ORG at the Liberal Democrats party conference

Join Open Rights Group and Big Brother Watch to discuss the draft Communications Data Bill - which we've dubbed the "Snoopers' Charter". We'll be looking at what's wrong with the draft Bill and what to do about it. 

Where and when:

The Grand Hotel (Alexandra suite)

97-99 King's Road,

Brighton,

BN1 2FW.

1815 - 1930. 

Speakers:

Nick Pickles, director, Big Brother Watch (Chair)

Jim Killock, executive director, the Open Rights Group

Mark Pack (Editor, LibDem Voice)

Dr Jenny Woods

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Training that will equip activists to help stop the Snoopers' Charter and Mass Internet Blocking. Briefings will be followed by practicing how to talk to your MP and other campaign activities.

Open Rights Group needs your help to defeat the latest attacks on internet freedom! We need to convince MPs that they should oppose new proposals for more surveillance and censorship. 

• London, Wednesday, 20 June 2012
• Edinburgh, Saturday, 23 June 2012
• Manchester, Wednesday, 27 June 2012
• Sheffield, Thursday, 28 June 2012
• Birmingham, Wednesday, 4 July 2012
• Bristol, Saturday, 7 July 2012

We're running these training sessions that will help you learn about two of the biggest current digital rights issues and practice how to discuss them with your MP. We'll be covering two big topics:

1. The “Snoopers’ Charter” - aka the Communications Data Bill - was announced in the Queen's speech and is about to be published by the government. The bill will create new powers to intercept and collect information about who you talk to online. Your communications via Google, Facebook or Skype will now be open to what may be a large number of government officials. We want to see the powers to collect and access communications data tightened up, not extended ever further. 

2. Internet censorship. The government is considering whether Internet Service Providers should have to block websites that contain 'adult content' by default, with an 'opt out' for uncensored access. That would mean an infrastructure of censorship that could, through mistakes, abuse or mission creep, lead to more and more content being blocked for people in the UK. Our research on mobile Internet censorship recently showed how often the wrong websites can be filtered, for example. We want to prevent this further move towards private policing of the internet and free speech, and recommend better ways to help parents manage their children's Internet access.

You can help stop these proposals. And we are here to help you!

You don't need any previous knowledge of the issues or experience talking with your MP. 

The training event will last for around four hours. First we will give you a good background briefing on the issues and an overview of the campaigns. Then we will do some practical training on how to speak to your MP, and cover other campaigning ideas too. 

Join us and become a digital rights champion! 

• London, Wednesday, 20 June 2012
• Edinburgh, Saturday, 23 June 2012
• Manchester, Wednesday, 27 June 2012
• Sheffield, Thursday, 28 June 2012
• Birmingham, Wednesday, 4 July 2012
• Bristol, Saturday, 7 July 2012

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Open Rights Group is supporting another day of protest against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement on Saturday June 9th. ORG will be at the London leg of the demonstration, which is taking place outside Europe House (map) from 12pm. 

The organisers have set up a Facebook page, where you can say if you'll be coming along.

There is also a list of other protests happening in other parts of the country on that page.  NURPA have also creatd an international Map of events.

See you there!

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A chance to come and meet folk from ORG, EFF (over from their HQ in the USA) and Tor. EFF call these things 'Speakeasys' - it'll be very similar to our regular monthly meet ups. Whatever we call it, it'll be a veritable feast of digital rights chat. So please join us for a drink upstairs at the Reliance pub on Old Street! 

For some more details and registration see eff.org

Date and time: Thursday, 14th June 2012 5:30PM - 8PM

Location: The Reliance (upstairs), 336 Old Street, London EC1V 9DR

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Full details: http://www.europarl.org.uk/view/en/Events/EP_Events_2012/Seminar_on_ACTA.html

David Martin MEP, European Parliament Rapporteur on ACTA
Susie Winter, Director, Alliance Against IP Theft
Jim Killock, Executive Director, Open Rights Group
[ Name tbc ], US Embassy
Moderator: Jon Worth

Please book in advance: RSVP: lucinda.pickersgill@europarl.europa.eu

Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London SW1P 2EU

ACTA is an international treaty aiming to standardise copyright protection measures. It seeks to curb trade of counterfeited physical goods, including copyrighted material online and foresees preventative measures include possible imprisonment and fines. It has however proved highly controversial, with critics arguing that it will stifle freedom of expression on the internet. ACTA has been signed by 22 EU member states, including the UK, but is yet to be ratified by the European Parliament. David Martin, the MEP appointed by Parliament to draw up its response, has recommended that the Parliament should say no to ACTA. The final vote in the International Trade Committee is due in the next few weeks and Parliament, as a whole, will vote on the issue before the summer. The purpose of the seminar is for Mr Martin to provide an update on discussions in the European Parliament and to set out his thinking in drawing up his report. There will then be a panel discussion and a Q&A session. The panel will be made up of:

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Rose and Crown, 47 Colombo Street, Southwark, London, SE1 8DP, London

Details on meetup.com

May's ORG-London Pub Meet Speaker will be:

Professor Peter Sommer of the LSE

Who will be discussing:

CCDP (Communications Capability Development Programme), and Interception used as Evidence

Usual time of 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start; this month we're UPSTAIRS in the Rose & Crown, a reasonable stone's throw from Southwark, Waterloo and Blackfriars tube.

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Date: Thursday, 19 April 2012 13:00 to 17:00

Location: Clement House, London School of Economics, Aldwych WC2B 4JF

Details: scramblingforsafety.eventbrite.com scramblingforsafety.org programme

Free event discussing the impact of the Home Office's proposed expansion to internet surveillance powers (CCDP).

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Bill Patry is in the UK to talk about his latest book: How to Fix Copyright. He is a leading US copyright scholar and lawyer, and doesn't mince his words!

He'll be talkink on Tuesday lunchtime on the April 3rd. Expect an exciting and provocative view of what's wrong, who's wrong, and why.

Tuesday 3 April 2012, 1pm to 2pm, Conway Hall, London (nearest tube: Holborn).

Book your ticket now!

From Wikipedia

Patry served as a copyright counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1990s, where he participated in the elaboration of the copyright provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. Patry also worked as a policy planning advisor to the Register of Copyrights, and held a post as Professor of Law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He is also the author of a seven volume treatise on U.S. copyright law entitled Patry on Copyright, arguably superior in breadth and depth to Nimmer's Nimmer on Copyright. Patry is Senior Copyright Counsel at Google.

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Details

Date: Monday 20th February 2012
Time: 7pm
Location: Duke of York (upstairs bar)
47 Rathbone Street, London, W1T 1NQ

Hashtag: #orgacta

To keep up-to-date on these events, join our meetup group here.

Background

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, is a controversial trade agreement negotiated in secret by a handful of countries that seeks to establish international standards for intellectual property right enforcement.  

As the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea have already signed the agreement, we have turned our attention to the European Union as the last bastion of hope to stop the ascension of this dangerous agreement. In the EU, ACTA is being decided on a national level, and will soon make its way to the European Parliament for a final consent vote.

-- Access Now

This gathering will discuss what's wrong with ACTA, and how we can build a campaign to challenge it. There will be some discussion space, some space for activism, and some space for political lobbying training. There will also be access to alcohol - like every good meet up should.

We'll be having some great (expert) speakers on the subject, an opportunity to discuss ACTA and its problems, and a chance get more involved in ORG's actions and campaigns.

To keep up-to-date on these events, join our meetup group here.

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