Blog
01 Mar 2011 By Jim Killock
ORG invited to IT Inquiry
ORG’s submission to the Public Administration Select Committee review of government IT won us an invitation to present evidence on 15 March.
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01 Mar 2011 By Peter Bradwell
ORG files Judicial Review intervention
Early last week Open Rights Group filed and served its intervention into the Judicial Review of the Digital Economy Act.
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22 Feb 2011 By Javier Ruiz
Come to our Public Data Corporation workshop
Although we welcome this consultation on the Public Data Corporation, we have to raise a couple of issues that in our view may limit the opportunity for the public and interested parties to contribute to the fullest extent.
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10 Feb 2011 By Peter Bradwell
Concerns over the DEA Costs Sharing Order
If the Digital Economy Act were a celebrity, it would probably be phoning for Max Clifford.
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09 Feb 2011 By Keith Mitchell
Scottish Electronic Counting System Demonstration
[In January 2011 ORG Advisory Council member Keith Mitchell attended a system demonstration of the e-counting setup proposed for the 2012 Scottish local elections.
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09 Feb 2011 By Peter Bradwell
ACS:Law and overstated proof
Yesterday afternoon saw the latest twist in the protracted story of ACS:Law.
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08 Feb 2011 By Javier Ruiz
Shortcomings of Online Crime Mapping
The crime mapping initiative at Police.
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01 Feb 2011 By Peter Bradwell
Ofcom to review aspects of Digital Economy Act
The government this morning announced that Ofcom will be reviewing aspects of the Digital Economy Act – specifically, at this stage, the provisions for web blocking.
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01 Feb 2011 By Peter Bradwell
ORG calls for DRM evidence
There is rarely a pause for breath in the debate about copyright and intellectual property.
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31 Jan 2011 By Jason Kitcat
Hari Kunzru launches ORG’s book week
We love books here at ORG towers, and so we’re very excited to be launching our book week.
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30 Jan 2011 By Jason Kitcat
The road to individual voter registration will be paved with data sharing
On Monday 24th January I attended a Cabinet Office event to discuss the implications of the government’s accelerated move to individual voter registration.
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20 Jan 2011 By Peter Bradwell
ORG will intervene in DEA Judicial Review
Some excellent news: ORG has been given permission to intervene in the Judicial Review of the Digital Economy Act.
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17 Jan 2011 By Phil
Mass UK P2P trial becomes an ‘off the scale’ legal quagmire; ACS:Law ridiculed
A mass-lawsuit campaign directed by MediaCAT and their calamitous lawyers (ACS:Law) has taken yet another turn for the worse today, as a court hearing this morning became a total fiasco.
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17 Jan 2011 By Javier Ruiz
Controversy around new Public Data Corporation
The recent announcement by the Cabinet Office of the creation of a new Public Data Corporation has quickly generated a large amount of turmoil among open data activists.
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11 Jan 2011 By Jim Killock
TalkTalk or StalkStalk?
ORG is this afternoon meeting TalkTalk, whose system to log website URLs visited by their customers and scan the pages for malware has attracted significant controversy.
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01 Jan 2011 By Jim Killock
Public Domain Day
Some seventy years after their death in 1940, most of the writings of John Buchan, Mikhail Bulgakov, F Scott Fitzgerald and many others are today released to the public to be used and enjoyed without copyright restrictions.
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20 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
Default censorship is a bad idea
Yesterday and this morning we heard calls from government ministers and others for Internet Service Providers to block adult sites by default on customers’ accounts.
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10 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
What about Wikileaks: meeting
ORG will be appearing alongside defenders and detractors of Wikileaks at the next Digital Economy All Party Parliamentary Group meeting on Tuesday at 6pm, in the Thatcher Room of Portcullis House.
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09 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
Wikileaks: stand up for free speech
Wikileaks are, in our view, are being used to attack free speech.
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09 Dec 2010 By Phil
Consumer Focus claims legally naÏve are abused in copyright courts
Consumer Focus has entered the debate on the proposed reform of the Patents County Court (PCC).
