Wed, 28th July

Rhodri Marsden: Should legal music sites get special treatment?
Rhodri Marsden comments on a recent move by record label the Miinstry of Sound to combat copyright theft by targeting individual users with legal letters.

Source: independent.co.uk

Wed, 28th July

TalkTalk spies on customers
UK internet service provider TalkTalk has been caught spying on its users only a couple of weeks after it joined other ISPs in challenging the Digital Economy Act over privacy concerns.

Source: techeye.net

Wed, 28th July

EU concerned about Acta privacy implications
Shane Richmond reports that a European Union committee made up of data protection regulators from member states has called on Karel de Gucht, the European Commissioner for Trade, to ensure that there is adequate protection for individuals within the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk

Wed, 28th July

Culling the UK Film Council is a disastrous move
Roger Michell, the Director of Notting Hill, argues that the culling of the UK Film Council is “apocalyptically misjudged”.

Source: spectator.co.uk

Wed, 28th July

CITY FOCUS: The future is set to be televised
Dominic Rushe reports that over the coming months Google and Microsoft plan new assaults on the TV market that analysts say will trigger the next big revolution in television. In the near future, people will use their TVs to navigate their holiday photos, chat with friends, use Twitter, update their Facebook page, keep fit - and they may even watch TV shows.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Tue, 27th July

Brits Refuse To Pay For Online Content
Consumers in the UK are far less willing to pay for digital content than their global counterparts, according to KPMG’s annual global ‘Consumers and Convergence’ survey. The report found that less than a fifth of Brits would be willing to pay for content if a previously free site began charging – 81 percent claim they would go elsewhere. This is despite the fact that 43 percent of consumers globally are now willing to pay to access frequently used online content.

Source: eweekeurope.co.uk

Tue, 27th July

Row erupts over file-sharing study
A study that claimed 89% of all BitTorrent files infringe copyright has been disputed by TorrentFreak. The report, which was published by the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) and compiled by academics at the University of Ballarat, claimed copyright infringement was endemic on file-sharing services. However, the file-sharing news site TorrentFreak claims the study is flawed.

Source: pcpro.co.uk

Tue, 27th July

Lily Allen has balls for outspoken stance on copyright theft, says bass legend Peter Hook
Peter Hook admits that illegal filesharing has now destroyed the income of even rock titans like himself. “Lily Allen was right to speak out about illegal downloading and to step back from music,” Hook tells Beehive. “Musicians are no longer credited and rewarded for their work. I’ve seen New Order’s royalties dwindle by 97% because of illegal downloading. It makes you think twice about whether it’s worth writing new material. Lily got dreadfully harangued for what she said but the girl’s got balls.”

Source: beehivecity.com

Tue, 27th July

DMCA updated: Jailbreaking, unlocking and fair-use DRM bypassing are allowed
Chris Davies reports on a new set of exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in America. These include the proviso that jailbreaking a device to run an app that has been made incompatible by the handset manufacturer is fair use, as is bypassing copy protection on media (such as DVDs) to excerpt sections for derivative fair use works.

Source: slashgear.com

Mon, 26th July

Death of the UK Film Council
News just in from the culture department where many of its 55 public bodies are to be abolished, merged or streamlined.
The most eye-catching is the abolition of the UK Film Council, which invests government grants and Lottery money in film development. (Although Jeremy Hunt, culture secretary, insists that ‘government and Lottery support for film will continue’).

Source: blogs.ft.com

Mon, 26th July

Behind the music: Will the House of Lords block the Digital Economy Act?
Helienne Lindvall reports on her meeting with Lord Lucas at the House of Lords, where they discussed the Digital Economy Act. Lord Lucas argues that the disconnection of repeat infringers will not happen, while Helienne argues that the Lords are particularly interested in the Digital Economy Act, as they are planning to push for the right to review every single piece of legislation passed by parliament.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mon, 26th July

Open Rights Group slams Ofcom's net copyright theft code
The Open Rights Groups has slammed Ofcom's draft Code of Practice to tackle net copyright theft, claiming the code fails to outline the standard of evidence needed to prosecute those accused of illegal file-sharing. The watchdog published the draft code of practice last month, in a bid to fulfil the measures to tackle internet piracy set out in the Digital Economy Act, which became law earlier this year. Under the code, which initially applies only to fixed-line ISPs with more than 400,000 subscribers, ISPs will have to send warning letters to web users suspected of illegal file-sharing.

