Blog
Digital Privacy
27 Oct 2008 By Becky Hogge
No e-voting in next year’s elections
The Government have announced today that they do not plan to run e-voting pilots during the 2009 European or local elections.
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24 Oct 2008 By Becky Hogge
Come see Neil Gaiman talk in London tonight
Update 3: And here’s links to the recording in MP3 and Ogg
Update 2: Here’s the audio recording of Neil Gaiman talking at our event last week
Update (15:00) – That’s it, guys – I’m afraid all our 200 tickets are now spoken for.
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22 Oct 2008 By William Heath
The biggest and best job in European digital rights campaigning falls vacant in 2009
After two very successful years as Executive Director of ORG, Becky Hogge, who took over from the founding director Suw Charman, has advised the Board she’d like to move on early in 2009.
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21 Oct 2008 By Michael Holloway
To 1,000 – and beyond!
This week, to encourage more people to join up and support Open Rights with a fiver per month, we’re giving away copies of Ray Corrigan’s Digital Decision-Making: Back to the Future.
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16 Oct 2008 By Becky Hogge
Intercept Modernisation: plans put on hold to allow for public consultation
As regular readers will know, the Open Rights Group have been following developments around what is known as the Intercept Modernisation Programme with great interest and concern.
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14 Oct 2008 By Michael Holloway
Open Source for Games Developers – A Debate on New Business Models
With the games industry apparently enthralled by DRM and committed to criminalising their customers, our upcoming event as part of the London Games Fringe is especially timely.
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11 Oct 2008 By Becky Hogge
Freedom Not Fear: the Big Picture unveiled on Parliament Square
Thanks to everyone who came along to Parliament Square this morning and made the ORG/No2ID “Big Picture” event such a success.
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08 Oct 2008
EU Commission says ‘non’ as France tries to ditch key telecoms package amendment
In a press conference on monday the European Commission denied a request by French President Nicholas Sarkozy, to reject an amendment voted on by the European Parliament in September’s Telecoms Package vote:
“The amendment on a new regulatory framework for telecommunications stated “no restriction may be imposed on the fundamental rights and freedoms of end-users, without a priori ruling by the judicial authorities.
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07 Oct 2008
Make sure MEPs hear your views on copyright term extension – get in touch today
The European Parliament has begun preparing its opinion on the European Commission’s flawed proposal to extend the term of copyright protection for sound recordings.
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03 Oct 2008 By Becky Hogge
Show Parliament the Big Picture
I’m pleased to announce that I can now reveal the location for our live collage of the hundreds of surveillance state photos you’ve been taking this week for the Freedom Not Fear, Big Picture event.
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02 Oct 2008 By Michael Holloway
ORG-GRO: Aiming for 1,000 this month!
This post contains both good and bad news.
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30 Sep 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporter update – September 2008
Here’s your regular, concentrated dose of ORG’s activities for the past the month:
Click to read the September 2008 supporter update.
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Digital Privacy
30 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
4 good reasons not to take part in the BT Webwise trial
Today, BT will start trials of Webwise, a technology which analyses your web surfing habits in order to serve you targetted ads.
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29 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
Capturing the database state: community photocall
Happy-snappers unite!
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24 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
Home Office extend deadline for ORG FOI request on Intercept Modernisation
Back in August, we submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Home Office, asking them to shed light on the Intercept Modernisation Programme (IMP).
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20 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
To do this weekend: ask your MEPs to vote for Telecom package amendments 133 and 138
Update (24/09/08): The votes are in.
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Digital Privacy
19 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
What BERR want from Phorm – and what we think they’re missing
Phorm, the targeted behavioural advertising technology company, has been back in the headlines this week.
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16 Sep 2008 By Michael Holloway
Join ORG today for a signed copy of JZ’s new title
Continuing our summer blockbuster of a supporter drive, we are delighted to offer five signed copies of Jonathan Zittrain’s The Future of the Internet, and How to Stop It.
