The explosive idea of forcing Internet providers to record their customers’ online activities for future police access is gaining ground in state capitols and in Washington, D.C.

Top Bush administration officials have endorsed the concept, and some members of the U.S. Congress have said federal legislation is needed to aid law enforcement investigations into child pornography. A bill is already pending in the Colorado State Senate.

Mandatory data retention requirements worry privacy advocates because they permit police to obtain records of e-mail chatter, Web browsing or chat-room activity that normally would have been discarded after a few months. And some proposals would require providers to retain data that ordinarily never would have been kept at all (did someone say big brother ?).

Source: News.com

News Corp.’s Fox network has signed a six-year agreement with its 187 affiliated stations that will let it show reruns of its television programs on the Internet, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site on Thursday.

The revenue-sharing agreement allows Fox to make 60 percent of its prime-time schedule available online the morning after the shows air, the Journal reported.

Source: Reuters

Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. has reached a deal with EMI Music North America to settle a dispute over a portable music player sold by the broadcaster that enables users to store digital copies of music, the companies said Thursday.

The agreement addresses EMI’s concerns over the Sirius S50 player, which can record up to 50 hours of music beamed by Sirius.

Recording companies fear such digital radio devices could threaten online music sales because users get to keep CD-quality songs without paying.

Details of the agreement were not made public, but Sirius and EMI stipulated that they are open to discussing future products the broadcaster releases.

Source: AP