><html class="no-js ie lt-ie9" lang="en" dir="ltr"><![endif]--> <!--[if (gte IE 9)|(gt IEMobile 7)]><html class="no-js ie" lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb# og: http://ogp.me/ns#"><![endif]--> <!--[if !IE]><!--><html class="no-js" lang="en" dir="ltr" prefix="fb: http://ogp.me/ns/fb# og: http://ogp.me/ns#"><!--<![endif]--> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/themes/frontier/favicon.ico" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon" /> <link rel="profile" href="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml/vocab" /> <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="true" /> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="width" /> <meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/themes/phoenix/apple-touch-icon.png" /> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/themes/phoenix/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png" /> <meta name="description" content="Our digital future depends on our ability to access, use, and build on technology. A few media or political interests shouldn’t have unfair technological or legal advantages over the rest of us. Unfortunately, litigious copyright and patent owners can abuse the law to inhibit fair use and stifle competition. Internet service providers can give established content companies an" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width" /> <link rel="image_src" href="https://www.eff.org/files/eff-og.png" /> <meta name="generator" content="Drupal 7 (http://drupal.org)" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.eff.org/issues/innovation" /> <meta name="rights" content="https://www.eff.org/copyright" /> <link rel="shortlink" href="https://www.eff.org/taxonomy/term/525" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Electronic Frontier Foundation" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.eff.org/issues/innovation" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Creativity &amp; Innovation" /> <meta property="og:description" content="Our digital future depends on our ability to access, use, and build on technology. A few media or political interests shouldn’t have unfair technological or legal advantages over the rest of us. Unfortunately, litigious copyright and patent owners can abuse the law to inhibit fair use and stifle competition. Internet service providers can give established content companies an advantage over startups and veto the choices you make in how to use the Internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation fights against these unfair practices and defends digital creators, inventors, and ordinary technology users. We work to protect and strengthen fair use, innovation, open access, net neutrality, and your freedom to tinker.In principle, intellectual property laws (or IP law, a catchall term for copyright, patents, and trademarks) should serve the public in a number of ways. Copyrights provide economic incentives for authors and artists to create and distribute new expressive works. Patents reward inventors for sharing new inventions with the public, granting them a temporary and limited monopoly on them in return for contributing to the public body of knowledge. Trademarks help protect customers by encouraging companies to make sure products match the quality standards the public expects.Unfortunately, our IP regimes have strayed far from their original purposes. Too often, protections for free speech and innovation are seemingly forgotten as soon as someone cries “infringement.” An unproven allegation that your video or blog post infringes copyright, or that your domain name infringes someone’s trademark, can be enough to shut down perfectly lawful speech. A patent troll can kill a small company with a bogus lawsuit based on a questionable patent that shouldn’t have been issued in the first place.Some of these laws simply haven’t adapted well to modern technology. A warped development in copyright law has made it illegal in many countries to modify or even look at the software built into the products you own, even if you’re doing it for completely lawful purposes. Copyright’s legal reinforcement of digital locks, paired with extreme criminal penalties for infringement, has intimidated a generation of would-be researchers, tinkerers, and inventors. And ongoing expansions of copyright law are often decided in secret, closed-door meetings before the public is ever allowed to debate them Imbalanced copyright law—and overzealous enforcement—generally favors powerful voices that have a great deal of influence in culture. Extreme copyright laws can intimidate new types of creators, especially those who use new media techniques to criticize dominant culture or powerful entities. Online platforms that support new, independent creators can only thrive when they don’t risk severe legal repercussions for their users’ activities. Similarly, when only the most privileged members of society have access to up-to-date research, only those members can build on that research to create new ideas and inventions. That’s why EFF supports open access to research, so everyone can build on and contribute to our knowledge commons.Just as new voices can’t thrive if copyright law doesn’t recognize their rights, new players must also have access to the same resources as established ones. When Internet service providers can give preferential treatment to certain content or hardware companies, those technologies harden to the accelerating effect of competition and users can’t access new sources of information and innovative new services. EFF believes that Internet users should have the freedom to use technology however they like without service providers artificially restricting their experience.Whether we’re fighting patent trolls in court; arguing in Congress for more balanced copyright laws; or urging governments, funders, and educational institutions to adopt open access policies, EFF is committed to building a society that supports