Source: networkworld.com

Mon, 26th July

BBC'S iPAD TAX
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that increasing numbers of people are watching licence fee-funded TV on their iPads and other devices. And he said the way the money is collected for the BBC should be reviewed. "Technology is changing," said Mr Hunt. "A lot of people are watching TV on their PCs. That's something I have to discuss." The move raises the possibility of a pay-per-view system for viewers watching shows on "catch-up" via the BBC's iPlayer service on their laptop or mobile screens.

Source: mirror.co.uk

Mon, 26th July

ISPs Battle Against Three-strikes Rule Throughout EU
Irish ISP UPC said Friday that it will continue to vigorously defend itself against liability proceedings taken against it in the country's courts by music companies. The company is the latest in a series of ISPs to take issue with copyright holders' insistence that they police customers' Internet traffic. Ireland's biggest ISP, Eircom, was successfully taken to court by the IRMA (Irish Recorded Music Association) and is currently sending warning letters to customers who have allegedly infringed copyright through illegal downloading.

Source: pcworld.com

Mon, 26th July

89% of torrents breach copyright: study
The University of Ballarat has published a research paper claiming that 89 per cent of BitTorrent files it examined over a certain period infringed copyright, a result which the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) said indicated that legitimate use of the BitTorrent software was minor.

Source: zdnet.com.au

Mon, 26th July

Kiwis near top of copyright theft shame list
New Zealanders are among the worst illegal movie downloaders in the Asia-Pacific region, MPs considering legislation to kick repeat offenders off the internet have been told. A survey by the NZ Federation Against Copyright Theft also suggested that 70 per cent of New Zealanders would stop illegal file sharing if they were sent a notice of infringement and were made aware that continued offending would lead to termination of their account.

Source: nzherald.co.nz

Fri, 23rd July

ISPA Make 8 Government Recommendations to Improve UK Internet
The UK Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has revealed its Roadmap for the Internet, which includes eight recommendations to Government on how it sees the net developing over the life of the current parliament to 2015. Some of the suggestions include measures aimed at resisting network-level blocking and ensuring that the Digital Economy Act 2010 (DEA), for tackling unlawful copyright file sharing (p2p), is proportionate.

Source: ispreview.co.uk

Wed, 21st July

Public urges Government rethink on DEA
The Government’s new do-it-yourself lawmaking programme has attracted myriad requests for the Digital Economy Act – or at least legislation relating to filesharers - to be repealed. Since the Government introduced its Your Freedom forum for the public to suggest laws that they think should be repealed, nearly 50 ideas relating to copyright have been submitted to deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. And the vast majority of those ask for amendments to the DEA and for the laws relating to filesharing to be repealed.

Source: musicweek.com

Wed, 21st July

Former Democratic senator to lobby for Hollywood
A deal is all but done for retired U.S. Sen. Bob Kerrey to become Hollywood's top lobbyist. Kerrey, a former Nebraska governor who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nod in 1992, will earn a $1.2 million salary as CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the Washington D.C.-based arm of the major Hollywood studios.

Source: reuters.com

Wed, 21st July

IP czar targets overseas copyright infringing sites
U.S. President Barack Obama isn't the only government official who wants to smack down copyright infringement and counterfeiting. During a hearing before the House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs, some congressional lawmakers on Wednesday said they want the U.S. government to retaliate against countries that turn a blind eye to online copyright theft, as well as people who peddle knockoffs of American products here and abroad.

