'''Chilling Effects''' is a collaborative archive created by several law school clinics and the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]] to protect lawful online activity from legal threats. Its website, Chilling Effects Clearinghouse, allows recipients of [[cease-and-desist]] notices to submit them to the site and receive information about their legal rights and responsibilities. It was created by Wendy Seltzer.
==Inception==
The archive was founded in 2001 by Internet activists who were concerned that the unregulated private practice of sending cease-and-desist letters seemed to be increasing and was having an unstudied but potentially significant "[[chilling effect (law)|chilling effect]]" on speech.<ref name='CE'> {{cite web | url = http://chillingeffects.org/ | title = Chilling Effects | accessdate = 2011-04-07 | publisher = chillingeffects.org}}</ref>
The archive got a boost when Google began submitting its notices in 2002. Google began to do so in response to the publicity generated when the Church of Scientology convinced Google to remove references and links to the anti-Scientology Web site Operation Clambake in April 2002.<ref name='NYT'> {{cite web | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/22/business/new-economy-copyright-dispute-with-church-scientology-forcing-google-some.html?src=pm | title = New Economy; A copyright dispute with the Church of Scientology is forcing Google to do some creative linking. | accessdate = 2011-04-07 | last = Gallagher | first = David | date = April 22, 2002 | publisher = [[New York Times]]}}</ref> The incident inspired vocal Internet users and groups to complain to Google, and the links to the Clambake site were restored. Google subsequently began to contribute its notices to Chilling Effects, archiving the Scientology complaints and linking to the archive.<ref>Don Marti, "[http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5997 Google Begins Making DMCA Takedowns Public]," ''Linux Journal'' (2002/4/12) (describing Google's response to the Scientologists and subsequent decision to contribute to ChillingEffects.org).</ref><ref name = NYT />
Since 2002, researchers have been using the clearinghouse to study the use of cease-and-desist letters, primarily looking at [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act|DMCA]] 512 takedown notices, non-DMCA copyright, and trademark claims.<ref>J. Urban & L. Quilter, "Efficient Process or 'Chilling Effects'? Takedown Notices Under Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act," ''Santa Clara Computer & High Technology Law Journal'' (March 2006)</ref><ref>[http://fepproject.org/policyreports/WillFairUseSurvive.pdf "Will Fair Use Survive? Free Expression in the Age of Copyright Control" (2005). ('''PDF''')] [[Free Expression Policy Project]]</ref>
== Members ==
* [[Berkman Center for Internet and Society]], [[Harvard Law School]]
* [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]
* [[George Washington University Law School]]
* [[Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic]], [[Boalt Hall]]
* [[Santa Clara University School of Law]] High Tech Law Institute
* [[Stanford Center for Internet and Society]], [[Stanford Law School]]
* [[University of Maine School of Law]]
* IIP Justice Project, [[University of San Francisco School of Law]]
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
* [http://chillingeffects.org/ Official site]
This site is not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by the Wikimedia Foundation or any of its affiliates. In fact, we fucking despise them.
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