I can haz grassroots protest? Wikipedia and Google are among the many websites "on strike" today to protest two bills before Congress that they say would cripple the open nature of the internet. more ›

Cook County prosecutors this morning agreed to drop the charges against 22-year-old Samantha Tumpach, who was facing a felony conviction after being arrested for after filming a small portion of the movie Twilight: New Moon. Prosecutors were vague on why they decided not to continue the case. Tumpach had insisted that while she was filming inside the theater, it was only as part of a surprise birthday party for her sister, recording was brief, and she wasn't trying to "bootleg" the film. Even the Twilight director came out in her defense, saying there was a "difference between trying to protect the copyright of a film and making an unfair example of someone who clearly seems not to have any intentions towards video piracy." more ›

Samantha Tumpach, the 22 year old local woman who's accused of movie piracy for allegedly taping all of three minutes of Twilight: New Moon inadvertently, has a new defender: the movie's director. Chris Weitz talked with the Sun-Times via email and called the case "terribly unfair," and pledging to help however he could. He added: more ›