27 May 1999



  *********************************
  * E-Commerce Law Week, Issue 53 *
  *********************************

  Week Ending May 22, 1999

  E-commerce Law Week is a free newsletter published by Stewart Baker and
  Team Crypto of Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

  - The House Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade
  recently held a hearing on which focused on H.R. 850 (the SAFE Act).
  Although more than two thirds of the subcommittee support the bill, it
  may face a more difficult treatment in the full Committee -- whose
  Chairman, Rep. Ben Gilman (R-NY), is strongly opposed to the legislation.

  - Controversy has amassed over the ICANN's proposed vote on whether or
  not to adopt some or all of the World Intellectual Property
  Organization's ("WIPO's") recommendations regarding the handling of
  domain name disputes.  Critics argue that voting now on these proposals
  would not only undermine the United States' White Paper on the Management
  of Internet Domain Names, but also ICANN's own Bylaws.

  - Despite a bi-partisan amendment effort, the Senate Y2K litigation bill
  (S.96), was once again derailed by politics.  A recent motion to proceed
  with debate on the legislation was seven votes shy of the 60 needed.
  Progress is not expected until sometime this summer.

  - (to view please visit
  www.steptoe.com/webdoc.nsf/files/DoddAmend/$file/DoddAmend.htm)Text of
  Dodd (and others) Amendment No. 298.

  - (to view please visit
  www.steptoe.com/webdoc.nsf/files/s96predodd/$file/s96preDodd.htm)Text of
  S. 96:  Y2K Act.

  - The European Parliament recently approved a proposed resolution which
  provides for the lawful interception of new communications technologies
  (i.e., Internet or E-mail communications).  The resolution would put in
  place requirements for ISPs to provide real-time monitoring capabilities
  and to maintain traffic and communications data.

  - Georgetown University Professor Mary Culnan released a draft report on
  the website privacy policy survey she has been conducting for the Federal
  Trade Commission.  The final report should be presented to the FTC in the
  near future.

  - (to view please visit
  www.steptoe.com/webdoc.nsf/files/GUprivacyreport/$file/GUprivacyreport.pdf)
Text of privacy report.

  Visit http://www.steptoe.com/WebDoc.nsf/Law++The+Net-All/All for details
  on these stories and more.

  ********************************************************************

  E-commerce Law Week summarizes legal and other developments affecting
  electronic commerce and security -- with special emphasis on encryption,
  digital signatures, computer security, privacy, and related issues.

  Copyright 1999 Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Steptoe & Johnson LLP grants
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