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15 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
European Data Protection Supervisor comments on the Telecoms package
Back in July, we asked you to write to your MEP about worrying last minute amendments to the EU Telecoms Package.
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09 Sep 2008 By Michael Holloway
Sign up this instant to get Remix, Lessig’s next book
If you’ve still not signed up to make regular donations to Open Rights Group then this may be the prod you’ve needed.
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08 Sep 2008 By Louisiana
ORG is looking for new Board members
Update: The deadline for applications has now been extended to Tuesday 28 October.
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05 Sep 2008 By Becky Hogge
Performers likely to get as little as 50¢ a year from increased term of copyright
Last month the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) asked for comments on the European Commission’s proposal to almost double the term of copyright protection on sound recordings.
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04 Sep 2008 By Michael Holloway
How to win friends and influence people (to support ORG)
Our fundraising campaign, ORG-GRO, continues apace.
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29 Aug 2008 By Becky Hogge
Shedding light on the Intercept Modernisation Programme
Over the course of the Summer, several news sources have reported a radical new surveillance plan afoot at the Home Office, dubbed the “Intercept Modernisation Programme”.
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29 Aug 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporter update – August 2008
Here’s the August update for all you supporters and soon-to-be-supporting readers.
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21 Aug 2008 By Becky Hogge
Commission adviser accuses Barroso of intentionally misleading European policy-makers and citizens on copyright
When the European Commission put forward their proposal to retrospectively extend the copyright term granted to sound recordings, locking away vast swathes of our cultural heritage in a commercial vacuum for 45 years, it was clear that they had rejected all the expert evidence in favour of voodoo economics.
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19 Aug 2008 By Michael Holloway
Bristol calling
Update: Nice to see the pledge for a local event in Bristol has already matured.
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18 Aug 2008 By Becky Hogge
Help ORG respond to UK consultation on illicit p2p
Last month, the Government announced it would be consulting with the public on ways to curb illicit filesharing.
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08 Aug 2008 By Michael Holloway
More reasons to join ORG
The good news is that our supporter recruitment drive is continuing apace.
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31 Jul 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporter update – July 2008
Here’s a link to this month’s supporter update, which is a bumper edition with news of our blooming supporter drive and an extremely busy campaigning month for ORG.
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Digital Privacy
29 Jul 2008 By Becky Hogge
Next election for Mayor of London to be counted manually?
Will the 2012 election for Mayor of London be counted manually?
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28 Jul 2008 By Michael Holloway
ORG Growth – 825 fivers and counting!
As you’ll have noticed if you’ve been tracking the ORG fundometer, since launching the ORG-GRO supporter drive three short weeks ago, we’ve scored a phenomenal 10% growth, as well as a pile of one-off cash donations.
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24 Jul 2008 By Becky Hogge
Government to consult on legislation to curb illicit filesharing as industry agrees voluntary scheme
Only 3 months late, the Government has finally released a consultation into potential legislation aimed at curbing illicit filesharing on the net.
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22 Jul 2008
Copyright extension: what you can do.
In a letter to the Times todayEurope’s leading professionals in the field of intellectual property have explained why the proposal for copyright term extension would harm Europe’s creators and consumers:
The simple truth is that copyright extension benefits most those who already hold rights.
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Digital Privacy
18 Jul 2008 By Jason Kitcat
London Assembly Elections Review Committee – who would want to steal an election?
Yesterday the Greater London Authority’s Elections Review Committee met to discuss the conduct of the May 2008 London elections.
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16 Jul 2008
EU Commission proposes copyright term extension and ignores all the evidence
Disregarding the evidence-based findings of their own advisors, the UK government’s independent analysis, and those of Europe’s leading intellectual property research centres, the EU Commission has formally accepted DG Internal Market’s proposal to extend the duration of copyright protection for sound recordings.