Source: news.cnet.com

Thu, 22nd July

All-format film digital downloads coming soon
A group of media and electronics companies announced Tuesday an agreement on an all-formats system called UltraViolet for digital downloads. The single standard will allow the consumer to purchase films to be viewed on any device - a PC, smartphone, X-box, tablet, Blu-ray player, and television.

Source: independent.co.uk

Thu, 22nd July

ISPs urge caution on Digital Economy Act
The Internet Services Providers' Association (ISPA) has warned that the Digital Economy Act must not force internet service providers (ISPs) to censor content on their networks.

Source: pcw.co.uk

Thu, 22nd July

Costs consultation delayed
The Government’s stance on cost sharing as it relates to illegal filesharing has been delayed and is now not expected until mid-August. The consultation, which was opened in March, has sought to assess how costs relating to notifications to infringing subscribers should be shared between rights holders and ISPs.

Source: musicweek.com

Thu, 22nd July

RIAA wins case against file-sharing network
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has won a four-year court case against LimeWire, the US-based file-sharing service. The verdict has prompted eight music publishing companies, including Warner/Chappell and EMI Music Publishing, to launch their own lawsuit.

Source: api.co.uk

Thu, 22nd July

Anonymous ISP launched by Sweden’s Pirate Party
Sweden’s political Pirate Party has launched their own internet service provider, Pirate ISP. The new broadband service is promising to provide anonymity, privacy, and protection to its customers by keeping no logs of user’s personal data.

Source: myce.com

Wed, 21st July

Ilminster film-maker made copyright ambassador
AN ILMINSTER screenwriter has been made an ambassador for the Industry Trust to raise awareness of copyright this week. Caroline Greville-Morris will represent the Industry Trust’s national campaign to inform people of its vital importance.

Source: chardandilminsternews.co.uk

Wed, 21st July

DECE settles on UltraViolet media DRM, still lacks Apple
The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem edged closer to an actual launch today by settling on a new name for its copy protection scheme, UltraViolet (UV), and unveiling new partners. In addition roughly 60 major electronics, content and software firms, the Internet media locker standard now has support from Korea's LG as well as the ARM chip designer Marvell and LOVEFiLM.

Source: electronista.com

Wed, 21st July

Digital movie standard tackles format hurdles
A group of U.S. media and electronics companies will soon start testing a system that will let you watch the movies you buy wherever you are, regardless of formats and other technical hurdles. Like a bank account accessible from all ATMs, your account would follow you, no matter what brand of machine you use. The group has also come up with a name for the open standard it is creating: UltraViolet.

Source: cbc.ca

Wed, 21st July

Movie and tech firms team up for solution to illegal file sharing
A consortium of technology and entertainment companies is pioneering a cloud-based approach to selling and distributing digital content. UltraViolet is a new service developed to provide consumers with a simpler way to buy and watch digital entertainment across multiple devices and platforms.

Source: computing.co.uk

Wed, 21st July

Sony, Microsoft Backing New DRM System
Sony and Microsoft have announced their backing for a digital rights management system that aims to allow users to access downloaded digital content on a variety of different devices without any DRM issues.

Source: news.spong.com

Wed, 21st July

Anti-Copyright Theft Consortium Launches UltraViolet DRM
The Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem (DECE) has announced a new digital rights management (DRM) system, 'UltraViolet'.

Source: itproportal.com

Wed, 21st July

Amsterdam Court Tells Pirate Bay to Get Lost, or Pay the Price
Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm, and Peter Sunde, the three outspoken founders of the torrent tracking site The Pirate Bay, have been told to take the Pirate Bay out of The Netherlands, or face the consequences. Failure to do so will result in fines of 50,000 euros (around US$64,590) per day.

Source: maximumpc.com

Tue, 20th July

Green Party backs BT and TalkTalk in Digital Economy Act battle
The campaign organised by TalkTalk and BT to challenge the Digital Economy Act has been backed by the Green Party. Adrian Ramsay, the deputy leader of the political party, said the body was in support of the plans to ensure a judicial review is carried out on the legislation, which could lead broadband providers to block sites featuring copyrighted material. According to Mr Ramsay, the measures included in the act could create "a society of surveillance".

