Topic: LiveJournal Inc.

Russia bars liberal candidate from presidential election

Russia's electoral commission has disqualified veteran liberal politician Grigory Yavlinsky from running against Vladimir Putin, showing that Putin's 'managed democracy' is still at work.

SOPA and PIPA bills: old answers to 21st-century problems, critics say

The SOPA and PIPA bills are an attempt by the music and movie industries to hold on to outdated business models, critics say. But finding compromise on anti-piracy laws could be tough. 

How five websites are protesting SOPA

Five major websites will go dark on Wednesday protesting two Congressional bills, which critics argue could curtail Internet and free speech.    

If passed, The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links to unauthorized copyrighted content.  Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with transgressors.

Proponents of the legislation include companies that are trying to protect their copyrights, such as the Motion Picture Association of America, The NBA, Pfizer, Nike, L'Oreal, as well as the US Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the US Conference of Mayors.

However,  voices of opposition include Internet giants Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Mozilla, and Wikipedia – who say that the proposed laws constitute a First Amendment violation, promote censorship, and harm the democratic flow of information.  Check out how five major websites plan to protest SOPA and PIPA:

Putin recalculates as politics makes a comeback in Russia (video)

At least 30,000 Muscovites protested Putin's grip on government this weekend. Monday, a new challenger, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, jumped into Russia's presidential race.

Chanting 'Russia without Putin,' flash mobs roil Moscow

Protesters across Russia march against Vladimir Putin's ruling party following allegations of official vote-rigging in last weekend's Duma elections.

Massive Russian hacker attack threatens freewheeling Ru.net

Security experts are confused about who is behind the far-reaching cyber attacks, as both Kremlin foes and officials are among those targeted.

Putin hits the open Russian road to woo his far-flung countrymen

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is touring Russia's Far East in a bright yellow Lada, making daily headlines ahead of what appears to be his plan to run for the presidency in 2012.

Another attack downs Twitter, briefly this time

The online messaging site said that it is analyzing its traffic data to determine the nature of the latest attack.

Was the Kremlin behind Twitter attack?

A Georgian blogger called Cyxymu says so. He may have been the target of a cyberattack on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites Thursday.

OMG! What do people do when Twitter goes down?

Twitter crash points to rise of denial-of-service attacks

Twitter and Facebook were disrupted Thursday morning by attacks, which are proliferating on the Internet.

Moscow's plan: Teach students to see through Kremlin spin

The proposed course, which is pending approval from the Education Department, will teach high school students to analyze, compare, and criticize advertisements, news stories, and TV reports from a variety of sources.

Medvedev's first year: Has justice improved in Russia?

Some Russians say a new Amnesty International assessment understates the dangers faced by those who dare to offer dissent.

Webmedev? Russian president's new blog gets earful from the masses

Medvedev launches a new blog just as the Kremlin cracks down on Internet free speech in Russia.