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09 Dec 2010 By Phil
Consumer Focus claims legally naÏve are abused in copyright courts
Consumer Focus has entered the debate on the proposed reform of the Patents County Court (PCC).
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09 Dec 2010 By Phil
Consumer Focus claims legally naÏve are abused in copyright courts
Consumer Focus has entered the debate on the proposed reform of the Patents County Court (PCC).
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09 Dec 2010 By Phil
Consumer Focus claims legally naÏve are abused in copyright courts
Consumer Focus has entered the debate on the proposed reform of the Patents County Court (PCC).
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07 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
Home Office meeting confirms: Google won’t be subject to Interception laws
A meeting this morning between ORG, Privacy International, Justice, Liberty and the Home Office confirmed that the Home Office intends to extend interception oversight as narrowly as possible, which would exclude Google’s Streeview.
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07 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
Home Office meeting confirms: Google won’t be subject to Interception laws
A meeting this morning between ORG, Privacy International, Justice, Liberty and the Home Office confirmed that the Home Office intends to extend interception oversight as narrowly as possible, which would exclude Google’s Streeview.
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07 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
Home Office meeting confirms: Google won’t be subject to Interception laws
A meeting this morning between ORG, Privacy International, Justice, Liberty and the Home Office confirmed that the Home Office intends to extend interception oversight as narrowly as possible, which would exclude Google’s Streeview.
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07 Dec 2010 By Jim Killock
Home Office meeting confirms: Google won’t be subject to Interception laws
A meeting this morning between ORG, Privacy International, Justice, Liberty and the Home Office confirmed that the Home Office intends to extend interception oversight as narrowly as possible, which would exclude Google’s Streeview.
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29 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Home Office concedes to meeting
The Home Office, after several weeks of requests from ORG and others, has agreed to a meeting of civil society representatives next week concerning their review of enforcement of RIPA’s interception laws.
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26 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Home Office: citizens not directly concerned by interception law
ORG received a response to our complaint about the truncated, unpublicized RIPA consultation today, the day after we sent a joint civil society letter to Pauline Neville Jones.
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24 Nov 2010 By Jason Kitcat
It’s our birthday! Celebrating 5 years of ORG
Today we’re celebrating five years of the Open Rights Group.
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22 Nov 2010 By Jason Kitcat
Getting ready to celebrate 5 years of ORG
This Wednesday we’ll be celebrating five years of ORG.
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17 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Open Internet enhances our freedom of speech
Ed Vaizey’s speech on “net neutrality” misses a vital point: being “open” about “closing” the Internet won’t deliver competition and innovation on the Internet.
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10 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Judicial Review should be the beginning of the end of the DEA
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10 Nov 2010 By Florian Leppla
Judicial Review should be the beginning of the end of the DEA
So we now have a Judicial Review of the Digital Economy Act.
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10 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Phorm Interception consultation released in silence
The Home Office has been forced to take action to change UK law, following the Phorm case, to ensure that citizens are properly protected against private interception.
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08 Nov 2010 By Javier Ruiz
UK government announces Right to Data legislation
Today is an important day for the new transparency agenda as the Cabinet Office website publishes the business plans for all departments.
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08 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
BPI making misleading claims
At the end of September, we wrote to Geoff Taylor of the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) to ask about what we believe to be inaccuracies on their website about their “standards of evidence”.
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05 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Copyright reform is on the EU Commission’s agenda
Commissioner Neelie Kroes today announced that the EU Commission wants to reform EU copyright.
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05 Nov 2010 By Jason Kitcat
YouTube Tribunal win reinforces freedom of expression over other restrictions
This Wednesday saw me representing myself before a panel in the Brighton Hilton Metropole Hotel.
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05 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Cameron: copyright is out of date
David Cameron has admitted that UK copyright law is out of date, and needs to be fit for the Internet age.
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04 Nov 2010 By Javier Ruiz
Open public sector information workshop during Free Culture Forum
The Free Culture Forum 2010 kicked off with a European panel on Open Public Sector Information, organised by the LAPSI network.