Source: cable.co.uk

Tue, 20th July

Britons 'breaking law without realising it', study finds
A survey of 3,000 adults by TV channel Alibi has found that half of Britons have broken the law at least three times in the past year, often without realising it. Many Britons are breaking the law in their own homes with 35 per cent downloading illegal porn, films or music and 15 per cent watching TV without a licence.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Tue, 20th July

Record labels should make MP3s free, and freely shareable
Milo Yiannopoulos reports that it has been suggested that $16 million in legal fees have netted the Recording Industry Association of America less than $400,000 in court judgements against copyright thieves in 2008. He argues that this indicates that aggressive legal tactics against copyright thieves aren’t working.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Tue, 20th July

Internet television clicks with viewers in China
David Barboza reports that every month, about 300 million people in China are using a computer to watch Chinese television dramas, Japanese and Korean sitcoms, and even American films and television series like ‘‘Twilight’’ and ‘‘Gossip Girl.’’ Live streaming of the soccer World Cup also drew a huge online audience.

Source: mydigitalfc.com

Tue, 20th July

Can Twitter save the BBC?
Steve Busfield reports that Twitter campaigners are using the #proudofthebbc hashtag to voice their support for the corporation.

Source: mydigitalfc.com

Mon, 19th July

File sharers targeted with legal action over music downloads
Miles Brignall reports that solicitors for dance music label Ministry of Sound have sent letters to thousands of internet users it believes have illegally downloaded music and says it is determined to take them to court – and extract substantial damages – unless they immediately pay compensation, typically around £350.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mon, 19th July

France’s Three-Strikes Law for Internet Copyright Theft Hasn’t Brought Any Penalties
Eric Pfanner reports that following the approval of France's three-strikes legislation last September, which authorised the suspension of internet access to copyright thieves who ignored two warnings, not a single warning has been sent, and not a single broadband connection has been cut.

Source: nytimes.com

Mon, 19th July

File Sharing Is Not Pollution, And You Don't Need An ISP 'Tax' To Deal With It
Mike Masnick disagrees with PRS for Music's report, "Moving Digital Britain Forward Without Leaving Creative Britain Behind", which advocates a mandatory ISP fee for file sharing.

Source: techdirt.com

Mon, 19th July

BT says Digital Economy Act will be overturned
BT believes the Digital Economy Act will be overturned in a judicial review because it breaches Europen legislation.

Source: techdirt.com

Mon, 19th July

The file sharing war rages on
Despite the introduction of the draft Code from OFCOM and the Digital Economy Act 2010, more lawyers are apparently jumping on the bandwagon of the file sharing campaigns first started by Davenport Lyons, and then ACS law. Some 2000 letters have been sent out by a Soho law firm on behalf of their client the Ministry of Sound.

Source: techdirt.com

Fri, 16th July

Lords could repeal the Digital Economy Act
The House of Lords has requested power to conduct post-legislative reviews, and if granted, has cited the Digital Economy Act as one it would consider. Earlier this week, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon said: "The recent Digital Economy Act 2010 should, in due course, be subject to post-legislative scrutiny. " This was in response to a motion from Lord Strathclyde that proposed a review of the working practices of the House of Lords.

Source: computing.co.uk

Fri, 16th July

BT confident Digital Economy Act will be thrown out
BT says it's confident that a court will overturn the Digital Economy Act because it infringes European law. BT and fellow ISP TalkTalk last week asked the High Court to review the Digital Economy Act, which was passed at the end of the last Parliament.