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11 Jul 2008 By Glyn Wintle
Data Sharing Review
The Data Sharing Review, commissioned by the Prime Minister last October to look at the use and sharing of personal information in the public and private sectors, published its final report today.
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07 Jul 2008 By Becky Hogge
Growing the ORG community – and having fun doing it
Update: We’ve had quite literally tens of new supporters sign up to support ORG in the last week or so.
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02 Jul 2008
Write to your MEP: say no to “3 strikes” through the backdoor
Could Europe be drafting a new law to disconnect suspected filesharers from the internet?
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02 Jul 2008 By Becky Hogge
ORG verdict on London Elections: “Insufficient evidence” to declare confidence in results
ORG’s report into e-counting of votes cast in the London Elections is out today.
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30 Jun 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporter update – June 2008
The June 2008 supporter update is now available for your enjoyment.
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Digital Privacy
25 Jun 2008 By Glyn Wintle
HMRC “Datagate” verdict: further data loss “a distinct possibility”
Kieran Poynter has published his review of information security at HM Revenue and Customs.
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23 Jun 2008 By Michael Holloway
Open Tech 2008 preview
Open Tech 2008 is an informal, low cost one-day conference on technology, society and low-carbon living, featuring Open Source ways of working and technologies that anyone can have a go at.
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18 Jun 2008
Term Extension “will damage Commission’s reputation”, top legal advisers tell Barroso
Today, the leading European centres for intellectual property research have released a joint letter to EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso, enclosing an impact assessment detailing the far-reaching and negative effects of the proposal to extend the term of copyright in sound recordings.
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06 Jun 2008 By Michael Holloway
The Future of the Internet in Focus
Will consumer pressure for a safer net mean the end of open platforms and rapid innovation?
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06 Jun 2008 By Daniel
OfCom Chief Exec on next generation broadband… and network neutrality?
Broadband Internet access is great, isn’t it?
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03 Jun 2008 By Michael Holloway
Floreat ORG: new staff members
The ORG office has expanded with two new additions to our staff.
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30 May 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporter update – May 2008
Another busy month here at ORG HQ, not least with the knitting frenzy and ElectionWatch ’08.
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30 May 2008 By Becky Hogge
ORG has new threads
You might notice a few changes to the website today.
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19 May 2008 By Becky Hogge
Changes to Open Rights Group Board
The ORG board, which oversees ORG’s staff and operations, is changing.
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Digital Privacy
19 May 2008 By Glyn Wintle
Scottish Affairs Committee recommendation on e-Counting
The House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee has released its report on the experience of the Scottish elections and unsurprisingly they are worried about e-counting.
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08 May 2008 By Becky Hogge
BBC removes Doctor Who fan’s knitting patterns from the Web
Update#2: The BBC have agreed to meet with Mazz and turn her knitted designs into, at the very least, a limited edition of exclusive promotional products.
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Digital Privacy
06 May 2008 By Becky Hogge
Thanks to all ORG Election Observers!
A huge thanks to everyone who devoted their day to democracy last week, and joined the Open Rights Group Election Watch 2008.
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30 Apr 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporter update – April 2008
Its that time again and this month we have news on our vacancy for a campaigner, electionwatch ’08 and the usual round-up of press and activities.
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25 Apr 2008 By Becky Hogge
ORG is hiring!
Thanks to a generous grant from the Open Society Institute, we’re seeking to expand our campaigning team.
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23 Apr 2008 By Becky Hogge
FIPR calls on Home Office to withdraw misleading advice on Phorm
The Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) has today sent the Home Office in-depth legal analysis [pdf] of the Phorm behavioural advertising system.
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10 Apr 2008 By Becky Hogge
European Parliament condemns “3 strikes” approach
This morning, the European Parliament has voted to condemn member state plans to disconnect suspected illicit filesharers from the internet.