creativity and innovation, where established players in the marketplace for technology and culture aren’t allowed to silence the next generation of creators." /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.eff.org/files/issues/icon-2019-innovation.png" /> <meta property="og:image:url" content="https://www.eff.org/files/issues/icon-2019-innovation.png" /> <meta property="og:image:secure_url" content="https://www.eff.org/files/issues/icon-2019-innovation.png" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/png" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="600" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@eff" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Creativity &amp; Innovation" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Our digital future depends on our ability to access, use, and build on technology. A few media or political interests shouldn’t have unfair technological or legal advantages over the rest of us." /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.eff.org/files/issues/icon-2019-innovation.png" /> <meta name="twitter:image:width" content="1200" /> <meta name="twitter:image:height" content="600" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/eff" /> <meta itemprop="name" content="Creativity &amp; Innovation" /> <meta itemprop="description" content="Our digital future depends on our ability to access, use, and build on technology. A few media or political interests shouldn’t have unfair technological or legal advantages over the rest of us. Unfortunately, litigious copyright and patent owners can abuse the law to inhibit fair use and stifle competition. Internet service providers can give established content companies an advantage over startups and veto the choices you make in how to use the Internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation fights against these unfair practices and defends digital creators, inventors, and ordinary technology users. We work to protect and strengthen fair use, innovation, open access, net neutrality, and your freedom to tinker.In principle, intellectual property laws (or IP law, a catchall term for copyright, patents, and trademarks) should serve the public in a number of ways. Copyrights provide economic incentives for authors and artists to create and distribute new expressive works. Patents reward inventors for sharing new inventions with the public, granting them a temporary and limited monopoly on them in return for contributing to the public body of knowledge. Trademarks help protect customers by encouraging companies to make sure products match the quality standards the public expects.Unfortunately, our IP regimes have strayed far from their original purposes. Too often, protections for free speech and innovation are seemingly forgotten as soon as someone cries “infringement.” An unproven allegation that your video or blog post infringes copyright, or that your domain name infringes someone’s trademark, can be enough to shut down perfectly lawful speech. A patent troll can kill a small company with a bogus lawsuit based on a questionable patent that shouldn’t have been issued in the first place.Some of these laws simply haven’t adapted well to modern technology. A warped development in copyright law has made it illegal in many countries to modify or even look at the software built into the products you own, even if you’re doing it for completely lawful purposes. Copyright’s legal reinforcement of digital locks, paired with extreme criminal penalties for infringement, has intimidated a generation of would-be researchers, tinkerers, and inventors. And ongoing expansions of copyright law are often decided in secret, closed-door meetings before the public is ever allowed to debate them Imbalanced copyright law—and overzealous enforcement—generally favors powerful voices that have a great deal of influence in culture. Extreme copyright laws can intimidate new types of creators, especially those who use new media techniques to criticize dominant culture or powerful entities. Online platforms that support new, independent creators can only thrive when they don’t risk severe legal repercussions for their users’ activities. Similarly, when only the most privileged members of society have access to up-to-date research, only those members can build on that research to create new ideas and inventions. That’s why EFF supports open access to research, so everyone can build on and contribute to our knowledge commons.Just as new voices can’t thrive if copyright law doesn’t recognize their rights, new players must also have access to the same resources as established ones. When Internet service providers can give preferential treatment to certain content or hardware companies, those technologies harden to the accelerating effect of competition and users can’t access new sources of information and innovative new services. EFF believes that Internet users should have the freedom to use technology however they like without service providers artificially restricting their experience.Whether we’re fighting patent trolls in court; arguing in Congress for more balanced copyright laws; or urging governments, funders, and educational institutions to adopt open access policies, EFF is committed to building a society that supports creativity and innovation, where established players in the marketplace for technology and culture aren’t allowed to silence the next generation of creators." /> <link rel="publisher" href="https://www.eff.org/" /> <meta itemprop="image" content="https://www.eff.org/files/issues/icon-2019-innovation.png" /> <title>Creativity & Innovation | Electronic Frontier Foundation</title> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.eff.org/files/css/css_nXM0KA3RGQrvjXQT0qh2VTGjBLSf1fLpbrXTBnsMfL8.