Berkeley, Calif. - MAPLight.org, a California-based nonprofit that maintains a database of campaign contributions and legislative outcomes to determine links between money and politics, has named Stanford law professor and Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig to its board of directors. Lessig, known for his groundbreaking work in the fields of intellectual property and the law of cyberspace, recently launched a grassroots organization called "Change Congress," which aims to "end corruption" on Capitol Hill.

San Francisco - Creative Commons, the non-profit set up to promote a less-restrictive copyright licensing scheme, announced on Wednesday that it has received a new $4 million grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and said founder and CEO Lawrence Lessig is stepping down to focus on his new Change Congress project.

Palo Alto, Calif. - Stanford Law professor and Creative Commons founder Lawrence Lessig has decided against a run for Congress, after talking with a pollster who advised him his chances of winning would be slim, Wired.com reports. Lessig said last week on his website that he was considering a run for the seat vacated by the death of Rep. Tom Lantos earlier this month. The pollster told Lessig he would not likely be able to defeat veteran California politician Jackie Speier, who had already announced her intention to run for Lantos' seat -- and gotten Lantos' endorsement as well.

Palo Alto, Calif. - Lawrence Lessig, the noted Stanford law professor, copyright expert and founder of the Creative Commons less-restrictive copyright scheme, is considering a run for Congress, CNET reports, citing a note on Lessig's blog. If he decides to run, Lessig would be vying for the seat vacated by the death last week of Rep. Tom Lantos. Lessig says he would run on a "Change Congress" theme, that includes banning lobbyist/PAC contributions and legislative earmarks, and moving to public campaign financing. "I need to see your support right now to understand there is enough support for this idea to make this campaign worth it," Lessig states in a video at Lessig08.org.

Stanford, Calif. - The Fair Use Project, part of Stanford Law School's Center for Internet & Society, announced on Friday that it has filed a counterclaim in the case of a filmmaker accused of copyright and trademark infringement over a documentary about Count Dante, a martial arts expert who founded Chicago's Black Dragon Fighting Society in the 1960s.

Palo Alto, Calif. - Stanford Law professor Lawrence Lessig, an expert in intellectual property law and champion of less restrictive copyrights, has announced that he will no longer focus on IP law and instead turn his attention to political corruption. "Unless there are very strong reasons, I will not be accepting invitations to talk about the issues that have defined my work for the past decade," Lessig wrote on his blog. Lessig intends to remain chairman of Creative Commons, the alternative copyright movement that places less restrictions on what users can do with creative works.