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04 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
IP Review: official announcement from the IPO
Announcement from the Intellectual Property Office
Review of Intellectual Property and Growth
The Review will develop proposals on how the UK’s intellectual property framework can further promote entrepreneurialism, economic growth and social and commercial innovation.
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04 Nov 2010 By Florian Leppla
ORG at the Free Culture Forum 2010 in Barcelona
Last week ORG took part in the Free Culture Forum 2010 in Barcelona.
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04 Nov 2010 By Florian Leppla
Making IP laws fit for the internet age means more user rights
The Government have today announced a review of Intellectual Property and copyright laws.
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03 Nov 2010 By Jim Killock
Google data breach will not be investigated
Today the Information Commissioner announced that he will not be taking action against Google for capturing and storing information including passwords and other snippets of actual network communications:
The Commissioner has concluded that there was a significant breach of the Data Protection Act when Google Street View cars collected payload data as part of their wi-fi mapping exercise in the UK.
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03 Nov 2010 By Florian Leppla
Ministry of Sound abandon file sharing dragnet
BT today told the press that Ministry of Sound have abandoned their attempts to get the details of thousands of alleged filesharers under a “Norwich Pharmacal Order” (NPO).
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28 Oct 2010 By Jim Killock
Misinformation about mass surveillance
Some commentators are speculating that the new budgets for Intercept Modernisation Programme (IMP) are not what they might seem, but something smaller and less instrusive.
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27 Oct 2010 By Richard Millington
Get involved with the ORGZine!
The Open Rights Group is about to move our online presence to a whole new level with our new community eZine.
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25 Oct 2010 By Jim Killock
Government web snooping back on the cards
Government plans to intercept Internet communications and store details of “traffic data” are reportedly back on the cards.
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20 Oct 2010 By Jerry Fishenden
Fight terror, defend freedom
Reposted from Jerry Fishenden’s blog.
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20 Oct 2010 By Florian Leppla
Dan Bull is back – with an anti-ACTA video
Dan Bull, who gained fame with his ‘open letter’ songs to Lily Allen and Lord Mandelson in September 2009, is back with The Death of ACTA.
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12 Oct 2010 By Gavin Lingiah
ACTA: EU/US monopoly protection ready for export to the rest of the world?
A near final draft of ACTA (the “Anti-Counterfeiting” Trade Agreement) has finally been released to the public (2nd October 2010)i.
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11 Oct 2010 By Jim Killock
Consumer Focus faces the chop
Staff at Consumer Focus were told last week that they face the chop, as part of the government’s “bonfire of the quangos”.
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07 Oct 2010 By Simon Bradshaw
Comment on Ministry of Sound hearing (part two)
In the aftermath of the highly-publicised DDOS attack against ACS:Law and the data leak that followed, both BT and PlusNet expressed serious concerns to Ministry of Sound and law firm Gallant Macmillan about the proposed Norwich Pharmacal Order (NPO) requiring them to hand over details of alleged subscribers.
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07 Oct 2010 By Simon Bradshaw
Comment on Ministry of Sound hearing (Part one)
The afternoon of Monday 4th October saw an otherwise unremarkable legal hearing become the focus of attention for those concerned about the enforcement of copyright on the Internet.
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05 Oct 2010 By Florian Leppla
Well done BT, now ISPs have to ensure that methods of collecting evidence are tested
Congratulations to BT and Sky for opposing Norwich Pharmacal Orders following the ACS:Leaks.
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02 Oct 2010 By Jim Killock
10:10’s Boom video
10:10’s climate change murder video has caused much offence, but one thing nobody is questioning is their inability to control the material, or the debate.
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01 Oct 2010 By Florian Leppla
Questions to Ofcom about the filesharing code
We have highlighted the problems with the Ofcom filesharing code, most importantly that the code does not comply with the Digital Economy Act.
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30 Sep 2010 By Jim Killock
EU taking UK to court for privacy deficiencies
Last year, ORG and others including No2DPI campaigned against Phorm, a technology that opened web traffic at ISPs to create profiles for behavioural advertising.