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09 Apr 2008 By Becky Hogge
Phorm: public meeting announced for next Tuesday
Last month, we announced that Phorm, the company whose technology delivers targetted ads based on where you visit on the web, were planning to hold a public meeting to face their critics.
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08 Apr 2008 By Glyn Wintle
Fighting the data retention directive
The Open Rights Group is proud to be one of the 43 civil liberties NGOs and professional associations based in 11 European countries today submitting a brief to the European Court of Justice (PDF).
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04 Apr 2008 By Becky Hogge
Phorm analysis out
Richard Clayton has now published his technical analysis of Phorm.
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02 Apr 2008 By Michael Holloway
The future of copyright
Update: here’s a recording of Becky’s introductory remarks to the Westminster eForum on the future of copyright:
We don’t always trumpet the work we do, such as talking to civil servants, journalists, students or other groups interested in digital rights, so its nice when others compliment our efforts.
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31 Mar 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporters update – March 2008
Please use the link below to read our March 2008 supporters update.
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Digital Privacy
28 Mar 2008 By Becky Hogge
ORG and FIPR meet with Phorm
On Wednesday, at their invitation, I went to Phorm’s offices in Central London.
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Digital Privacy
17 Mar 2008 By Becky Hogge
Phorm update
It’s difficult to tell which of today’s developments the UK’s major ISPs should be more worried about – the fact that Sir Tim Berners-Lee has publicly stated that he would change his ISP if it started employing systems, like Phorm, which could track his activity on the internet, or the news that UK digital rights gurus the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) have today written an open letter to the Information Commissioner, urging him to look at the legality of Phorm.
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17 Mar 2008 By Becky Hogge
Musicians, fans and online copyright – free event this Wednesday!
Last weekend, international divisions over how to deal with those who illicitly share copyrighted material online began to appear.
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14 Mar 2008 By Michael Holloway
Public sector information: officially better when shared
Following up on the stunning Power of Information Review (PoIR), comes the snappily-titled Models of Public Sector Information Provision via Trading Funds.
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12 Mar 2008 By Becky Hogge
The Phorm storm
Update: An interim Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) has now been published by Phorm.
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07 Mar 2008 By Becky Hogge
Term extension Private Members Bill stopped in tracks
Thanks to everyone who wrote to their MPs over the last few weeks to ask them to object to Pete Wishart’s Private Members Bill to extend copyright term.
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29 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
Open Rights Group and EFF launch Europe-wide anti-term extension petition
I’m pleased to announce today the launch of a Europe-wide campaign against the extension of copyright term.
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29 Feb 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporters update – February 2008
Please follow the link below to read the latest supporters update, which details our activities in the month of February, including great press activity and a list of upcoming events.
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21 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
Fighting copyright term extension: the Home Front
European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy may have surprised us with his rogue call for copyright term extension from Brussels last week, but there are battles to be fought closer to home, too.
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19 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
Tell them what you think…
Here at ORG we spend a lot of our time responding to Government consultations.
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15 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
Copyright commotions 101: Free event at LSE next month
When the government mailed half the nation’s bank details to the darknet at the end of last year, it looked like 2008 was going to be the year privacy issues hit the headlines.
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14 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
If you love me set me free: Valentine’s Day DRM-free mix
It’s that special time of year again, when we let the ones we love know how we feel about them.
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12 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
Government to ban illegal filesharers from the internet?
The phone lines have been buzzing at ORG headquarters this morning, as the national media have finally wised up to the Government’s plans to compel ISPs to disconnect customers who routinely break their terms of service by sharing copyrighted content online.
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07 Feb 2008 By Becky Hogge
Welsh smartcards and TVcatchup.com: ORG on the record
ORG has made two press appearances so far this week.
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06 Feb 2008 By Suw Charman Anderson
CBDE special guests announced
Update: David Bausola of Imagination (www.
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31 Jan 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporters update – January 2008
Please follow the link below to read this month’s supporters update, which is a veritable feast of links and knowledge on ORG’s activities for the past month.
