http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog Thu, 15 May 2008 18:41:58 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en (Via Ars Technica.) Citing a flawed jury instruction and a precedent-setting Eighth Circuit ruling he was previously unaware of, Judge Michael Davis is on the cusp of granting Jammie Thomas' request for a new trial. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/jammie-thomas-judge-error-of-law-may-result-in-new-trial/ (Via ZDNet) Nick Heath writes The NHS has pledged to halt the further rollout of its electronic patient record system while it takes stock of criticisms in a report. A report evaluating the trial rollout of the Summary Care Record (SCR) system highlighted concerns that the system was clunky, interfaces poorly ... http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/nhs-stalls-electronic-record-system-rollout/ Via Linx Public Affairs blog: The Home Office has disclosed police use of powers to demand the decryption of data or production of decryption keys. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/ripa-decryption-use-disclosed/ (Via Ars Technica.) A Canadian law clinic has asked the country's Privacy Commissioner to take a closer look at the deep packet inspection being used by Bell Canada and others. While the technology also raises net neutrality concerns, in this case the issue is privacy. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/deep-packet-inspection-under-assault-over-privacy-concerns/ (Via Ars Technica.) The MPAA has asked a Swedish court for $15.4 million in damages from The Pirate Bay. Peter Sunde, the torrent tracker's fearless captain, says that the claims are bogus. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/pirate-bay-mpaas-154-million-damage-claim-a-fabrication/ via BBC File-sharing site TorrentSpy has been ordered to pay $110m (£56m) in damages to the Motion Picture Association of America for copyright infringement. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/torrentspy-ordered-to-pay-110m/ Trent Reznor has released the latest Nine Inch Nails album as a free download under a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license. As a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new nine inch nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via nin.com. We encourage ... http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/nine-inch-nails-release-free-cc-licensed-album/ Via OUT-LAW EDITORIAL: Critics have branded Phorm a regulatory rogue. Its targeted advertising technology will bend our laws and even break them. But these will be hairline fractures – even if Phorm's operation makes you wince. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/the-law-of-phorm/ Via BBC Personal details of Facebook users could potentially be stolen, the BBC technology programme Click has found. The popular social networking site allows users to add a variety of applications to their profile. But a malicious program, masquerading as a harmless application, could potentially harvest personal data. http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/identity-at-risk-on-facebook/ From the BBC: More than 600 staff at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have been disciplined for accessing personal or sensitive data, it has been revealed. In a Commons written reply, Treasury Financial Secretary Jane Kennedy said that in many cases the penalty for staff was dismissal. There were 238 people disciplined in ... http://www.openrightsgroup.org/newsblog/2008/05/tax-staff-breach-data-security/