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.eff.org/files/css/css_buHZ3mEyZNeqxP5RfQbVuhZthZr5OMkXqg3_KO6mRZQ.css" media="all" /> <link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.eff.org/files/css/css_zQXe7zNkzPAckFkavf5fip7f2D992qHaqcbjWZ6KeHw.css" media="all" /> <script>/** * @licstart The following is the entire license notice for the JavaScript * code in this page. * * Copyright (C) 2024 Electronic Frontier Foundation. * * The JavaScript code in this page is free software: you can redistribute * it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License * (GNU GPL) as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 * of the License, or (at your option) any later version. 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A few media or political interests shouldn’t have unfair technological or legal advantages over the rest of us. Unfortunately, litigious copyright and patent owners can abuse the law to inhibit fair use and stifle competition. Internet service providers can give established content companies an advantage over startups and veto the choices you make in how to use the Internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation fights against these unfair practices and defends digital creators, inventors, and ordinary technology users. We work to protect and strengthen fair use, innovation, open access, net neutrality, and your freedom to tinker.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In principle, intellectual property laws (or IP law, a <a title="Intellectual Property: The Term" href="https://www.eff.org/issues/intellectual-property/the-term">catchall term</a> for copyright, patents, and trademarks) should serve the public in a number of ways. Copyrights provide economic incentives for authors and artists to create and distribute new expressive works. Patents reward inventors for sharing new inventions with the public, granting them a temporary and limited monopoly on them in return for contributing to the public body of knowledge. Trademarks help protect customers by encouraging companies to make sure products match the quality standards the public expects.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately, our IP regimes have strayed far from their original purposes. Too often, protections for free speech and innovation are seemingly forgotten as soon as someone cries “infringement.” An unproven allegation that your video or blog post infringes copyright, or that your domain name infringes someone’s trademark, can be enough to shut down perfectly lawful speech. A patent troll can kill a small company with a bogus lawsuit based on a questionable patent that shouldn’t have been issued in the first place.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Some of these laws simply haven’t adapted well to modern technology. A warped development in copyright law has made it illegal in many countries to modify or even look at the software built into the products you own, even if you’re doing it for completely lawful purposes. Copyright’s legal reinforcement of digital locks, paired with extreme criminal penalties for infringement, has intimidated a generation of would-be researchers, tinkerers, and inventors. And ongoing expansions of copyright law are often decided in secret, closed-door meetings before the public is ever allowed to debate them </p><p class="MsoNormal">Imbalanced copyright law—and overzealous enforcement—generally favors powerful voices that have a great deal of influence in culture. Extreme copyright laws can intimidate new types of creators, especially those who use new media techniques to criticize dominant culture or powerful entities. Online platforms that support new, independent creators can only thrive when they don’t risk severe legal repercussions for their users’ activities. Similarly, when only the most privileged members of society have access to up-to-date research, only those members can build on that research to create new ideas and inventions. That’s why EFF supports open access to research, so everyone can build on and contribute to our knowledge commons.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Just as new voices can’t thrive if copyright law doesn’t recognize their rights, new players must also have access to the same resources as established ones. When Internet service providers can give preferential treatment to certain content or hardware companies, those technologies harden to the accelerating effect of competition and users can’t access new sources of information and innovative new services. EFF believes that Internet users should have the freedom to use technology however they like without service providers artificially restricting their experience.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Whether we’re fighting patent trolls in court; arguing in Congress for more balanced copyright laws; or urging governments, funders, and educational institutions to adopt open access policies, EFF is committed to building a society that supports creativity and innovation, where established players in the marketplace for technology and culture aren’t allowed to silence the next generation of creators.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="onecol column"> <div class="panel-pane pane-term-list"> <h2 class="pane-title">Creativity &amp; Innovation Topics</h2> <ul><li><a href="/issues/intellectual-property">Fair Use</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/analog-hole">Analog Hole</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/blockchain">Blockchain</a></li> <li><a href="/broadcastflag">Broadcast Flag</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/coders">Coders&#039; Rights Project</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/competition">Competition</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/copyright-trolls">Copyright Trolls</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/covid-19">COVID-19 and Digital Rights</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/right-to-repair">Defend Your Right to Repair!