ron wyden

When Mike asked if I'd be willing to write this week's "Favorite Techdirt Posts of the Week," I'm fairly certain he thought I’d say no.

He noted how busy I must be -- which is true -- but in a display of his trademark humility, he said he could think of a number of reasons that a U.S.

Senator might not want to be associated with a site called "Techdirt." I can't think of anything further from the truth.

Okay, this is just ridiculous. A few folks have sent over the latest edition of Politico's Morningtech report, in which RIAA representatives at CES bitch and moan that the "deck is stacked" against them in the conversation here:

There are far more SOPA/PIPA opponents than supporters on hand here, as one might expect.

The RIAA, however, is also on scene this week at the show -- and a spokeswoman expressed concern about the conversation so far.

While there's been plenty of (quite important) focus on the National Defense Authorization Act and its ability to detain Americans indefinitely, the Senate also recently passed the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2012, which (as the name implies) authorizes various intelligence activities.

One important thing was missing from this bill: a multi-year extension of the FISA Amendments Act.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, also known as E-PARASITE) has been roundly condemned by a wide range of tech companies, consumer groups, digital rights advocacy organizations, and members of Congress concerned about the havoc the bill could wreak on both the First Amendment and the US’s international standing.

Hopefully, the days are long gone when a U.S. Senator could get away with saying the internet "is a series of tubes." Ron Wyden, the Democratic U.S.

Senator from Oregon, tried to put that image behind him as he became the first politician to talk on stage at the Web 2.

The Protect IP Act (an acronym for Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property) is a bill introduced earlier this year aimed at combating online copyright infringement.

Last week, we noted that as everyone was focused on the debt ceiling, some in the Senate Intelligence Committee saw it as an opportunity to rush through an extension for the FISA Amendment Act, which was originally passed to "legalize" the government's warrantless wiretapping program (already ongoing) with retroactive immunity.

Last summer, we pointed out that Universal Music Group Distribution President Jim Urie had sent out a letter on behalf of MusicRightsNow -- a laughable astroturf group that pretends to support musicians, but is a front for major label and legacy industry interests, asking people to submit letters to Congress in support of a new law against online infringement.

During the last year the U.S.

Government seized more than 100 domain names it claims were promoting copyright infringement.

The actions of the authorities were met with disbelief by the sites’ owners and their millions of visitors.

But those directly involved weren’t the only ones complaining.