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29 Sep 2010 By Jim Killock
What ISPs should do about the likes of ACS:Law
What BT, Sky and other ISPs should do about the likes of ACS:Law
Open Rights Group spoke to BT today, and has requested a meeting with Sky to discuss how they handle future applications for people’s data when they are thought to be infringing copyright.
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29 Sep 2010 By Jim Killock
Will the BPI disclose their surveillance methods?
ACS:Law have managed to highlight the perils of companies operating as private surveillance agencies.
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28 Sep 2010 By Jim Killock
The ACS Law leak shows that the Digital Economy Act carries huge privacy risks
Unwarranted private surveillance, plus incompetence, have led to a huge leak of sensitive personal data from ACS:Law.
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22 Sep 2010 By Florian Leppla
MPs have not examined ACTA, says IPO
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed that no text of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has been shared with MPs or the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.
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14 Sep 2010 By Florian Leppla
Tens of thousands could be priced out of broadband after Government announcement on file sharing code
Up to £500m will be taken out of the UK economy according to the Government’s announcement today about the cost sharing for the letter writing regime following the Digital Economy Act.
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08 Sep 2010 By Jim Killock
Net neutrality: UK taking first shots at the open Internet
Thursday is the deadline for Ofcom’s “informal consultation” on net neutrality.
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08 Sep 2010 By Florian Leppla
MEPs demand fundamental rights for citizens in ACTA deal
MEPs yesterday passed a motion strongly criticising the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and urging the European Commission to ensure it respects fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and privacy.
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02 Sep 2010 By Richard Millington
ORGCon: James Boyle Interview
James Boyle is the William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law at Duke University, North Carolina.
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26 Aug 2010 By Jim Killock
Meeting with BIS
Yesterday, Florian and I met with BIS officials to discuss Ofcom’s draft ‘Initial Obligations Code’.
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20 Aug 2010 By Florian Leppla
ACTA: An international threat to freedom and liberty
In the words of the Prime Minister David Cameron, “getting online can help people save money, find a job, access services in a way that works for them, and make connections with each other and with their community.
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13 Aug 2010 By Michael Holloway
Please suggest new people for our Advisory Council
The Advisory Council is a group of experts that help form our policy and direct our campaigning work.
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09 Aug 2010 By Emma Byrne
ORGCon: Medical privacy workshop
On the 24th of July I was lucky enough to host a workshop event at ORGCon on the question of medical privacy.
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06 Aug 2010 By Michael Holloway
ORGCon video
You can now watch the videos from all of the ORGCon keynotes and most of the ORGCon panel discussions.
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05 Aug 2010 By Jon Roberts
ORGZine needs you!
The Open Rights Group campaigns when digital technology’s power to transform society – to bring greater democracy, transparency and new creative possibilities – comes under attack.
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03 Aug 2010 By Florian Leppla
Thanks to 1,400 who replied to Ofcom’s filesharing consultation
Last week we asked activists to tell Ofcom that the their draft code is missing vital standards of evidence and limits our right to appeal.
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29 Jul 2010 By Jim Killock
A different debate
On Tuesday, I spoke on behalf of ORG at an event organized by Eric Joyce and Julian Huppert on behalf of the All Party Parliamentary group discussing the Digital Economy Act.
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29 Jul 2010 By Florian Leppla
Deadline for Ofcom’s DEA code this Friday
If you have been following ORG’s comments in recent weeks you will be aware of the serious problems with Ofcom’s initial obligations code.
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26 Jul 2010 By Michael Holloway
ORGCon was great! Help us make it better…
Judging by the kind comments on twitter and many conversations with people on the day, ORGCon – our first digital rights conference – was a great success.
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22 Jul 2010 By Jim Killock
Ofcom’s code does not comply with Digital Economy Act
The Open Rights Group will be asking Ofcom to start again as their Draft Code misses vital requirements to outline the standards of evidence.
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20 Jul 2010 By Jim Killock
Ofcom consultation raises data protection problems
There’s a week and a half until Ofcom’s draft code finishes its consultation on the letter writing part of the Digital Economy Act.