</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/digital-radio-restrictions">Digital Radio</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/digital-video">Digital Video</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/dmca">DMCA</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/dmca-rulemaking">DMCA Rulemaking</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/drm">DRM</a></li> <li><a href="/fight">Electronic Frontier Alliance</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/file-sharing">File Sharing</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/2013-copyright-review-process">Fixing Copyright? The 2013-2016 Copyright Review Process</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/dvd">Hollywood v. DVD</a></li> <li><a href="/how-to-fix-the-internet-podcast">How to Fix the Internet: Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="/mobile-devices">Mobile devices</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/net-neutrality">Net Neutrality</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/ip-and-free-speech">No Downtime for Free Speech</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/open-access">Open Access</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/patents">Patents</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/reading-accessibility">Reading Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="/reclaim-invention">Reclaim Invention</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/right-publicity">Right of Publicity</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/coica-internet-censorship-and-copyright-bill">SOPA/PIPA: Internet Blacklist Legislation</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/terms-of-abuse">Terms Of (Ab)Use</a></li> <li><a href="/testyourisp">Test Your ISP</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/six-strikes-copyright-surveillance-machine">The &quot;Six Strikes&quot; Copyright Surveillance Machine</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/public-interest-internet">The Public Interest Internet</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/trademark">Trademark</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/trusted-computing">Trusted Computing</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/video-games">Video Games</a></li> <li><a href="/issues/article-13">Article 13</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-eff-issue-highlights"> <h2 class="pane-title">Creativity &amp; Innovation Highlights</h2> <div><article role="article" class="node node--issues node--highlight node--issues--highlight"> <header> <div class="teaser-thumbnail" style="background: #CFDBDF"><a href="/reclaim-invention"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/highlight/public/banner_library/reclaim-invention-logo.png?itok=4ZXo2WaQ" width="380" height="190" alt="" /></a></div><div class="node-content-type-byline issues"><a href="/issues">Issues</a> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/reclaim-invention" rel="bookmark">Reclaim Invention</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-field-issue-term field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="taxonomy-term--issues taxonomy-term--term-teaser taxonomy-term--issues--term-teaser"> <div class="taxonomy-term__content"> <div class="field field--name-description-field field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>When universities invent, those inventions should benefit everyone. Unfortunately, they sometimes end up in the hands of patent trolls, companies that serve no purpose but to amass patents and demand money from other innovators and inventors.&#13;<br /> We’re asking universities around the country to protect their inventions from patent trolls...</p></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div></div></div> </div> </article> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node--highlight node--blog--highlight"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2017/02/copyright-law-versus-internet-culture"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/highlight/public/banner_library/fair-use-og-1.png?itok=R77oqa8-" width="380" height="190" alt="" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-date"> | February 24, 2017</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2017/02/copyright-law-versus-internet-culture" rel="bookmark">Copyright Law Versus Internet Culture</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Throughout human history, culture has been made by people telling one another stories, building on what has come before, and making it their own. Every generation, every storyteller puts their own spin on old tales to reflect their own values and changing times.&#13;<br /> This creative remixing happens today and...</p></div></div></div> </div> </article> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node--highlight node--blog--highlight"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2017/04/ninth-circuit-sends-message-platforms-use-moderator-go-trial"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/highlight/public/banner_library/dmca-safe-harbors.png?itok=O6dVXhmS" width="380" height="190" alt="" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-date"> | April 8, 2017</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2017/04/ninth-circuit-sends-message-platforms-use-moderator-go-trial" rel="bookmark">Ninth Circuit Sends a Message to Platforms: Use a Moderator, Go to Trial</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>After almost two decades of litigation, you’d think the contours of the <a href="https://www.eff.org/issues/dmca">Digital Millennium Copyright Act</a> (DMCA) safe harbors would be settled. But the cases just keep coming, and while the overall trend is <a href="https://www.eff.org/cases/umg-v-veoh">pretty</a> <a href="https://www.eff.org/cases/viacom-v-youtube">favorable</a>, <a href="/files/2017/04/08/mavrix-livejournal-9thcir.pdf">the latest ruling takes an unfortunate turn</a> (PDF).&#13;<br /> The...