Source: pcpro.co.uk

Fri, 16th July

The Technology newsbucket: Bing's bad numbers, kill the Digital Economy Act?, Icann's woes and more
Charles Arthur reports that a lot hinges on whether peers are given the right to scrutinise legislation after it has been passed into law, as they could review the Digital Economy Act next year.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Fri, 16th July

BT Claims it CAN Halt the UK Digital Economy Act and Rights Holders Seek ISP Tax
This week’s Westminster e-Forum on unlawful file sharing (P2P) by customers of UK broadband ISPs revealed that BT is confident its Judicial Review with TalkTalk against the Digital Economy Act 2010 (DEA) can succeed. The Performing Rights Society for Music has taken the opposite stance, calling for a levy on broadband providers based on the amount of unauthorised copies of music they allow to travel across their networks.

Source: ispreview.co.uk

Fri, 16th July

Rights holders ponder the death of copyright
David Meyers reports on this week’s Westminster e-Forum. He argues that what was surprising was the view of almost everyone there that the penalties described in the Digital Economy Act, such as bandwidth throttling and perhaps disconnection of repeat infringers, would not work.

Source: zdnet.co.uk

Thu, 15th July

UK Royalty Group Wants Copyright Theft “Cap and Trade” ISP Levy
In a new paper titled “Moving Digital Britain Forward, Without Leaving Creative Britain Behind,” PRS for Music, the UK’s leading royalty collection society, is calling for the introduction of a levy on broadband providers based on the amount of unauthorised copies of music they allow to travel across their networks.

Source: zeropaid.com

Thu, 15th July

Don’t Stop File-Sharing, Says Former Pink Floyd Manager
The former manager of Pink Floyd has labelled attempts to clamp down on music file-sharing as a “waste of time”. “Not only are they a waste of time, they make the law offensive. They are comparable to prohibition in the US in the 1920s,” said Peter Jenner, who is now the emeritus president of the International Music Managers’ Forum.

Source: techfreqnews.com

Thu, 15th July

UK Digital Economy Act is illegal, says BT
The UK Digital Economy Act is illegal and should be overturned by the courts because it infringes European law, according to UK ISPs BT and TalkTalk. The act could be reviewed by the House of Lords as early as next year if peers are given new rights to scrutinise bills after they have been passed into law.

Source: digitalmedia.strategyeye.com

Thu, 15th July

'Secret' BBC job contracts worth 10 million pounds
Patrick Foster reports that the BBC is spending nearly 10 million pounds a year employing highly paid executives on "hidden" contracts that are not included in its 1 billion pound wage bill. One of the executives is Anthony Rose, the iPlayer chief, whose job title is "controller of online media group and vision".

Source: theaustralian.com.au

Wed, 14th July

In defence of the Digital Economy Act
John McVay argues that to repeal the Digital Economy Act would put jobs at risk across the board.

Source: newstatesman.com

Wed, 14th July

ELSPA director promoted at anti-copyright theft coalition
ELSPA’s director general Michael Rawlinson has been promoted to vice chairman of the Alliance Against IP Theft. The Alliance is a UK-based coalition of 20 associations and enforcement organisations that work to protect the industry’s IP rights. Rawlinson has been working with the organisation as treasurer for two years.

Source: mcvuk.com

Wed, 14th July

Songwriters call for music copyright theft levy
The group representing British songwriters and composers will today call for the introduction of a levy on broadband providers based on the amount of unauthorised copies of music they allow to pass through their networks. Will Page, chief economist at PRS for Music, will argue at a Westminster conference that a copyright theft fee would better align the financial interests of internet service providers with rights holders at a time when the two industries are at odds over who should bear the costs of online song swapping.

Source: ft.com

Tue, 13th July

Big ISPs challenge the U.K. Digital Economy Act
BT and TalkTalk, two of the largest ISPs in the U.K., have filed a motion with the High Court for a judicial review of the Digital Economy Act.

Source: net-security.org

Tue, 13th July

Bewley hopes for 3D Breaking Dawn
Charlie Bewley, a British actor who plays Volturi vampire Demetri in the Twilight saga, Eclipse, argues that 3D could enhance the forthcoming film adaptation of Breaking Dawn. He adds that the 3D aspect could also help fight copyright theft because fans would prefer to experience it in cinemas.