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29 Jan 2008 By Michael Holloway
Internships with Open Rights Group
Are you a student thinking ahead to the long summer months?
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25 Jan 2008 By Michael Holloway
Bloodspell: audio of panel session now online
Machinima is a film production technique similar to stop-motion animation that uses computer-generated imagery, most typically video games engines.
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Digital Privacy
22 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
Devote Your Day to Democracy #2: London elections
Update: The ORG Electionwatch08 pledge has succeeded in record time!
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21 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
Contactpoint and the eCAF: experts on film
Action on Rights for Children (ARCH) have today released a series of videos outlining the dangers posed to children by the Government’s plans to roll-out ever larger databases which track their development and contact with social services.
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17 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
Creative Business Seminars – Now open for applications
Today, the ORG Creative business team have announced that the application process for their free seminars “Creative Business in the Digital Era” is now open.
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11 Jan 2008 By Michael Holloway
House of Commons wants in on e-Petitions action
Petitions have historically been pen and paper affairs.
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10 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
BBC Director General grilled by MPs on iPlayer
Yesterday, BBC Director General Mark Thompson and other BBC representatives appeared in front of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.
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08 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
Pandora to shut off UK IP addresses from next week
Pandora, the US-based personalised internet radio service, has announced to its customers that it will be shutting down its service to all UK-based IP addresses as of next week.
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08 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
Consultation on proposed changes to copyright exceptions launched
I’ve just got back from the British Library, for the launch of a consultation into some of the changes to copyright law proposed by the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property.
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04 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
Computer Misuse Act guidance published
Whilst ORG was on holiday, the Crown Prosecution Service published long-awaited guidance on section 3A of the Computer Misuse Act, which comes into force in April 2008 and outlaws making, supplying or obtaining “hacking tools”.
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03 Jan 2008 By Becky Hogge
MPs call for tougher data protection regime
The House of Commons Justice Committee has today released a report into the protection of public data.
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02 Jan 2008 By Michael Holloway
Supporters Update – December 2007
Follow this link to read our December 2007 Supporters Update.
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21 Dec 2007 By Becky Hogge
Gowers update
Over a year since Andrew Gowers made his recommendations for the reform of IP law, the UK Intellectual Property Office has finally announced a date for the first stage of a two-part consultation into modifications to the copyright rules so that private individuals, students and libraries can benefit from improved access to copyright material.
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17 Dec 2007 By Michael Holloway
Thanks for the party!
Thanks to all the guys and girls who brought their bonhommie and yuletide spirit down on Saturday for our xmas party.
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14 Dec 2007 By Becky Hogge
Write to your MP today: stop the Government’s privacy timebomb
On Monday next week Kieron Poynter of PricewaterhouseCoopers will publish his report into the failures that led to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) losing 25 million confidential records about UK citizens claiming child benefit.
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12 Dec 2007 By Michael Holloway
ORG Christmas Party – now with added CC birthday celebrations
Creative Commons (CC) celebrates its fifth birthday this weekend with a series of local celebrations across the globe, including Beijing, Berlin, San Francisco and Seoul.
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06 Dec 2007 By Becky Hogge
Happy birthday Gowers – but where are our reforms?
A year ago today, the Gowers Review was released to the public.
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04 Dec 2007 By Michael Holloway
Christmas Party 2007
BBC Backstage is once again kindly sharing its gert big Christmas bash with Open Rights Group.
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02 Dec 2007 By Michael Holloway
“3 steps and you’re terminated”
Last week’s Social Market Foundation event – ‘Intellectual Property Rights and Consumer Rights’ – despite the title’s implied concern for balance, showed disregard for consumers and promoted rights holders’ interests.
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30 Nov 2007 By Michael Holloway
Supporters Update – November 2007
This month’s update contains the usual roundup of our activities and press plus info on ORG’s christmas party.
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