Arizona issues Amazon a sales tax bill for $53 million

Last Updated on Friday, 3 February 2012 02:55 Written by External Post Friday, 3 February 2012 02:55

Bill Promises To Censor the Internet

Last Updated on Tuesday, 1 November 2011 02:30 Written by a2e Tuesday, 1 November 2011 02:30

The PROTECT-IP bill is making its way through the halls of the United States government, and besides an unfortunate name change, the bill has been altered by the House of Representatives in such a way, it would essentially allow the government and/or various corporations that feel infringed upon the ability to censor the Internet in whatever way they see fit.

Perhaps that last part is wrapped in some hyperbole, but then again, after reading portions of the updated bill, as well as some of the reactions to it, it’s pretty clear that, if passed, the American public could soon be using a very different version of the Internet than what we’re used to. The sad thing is, besides a small section of informed reactions to the bill, very few in the American public seem to know and/or care about the implications of PROTECT-IP, which, thanks to input from House of Representatives, now goes by the unfortunately-named E-PARASITE Act.



http://www.webpronews.com/protect-ip-gets-name-change-promises-to-censor-the-internet-2011-10
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Texas sends $269 MLN bill to Amazon for uncollected taxes

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 October 2010 03:40 Written by a2e Saturday, 23 October 2010 03:40

Texas has sent Amazon.com Inc. a $269 million bill for uncollected sales taxes on purchases made by state residents from the Seattle-based Internet superstore over a four-year period.

Now that Texas has gotten tough with the No. 1 online retailer, other states could be tempted to pile on with their own assessments as local governments face huge shortfalls, analysts said. Recent estimates put Texas’ two-year budget shortfall at as much as $21 billion.

Amazon.com Inc., with sales last year of $25 billion, said Friday that it plans to "vigorously defend ourselves in this matter."

The uncollected sales taxes are from December 2005 to December 2009 and include interest and penalties.

R.J. DeSilva, spokesman for the Texas comptroller of public accounts, said the bill was sent to Amazon.com in August. It wasn’t publicly disclosed until Friday, when Amazon.com revealed it in a regulatory filing.

"The company has requested a re-determination, which means this is an ongoing audit and could be decided as part of the administrative hearings process," DeSilva said in a statement. "The company would send documents, and this process will continue."

more.. link to news article
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Obama Wants Broader Internet Wiretap Authority

Last Updated on Monday, 27 September 2010 05:40 Written by External Post Monday, 27 September 2010 05:40

An anonymous reader writes “The White House plans to deliver a bill to Congress next year that will require internet based communication services that use encryption to be capable of decrypting messages to comply with federal wiretap orders?. The bill
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Senate Trying To Slip Internet Kill Switch Past Us

Last Updated on Thursday, 2 September 2010 10:00 Written by External Post Thursday, 2 September 2010 10:00

sanermind writes “Sensing Senators don’t have the stomach to try and pass a stand-alone bill in broad daylight that would give the President the power to shut down the Internet in a national emergency, the Senate is considering attaching the Internet
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New bill renews Internet privacy fight

Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 July 2010 02:20 Written by a2e Tuesday, 20 July 2010 02:20

American businesses weren’t very happy about a privacy bill that Rep. Rick Boucher announced in May. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, for instance, said the Virginia Democrat’s draft legislation would have "major" effects on legitimate business practices.

Well, if they disliked the Boucher bill, they’re really going to loathe a new Democratic proposal that would slap even more extensive regulations on virtually any U.S. business.

A bill introduced Monday by Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush, chairman of a House consumer subcommittee, would levy fines of up to $5 million on businesses and individuals unless they abide by a complex set of new regulations to be administrated by the Federal Trade Commission. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. PT.

Rush’s bill applies to any "person" or business that stores personal information, including someone’s name, mailing address, e-mail address, and phone or tax number. That person must provide, if requested, "access to" information stored about others.

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US bill would give Obama emergency control of internet

Last Updated on Friday, 11 June 2010 05:21 Written by External Post Friday, 11 June 2010 05:21

A new US Senate bill would grant the president far-reaching emergency powers to seize control of or even shut down portions of the internet. The legislation announced on Thursday says that companies such as broadband providers, search engines or software
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Senators propose granting president emergency Internet power

Last Updated on Friday, 11 June 2010 11:01 Written by External Post Friday, 11 June 2010 11:01

New bill forces selected companies including broadband providers, search engines, or software firms to “immediately comply with any emergency measure” decreed by the federal government.
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Stealth IRS changes mean millions of new tax forms

Last Updated on Wednesday, 2 June 2010 08:20 Written by a2e Wednesday, 2 June 2010 08:20

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The massive expansion of requirements for businesses to file 1099 tax forms that was hidden in the 2,409-page health reform bill took many by surprise when it came to light last month. But it’s just one piece of a years-long legislative stealth campaign to create ways for the federal government to track down unreported income.

The result: A blizzard of new tax forms that the Internal Revenue Service will begin rolling out next year.

It was actually something that we were following back under the Bush administration under the 2008 budget — we started to see these kinds of rumblings about the ‘tax gap’ and whether or not businesses were paying their fair share," says Tom Henschke, president of the Pennsylvania-based SMC Business Councils, which was one of the first organizations to call attention to the health care amendment when it was introduced last fall. "So two administrations can claim credit for this."

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Mass. Gambling Bill Would Criminalize Online Poker

Last Updated on Wednesday, 7 April 2010 02:20 Written by External Post Wednesday, 7 April 2010 02:20

timothy writes ‘Awesome: ‘A gambling bill introduced by Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo criminalizes internet gambling and online poker. The bill calls for two casinos.’ Not that they’re against gambling, you see… just against being deprived
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