Source: google.com

Tue, 13th July

Martha Lane Fox wants all citizens of working age online
UK digital champion Martha Lane Fox wants to get everyone of working age online by 2012. The Networked Nation Manifesto, published on Monday, also highlights the lack of net access "among the disadvantaged, unemployed and retired". David Cameron backed the campaign, saying that "digital inclusion is essential for a modern dynamic economy".

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Tue, 13th July

Every home may have a 3DTV within three years
The sale of 3D TVs will be driven by a massive expansion in 3D video games, according to an executive at Ubisoft, the world’s biggest game publisher. UK head of marketing at the firm Murray Pannel said the new technology could be in every living room within three years.

Source: cityam.com

Tue, 13th July

The in-cinema iPhone app? Dial M for multiplex madness
This past weekend, the Steve Carell cartoon Despicable Me was released in America, and with it came an accompanying iPhone app. If audience members downloaded it, they'd receive an as-it-happens English translation of all the gibberish spouted by the film's little yellow Minion characters on their phone throughout the end credits (or the entire film, following Despicable Me's DVD release).

Source: cityam.com

Tue, 13th July

Timing helps Sir Mick Jagger's money making
Simon Atkinson reports that all the artists in the Top 20 of this year’s Sunday Times UK Music Rich List were prominent in the 1970s or 1980s, and that today’s musicians have it tough as many consumers choose to download almost any song or album they like for free, following the development of the internet.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Mon, 12th July

Open door: The Guardian's film critic on ... the thrills and demands of reviewing
Peter Bradshaw reports on how cinema and filmwatching has changed since he became the Guardian's main film critic, with comment on how the growth of movie downloading has stopped the expansion of the Blu-Ray market.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mon, 12th July

Pressure Mounts On The Digital Economy Act
The Digital Economy Act has come under increased pressure as BT and TalkTalk have announced that they have filed papers with the High Court asking for a judicial review of the Act.

Source: trustedreviews.com

Mon, 12th July

ISPs brand Mandelson 'internet villain' of the year
Peter Mandelson has been voted 'internet villain' of the year, according to UK ISPs, who voted for Digital Economy Act opponent Tom Watson MP as 'internet hero' of the year.

Source: zdnet.co.uk

Mon, 12th July

Obama enhances fight against copyright theft
The American Immigration and Customs Authority, in cooperation with the New York state attorney, the FBI, and the Department of Commerce has implemented what has been called “operations in our sites”, with the aim of going after websites of web services that violate American copyright laws.

Source: one.com

Fri, 9th July

Digital Economy Act: TalkTalk and BT mount legal challenge
The two internet service providers, BT and TalkTalk, have joined forces and filed papers with the High Court requesting a judicial review with regards to the Digital Economy Act, which both parties argue was rushed through into law during the final days of the previous government.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Fri, 9th July

The Business On... Charles Dunstone, Chairman, TalkTalk
David Prosser reports on Charles Dunstone the Chairman of TalkTalk, who’s taking the Government to the High Court over the Digital Economy Act.

Source: independent.co.uk

Fri, 9th July

BT and TalkTalk urge High Court review Digital Economy Act
The UK's two largest internet service providers, BT and TalkTalk, have asked the High court to review the Digital Economy Act (DEA) with respect to its conformance with key European legislation on privacy, fairness and the ISPs' function as a "mere conduit".

Source: computerweekly.com

Fri, 9th July

UK ISPs want review of Digital Economy Act
British internet service providers BT and TalkTalk are calling for a full judicial review of the Digital Economy Act.

Source: computerweekly.com

Fri, 9th July

BT and TalkTalk call for Digital Economy Act review
BT and TalkTalk have launched a legal challenge over the introduction of the Digital Economy Act.