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20 Jul 2010 By Michael Holloway
ORGCon: Dismantling the Database State
The coalition government’s pledge to roll back the database state will be debated by a panel of the most vigorous privacy crusaders at a conference for digital rights in London on Saturday 24 July.
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13 Jul 2010 By Michael Holloway
Jeremie Zimmermann to speak on ACTA at ORGCon
ACTA, the international trade agreement causing divisions between the EU and developing nations, will face intense criticism from Jérémie Zimmermann at Britain’s first ever digital rights conference.
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09 Jul 2010 By Michael Holloway
ORGCon tickets running out fast – get yours now
Over 300 people are booked to attend ORGCon and tickets are running out fast so get yours now!
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08 Jul 2010 By Jim Killock
Challenge to Digital Economy Act
News that TalkTalk and BT are challenging the Digital Economy Act in court is extremely welcome.
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28 Jun 2010 By Jim Killock
EU rushing to get ACTA agreed
Today, ACTA negotiations begin in Luzern.
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24 Jun 2010 By Jim Killock
NUJ will oppose Digital Economy Act
Journalism, the NUJ’s in-house magazine, is reporting that the NUJ is calling for repeal or further amendment to the Digital Economy Act.
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Digital Privacy
24 Jun 2010 By Jason Kitcat
ORG at Hansard debate: Why can’t I vote at my ATM?
This is a cross-posting from Jason Kitcat’s blog.
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23 Jun 2010 By Jim Killock
ACTA: International ‘three strikes’, surveillance and worse
Tensions over ACTA are rising as the next round of negotiations are about to take place, in Switzerland next week.
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22 Jun 2010 By Michael Holloway
James Boyle speaking at ORGCon: The Incredible Shrinking Public Domain
We’re holding the UK’s first ever dedicated digital rights conference on Saturday 24 July.
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Digital Privacy
17 Jun 2010 By Jim Killock
Summary Health Care records: failing and dangerous
The independent Summary Care Record (SCR) evaluation report show the project to be failing in its core aim, to make people safer, while introducing new dangers to their privacy and dignity.
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14 Jun 2010 By Jim Killock
Ofcom agrees to allow the BBC to hobble HD receivers
Ofcom have today dealt a serious blow to UK consumers and licence-payers by allowing the BBC to impose DRM for HD broadcasts.
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11 Jun 2010 By Jim Killock
No news from Ofcom on BBC DRM
ORG and people concerned with the BBC’s gradual locking up of content, with its consequent lock down on competition, innovation and usability, are still waiting for Ofcom’s response to their consultation on BBC HD.
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10 Jun 2010 By Michael Holloway
Book now! First ever ORGCon 24 July
James Boyle, Cory Doctorow and Tom Watson are heading up the first ever conference dedicated to digital rights in the UK.
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29 May 2010 By Jim Killock
Ofcom ‘letter writing’ consultation is out
Ofcom’s consultation document’s are out if you want to take a look.
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27 May 2010 By Jim Killock
The future of the Digital Economy Act is in your hands
You may have read in the last few days that the Lib Dems have committed to removing the dangerous parts of the Digital Economy Act, while Jeremy Hunt, as the Conservative minister responsible, has said that he won’t.
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26 May 2010 By Professor Andrew Adams
Open Government
Professor Andrew Adams, of Meiji University, Tokyo, looks at open government, in our series on the challenges facing the new government.
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21 May 2010 By Emma Byrne
Privacy is not just a technical problem
Today’s article looking at the challenges facing the new government turns to NHS IT and data.
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20 May 2010 By Florian Leppla
Ofcom leaves people in the dark on future of Open WiFi and evidence used for technical measures
ORG together with Consumer Focus, Which?
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Digital Privacy
20 May 2010 By Jason Kitcat
Changing the way we vote
In the sixth of our series on the challenges facing the new government, Jason Kitcat looks at proposals for changes to the way our elections are run, including dangerous calls for e-voting.
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