</p></div></div></div> </div> </article> </div> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-views pane-updates"> <h2 class="pane-title">Creativity &amp; Innovation Updates</h2> <div class="view view-updates view-id-updates view-display-id-block_1 teaser-feed view-dom-id-f2e6ecb5761e3a071d313b692dbb5e15"> <div class="view-filters"> <form class="ctools-auto-submit-full-form views-exposed-form-updates-block-1" action="/updates/525" method="get" id="views-exposed-form-updates-block-1" accept-charset="UTF-8"><div><div class="views-exposed-form"> <div class="views-exposed-widgets clearfix"> <div id="edit-type-wrapper" class="views-exposed-widget views-widget-filter-type"> <label for="edit-type"> Filter by type: </label> <div class="views-widget"> <div class="form-item form-type-select form-item-type"> <select id="edit-type" name="type" class="form-select"><option value="All" selected="selected">All</option><option value="blog">Deeplinks Blog</option><option value="case">Legal Case</option><option value="podcast">Podcast</option><option value="press_release">Press Release</option><option value="whitepaper">Whitepaper</option></select> </div> </div> </div> <div class="views-exposed-widget views-submit-button"> <input class="ctools-use-ajax ctools-auto-submit-click js-hide form-submit" type="submit" id="edit-submit-updates" value="Apply" /> </div> </div> </div> </div></form> </div> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/looking-answer-question-do-i-really-own-digital-media-i-paid"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/og-digitaldownloads.jpg?itok=wmhgjQQV" width="500" height="250" alt="Record player on top of a bookshelf with colorful music notes above it." /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/christian-romero-0">Christian Romero</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | November 26, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/looking-answer-question-do-i-really-own-digital-media-i-paid" rel="bookmark">Looking for the Answer to the Question, &quot;Do I Really Own the Digital Media I Paid For?&quot;</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">There’s quite a few rights you give up by purchasing a digital copy of your favorite game, movie, or album! On Digital Rights Bytes we outline the differences between owning physical and digital media, and why we need to break down that barrier.</div></div></div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/11/prevail-act-would-wreck-us-patent-review-system"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/patent-troll-warning.png?itok=vguf0M7v" width="500" height="250" alt="Patent Troll warning sign: Do Not Feed the Troll" title="Patent Troll Warning" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/joe-mullin">Joe Mullin</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | November 20, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/11/prevail-act-would-wreck-us-patent-review-system" rel="bookmark">Oppose The Patent-Troll-Friendly PREVAIL Act</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><strong>Update 11/21/2024: </strong>The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 in favor of <a href="https://www.coons.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/prevail_act.pdf">PREVAIL,</a> and several senators expressed concerns about the bill. Thanks to EFF supporters who spoke out! We will continue to oppose this misguided bill. Good news: the Senate Judiciary Committee has dropped one of the two terrible patent...</p></div></div></div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/why-it-so-expensive-repair-my-devices"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/og-repair_0.png?itok=LzwqyXBT" width="500" height="250" alt="Penguin flippers using pliers to put keys back on a broken laptop." /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/christian-romero-0">Christian Romero</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | November 14, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/10/why-it-so-expensive-repair-my-devices" rel="bookmark">&quot;Why Is It So Expensive To Repair My Devices?&quot;</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Now, of course, we’ve all dropped a cell phone, picked it up, and realized that we’ve absolutely destroyed its screen. Right? <i>Or is it just me...?</i> Either way, you’ve probably seen how expensive it can be to repair a device, whether it be a cell phone, laptop, or even a...</p></div></div></div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/11/tell-congress-stop-these-last-minute-bills-help-patent-trolls"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/patent-troll-jail.png?itok=RnT1KnV7" width="500" height="250" alt="Drawing of a troll encaged in a low cage with easy escape" title="Patent Troll in jail" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/joe-mullin">Joe Mullin</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | November 13, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/11/tell-congress-stop-these-last-minute-bills-help-patent-trolls" rel="bookmark">Tell Congress To Stop These Last-Minute Bills That Help Patent Trolls</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (S. 2140), or PERA, would undo vital limits on computer technology patents that the Supreme Court established in the landmark 2014 Alice v. CLS Bank decision. Alice barred patent applicants from obtaining patents simply by adding generic computer language to abstract ideas.