Source: computerweekly.com

Thurs, 8th July

BT and TalkTalk challenge Digital Economy Act
BT and TalkTalk are seeking a judicial review of the controversial Digital Economy Act. The two internet service providers want the High Court to clarify the legality of the act before it is implemented.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

This story has also been covered by Guardian.co.uk here

Thurs, 8th July

Illegal downloaders, “undeterred”
A new survey has found that despite recent legal action against online copyright theft, many downloaders remain undeterred and see no threat at all. “It’s hard to get blood from a stone,” said one of the persons interviewed for the Edentify report, conducted using an open online forum. In order to qualify participants had to be willing to admit to illegally downloading movies or music. 58 out of 100 participants admitted to either never or only sometimes paying for content.

Source: encoremagazine.com.au

Thurs, 8th July

Free Music Isn’t Worth It: A Toasty Rebuttal of Illegal Downloading
Rohan Ramakrishnan counters some of the popular arguments for the illegal downloading of music.

Source: beatcrave.com

Thurs, 8th July

Educational Institutions Tackle Copyright Theft Albeit Reluctantly
With the entertainment industry campaigning to stamp out the unauthorised distribution of copied music, movies and TV shows, the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 has involved schools in campaigning alongside the industry.

Source: education.tmcnet.com

Wed, 7th July

New government website sees calls for repeal of Digital Economy Act
On Thursday last week the Government launched a new website called "Your Freedom" designed to allow the UK people to put forward ideas about which laws and regulations they feel should be removed. One of the highest voted for ideas posted to the site is to repeal the Digital Economy Act.

Source: thinkbroadband.com

Wed, 7th July

Shrek Forever After shows why 3D won't save cinema
David Cox discusses the significance of 3D for cinema, and argues that the big screen needs drama, humour and heart more than a technological quick-fix.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Tues, 6th July

TV revolution moves slower than we think
Gideon Spanier writes about the impact of new technology on how viewers consume TV. Yet the paradox is that despite the promise of innovation - not to mention fragmenting audiences and the falling cost of advertising - Britons are watching more TV on conventional channels than ever before.

Source: thisislondon.co.uk

Tues, 6th July

EU’s Secret Plan to Imprison Filesharers, Ban Free Speech About Copyright Theft Leaks
Jason Mick discusses the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and Britain’s decision to back down from supporting the most stringent copyright enforcement measures.

Source: dailytech.com

Tues, 6th July

4 Reasons the Recording Industry is Hurting: Illegal Downloading
Jeff Lanier discusses the impact of illegal downloading on the recording industry.

Source: cchronicle.com

Tues, 6th July

Tougher online copyright theft rules unlikely
The Australian federal government is unlikely to impose tougher online copyright theft laws on internet providers. This is in spite of its intent to sign a trade pact aimed at strengthening intellectual property rights. The government is involved in negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement, but it has resisted pressure to reveal its position.

Source: theaustralian.com.au

Mon, 5th July

Your Freedom: lessons from Obama – and a risk to the Digital Economy Act?
Matt Warman discusses the coalition government’s Your Freedom website and the implications for the Digital Economy Act.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Mon, 5th July

Scrap Digital Economy Act, say public
Repealing the Digital Economy Act has emerged as one of the most popular ideas in a Government experiment asking the public which legislation they want to see repealed. More than 500 people have voted for the proposal, just a day after it was put forward.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Mon, 5th July

Growing support for Digital Economy Act repeal
The Conservative Liberal Democrat coalition government has launched a website to help identify unpopular laws introduced by the previous government. The new web site called You Freedom launched last Wednesday and was so popular that it initially struggled under the load. The Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg had, prior to the general election, declared that a Liberal Democrat government would repeal the Digital Economy Act and on Thursday Clegg claimed that the site had already indicated public support for such a move.

Source: pcr-online.biz

Mon, 5th July

College students face file sharing penalties under new rules
Zack Whittaker reports that college and university students are now facing tough penalties for downloading and sharing illegal files over their institutions networks.

Source: zdnet.com

Mon, 5th July

East of Gotham: The Question of Illegal Downloading or Making Unauthorised Copies of Comics
Aaron Glazer discusses the issue of the unauthorised copying of comics online.

Source: comicsnexus.insidepulse.com

Fri, 2nd July

Poll finds falling freetard support
UK public sympathy for copyright leechers is falling, according to a new poll this week. The research by Ipsos Mori, provides evidence that copyright thieves aren't exactly the most popular people in the pub. Over half the sample polled agreed with suspending persistent infringers.

Source: theregister.co.uk

Fri, 2nd July

Do you value Your Freedom?
A new government website called Your Freedom has launched, offering members of the public the chance to vent on the subjects of red tape, unnecessary laws and the loss of civil liberties. Nick Clegg has assured users that this is a real chance to influence government policy. The official website is up and running and contributions are already flooding in, with the smoking ban, the Digital Economy Act and health and safety legislation all high on the agenda.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Fri, 2nd July

Finns get a right to broadband – can we repeal the Digital Economy Act?
Charles Arthur argues that Nick Clegg's 'Your Freedom' project should start with the Digital Economy Act as a candidate for repeal.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Fri, 2nd July

New rules bring online copyright theft fight to US campuses
Starting this month, U.S. colleges and universities that don't do enough to combat the illegal swapping of "Avatar" or Lady Gaga over their computer networks put themselves at risk of losing federal funding. Colleges and universities must put in place plans "to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the institution's network" without hampering legitimate educational and research use, according to regulations that went into effect Thursday.

Source: google.com

Fri, 2nd July

US cracks down on online film copyright theft
US officials have shut down nine websites accused of offering free access to films, including Toy Story 3. The closure of the sites, which had 6.7m visitors combined each month, was described as the "largest takedown of illegal movie and TV websites in a single action" by the government.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Thu, 1st July

Homeland Security cracks down on copyright theft
U.S. Federal authorities came to a Walt Disney Studios soundstage and stood alongside Hollywood executives to say they are going after cyber crooks. Homeland security officials say the film business is a bedrock of the U.S. economy and a great American export — from the "Wizard of Oz" to "Toy Story" to "Shrek."

Source: scpr.org

Thu, 1st July

Shorten copyright and make it stick
John Gapper reports that many people now regard it as acceptable to make and publish illegal digital copies, believing the law to be an ass. He argues that the duration of copyright protection should be shortened and more rigorously enforced.

Source: ft.com

Thu, 1st July

Court questions net copyright thief hunt
US civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation will give evidence in a Washington court on Wednesday, aimed at stopping the US's largest net copyright thief hunt. It wants the court to throw out thousands of lawsuits against alleged illegal file-sharers, brought by the US Copyright Group. EFF argues the mass litigations deprive individuals of a fair trial.

Source: ft.com

Thu, 1st July

Fear of copyright theft can be more damaging than copyright theft itself
According to information presented at a recent U.S. International Trade Commission hearing, copyright theft may be hurting companies less than previously thought. Fritz Foley, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, told the commission that content producers often assume that an unauthorised copy of a product blocks the sale of an authorised copy, when that may not be the case.

Source: hypergridbusiness.com

Thu, 1st July

Finland makes broadband a 'legal right'
Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband a legal right for every citizen. From 1 July every Finn will have the right to access to a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection. Finland has vowed to connect everyone to a 100Mbps connection by 2015. In the UK the government has promised a minimum connection of at least 2Mbps to all homes by 2012 but has stopped short of enshrining this as a right in law.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Thu, 1st July

Anti-Copyright Theft Toll Free Number
The recently formed coalition between the Bollywood and Hollywood studios will now be known as the "Alliance Against Copyright Theft - AACT". Today, AACT launches its toll-free anti-copyright theft hotline - 1800-103-1919 - to report copyright theft in the Mumbai and Thane districts.

Source: entertainment.oneindia.in