</div></div></div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd views-row-last"> <article role="article" class="node node--blog node--promoted node-teaser node--teaser node--blog--teaser"> <header> <div class="field field--name-field-banner-graphic field--type-image field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="teaser-thumbnail"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/11/celebrating-life-aaron-swartz-aaron-swartz-day-2024"><img src="https://www.eff.org/files/styles/teaser/public/banner_library/og-aaronswartz.jpg?itok=5dXGaJ7D" width="500" height="250" alt="Aaron Swartz at a Boston Wiki Meetup in 2009" title="Aaron Swartz at a Boston Wiki Meetup in 2009 by Sage Ross via Wikipedia" /></a></div></div></div></div><div class="node-content-type-byline blog"><a href="/updates?type=blog">Deeplinks Blog</a> <span class="node-author"> by <a href="/about/staff/hayley-tsukayama">Hayley Tsukayama</a></span> <span class="node-date"> | November 8, 2024</span> </div> <h3 class="node__title"><a href="/deeplinks/2024/11/celebrating-life-aaron-swartz-aaron-swartz-day-2024" rel="bookmark">Celebrating the Life of Aaron Swartz: Aaron Swartz Day 2024</a></h3> </header> <div class="node__content"> <div class="eff-translation-links"></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Aaron Swartz was a <a href="https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/01/farewell-aaron-swartz">digital rights champion</a> who believed deeply in keeping the internet open. His life was cut short in 2013, after federal prosecutors charged him under the <a href="https://www.eff.org/issues/cfaa">Computer Fraud and Abuse Act</a> (CFAA) for systematically downloading academic journal articles from the online database JSTOR. Facing the...</p></div></div></div> </div> </article> </div> </div> <h2 class="element-invisible">Pages</h2><ul class="pager"><li class="pager__item pager__item--current">1</li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 2" href="/issues/innovation?page=1">2</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 3" href="/issues/innovation?page=2">3</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 4" href="/issues/innovation?page=3">4</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 5" href="/issues/innovation?page=4">5</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 6" href="/issues/innovation?page=5">6</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 7" href="/issues/innovation?page=6">7</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 8" href="/issues/innovation?page=7">8</a></li> <li class="pager__item"><a title="Go to page 9" href="/issues/innovation?page=8">9</a></li> <li class="pager__item pager__item--ellipsis">…</li> <li class="pager__item pager__item--next"><a title="Go to next page" href="/issues/innovation?page=1">next ›</a></li> <li class="pager__item pager__item--last"><a title="Go to last page" href="/issues/innovation?page=767">last »</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear-block"></div> </div> <p class="faq-toc"><a href="#main-content">Back to top</a></p> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="panel-pane pane-footer-logo"> <a href="https://www.eff.org"><img src="https://www.eff.org/sites/all/modules/custom/eff_library/images/eff-logo-1color-blue.svg" alt="EFF Home" /></a> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-menu-tree pane-menu-footer-social-links"> <h2 class="pane-title">Follow EFF:</h2> <div class="menu-block-wrapper menu-block-ctools-menu-footer-social-links-1 menu-name-menu-footer-social-links parent-mlid-0 menu-level-1"> <ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf menu-mlid-13408"><a href="https://twitter.com/eff" title="EFF on X">x</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-13409"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/eff" title="EFF on facebook">facebook</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-13410"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/efforg/" title="EFF on Instagram">instagram</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-13411"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/efforg" title="EFF on YouTube">youtube</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-13412"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/electronicfrontierfoundation">flicker</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-16445"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/EFF" title="">linkedin</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-16459"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@eff" title="" rel="me">mastodon</a></li> <li class="leaf menu-mlid-16460"><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@efforg" title="">tiktok</a></li> <li class="last leaf menu-mlid-16475"><a href="https://www.threads.net/@efforg" title="">threads</a></li> </ul></div> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-custom pane-1"> <p>Check out our 4-star rating on <a href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/043091431" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Charity Navigator</a>.</p> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-block pane-menu-menu-contact-footer-menu"> <h2 class="pane-title">Contact</h2> <ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf"><a href="/about/contact">General</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/pages/legal-assistance">Legal</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/security">Security</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/about/contact">Membership</a></li> <li class="last leaf"><a href="/press/contact">Press</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="panel-pane pane-block pane-menu-menu-about-footer-menu"> <h2 class="pane-title">About</h2> <ul class="menu"><li class="first leaf"><a href="/event" title="">Calendar</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/about/opportunities/volunteer" title="">Volunteer</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/victories" title="">Victories</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/about/history" title="">History</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/about/opportunities/interns" title="">Internships</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs?clientkey=28620672D234BF368306CEB4A2746667" title="">Jobs</a></li> <li class="leaf"><a href="/about/staff" title="">Staff</a></li> <li class="last leaf"><a href="/pages/effs-diversity-statement" title="">Diversity &amp; 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