News
20 April, 2011
Judicial Review : Digital Economy Act decision
Reacting to the Judicial Review decision, Peter Bradwell, Campaigner at Open Rights Group, said:
“It is important to remember that this is not a judgement on whether the Digital Economy Act is good public policy.
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04 January, 2011
BT could be endangering the Open Internet
Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“We are talking about ISPs competing with the Internet for content delivery.
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16 December, 2010
BPI members profits up: calls for clampdowns are immoral
Reacting to the BPI’s latest push for Internet users to be surveilled and cut off from the Internet, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“The BPI are whinging that massive growth in their members’ profits in the middle of a recession isn’t good enough.
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10 November, 2010
ORG welcomes Judicial Review of Digital Economy Act
Jim Killock, executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“We are extremely glad that judges will be taking a look at the Digital Economy Act, which we believe breaches people’s rights to freedom of expression and privacy.
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10 November, 2010
Home Office botch privacy consultation following Phorm case
Responding to the announcement that the Home Office are reviewing interception laws following EU action, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“BT and Phorm breached thousands of people’s privacy by opening their web traffic without consent.
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04 November, 2010
ORG welcomes Government’s IP Review
Commenting on the Government’s announcement to review Intellectual Property laws Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Right Group, said:
“The Digital Economy Act left a massive hole of missing user rights like personal copying and parody.
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21 October, 2010
MEPs raise concerns about fundamental rights in ACTA and the Commissioner makes a mockery of them
MEPs’ concerns, driven by emails from ORG activists, about the lack of fundamental rights in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) were dismissed by EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht in a debate in the European Parliament last night.
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20 October, 2010
First ACTA debate tonight in European Parliament
Tonight (Wednesday), after two and a half years, MEPs will debate the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) for the first time.
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01 October, 2010
ACS:Law leak shows that Digital Economy Act carries massive privacy concerns
Unwarranted private surveillance have led to a huge leak of sensitive personal data from ACS:Law.
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22 September, 2010
MPs fail to scrutinise ACTA, confirms IPO
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has confirmed that MPs have not seen the current text of ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
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14 September, 2010
45 million internet users face higher bills
Using the internet will become more expensive as a result of the Government’s announcement today to include ISPs in the cost of the letter writing regime following the Digital Economy Act.
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24 June, 2010
NEWS: EU data protection complaint to UK is justified and timely
Welcoming Vice-President Viviane Reding’s continuing infraction proceedings against the UK, calling for the UK’s Information Commissioner to have the powers supposedly granted under the Data Protection Directive, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“Data protection in the UK is weaker than it should be.
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28 May, 2010
Absurd lack of clarity in Ofcom’s draft code
Responding to Ofcom’s Initial Obligations Code, released today, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“This is another extremely rushed process, forced by the Digital Economy Act’s absurd timetables.
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05 February, 2010
Joint Committee on Human Rights demands rights for internet users
Commenting on the Joint Committee on Human Rights condemnation of the Digital Economy Bill, Jim Killock, Executive Director the Open Rights Group said:
“The Lords have highlighted some of the serious problems with this Bill.
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20 November, 2009
Digital Economy Bill: reaction
Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“People’s rights are at stake.
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19 October, 2009
Poll shows Mandelson’s disconnection plans is vote loser
Nearly half of respondents would be less likely to vote for a party supporting disconnection
A new YouGov poll for the Open Rights Group shows that nearly a third (31%) of UK citizens would be much less likely to vote for a party that supported internet disconnection for online copyright infringement.
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15 October, 2009
Parliament’s credibility undermined by back track on citizens’ rights
Amendment 138, guaranteeing Internet access and protecting fundamental civil liberties, is being watered down by Parliamentary negotiators seeking a compromise with the EU Council.
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05 October, 2009
Royal Mail stop job search
Royal Mail: sacking workers and closing down service helping them find new jobs over IP dispute
A number of non-profit online services face closure today, after Royal Mail sent a cease and desist letter to free post code campaigners.
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02 October, 2009
Industry expert to Mandelson: legalise it!
TONIGHT Media Futurist Gerd Leonhard, will say that musicians, labels and government need to focus on their wallets rather than technology if they are to save music from the threat of illicit music downloads on the internet.
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25 September, 2009
Punishment is not the answer, says Open Rights Group
Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group, commenting on the artists meeting yesterday, said:
“We welcome that artists have moved away from disconnection, but throttling connections could in practice be just as damaging as disconnection.
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08 September, 2009
Google books: Europe needs to get this right
Speaking at the EU Commission’s Google Books hearing today, Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group said:
“We must not see this dispute as simply a process to deliver a compromise between two commercial interests.
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07 January, 2009
Open Rights Group announces Jim Killock as new Executive Director
7 January 2008
For immediate release
OPEN RIGHTS GROUP ANNOUNCES JIM KILLOCK AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Open Rights Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Killock as its new Executive Director.
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30 May, 2008
Open Rights Group welcomes commission e-voting recommendations
Embargoed until 0100 on 2 August 2007
The Open Rights Group (ORG) today extended a cautious welcome to recommendations made by the Electoral Commission for a pause in electoral pilots and a full public debate on the role technology might play in our electoral system.
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30 May, 2008
Open Rights Group dismayed by Ministry of Justice response on e-voting
For immediate release
13 November 2007
OPEN RIGHTS GROUP DISMAYED BY MINISTRY OF JUSTICE RESPONSE ON E-VOTING
In the May 2007 local elections Open Rights Group observers, accredited by the Electoral Commission, took part in the monitoring of pilot electronic voting and electronic counting schemes.
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30 May, 2008
Commission decision shows BBC out of touch on iPlayer
For immediate release
17 September 2007
COMMISSION DECISION SHOWS BBC OUT OF TOUCH ON IPLAYER
The Open Rights Group today welcomed the judgment of the European Court of First Instance to essentially uphold the European Commission’s decision that Microsoft abused its dominant market position.
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30 April, 2007
Open Rights Group: “Politicians should listen to facts, not fairytales”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 April 2007
The Open Rights Group today urged MPs to listen to the facts on copyright term extension, and not to the small group of people who seek to distort them by mistaking the copyright regime for a pension scheme.
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23 April, 2007
Electoral Commission grants official accreditation to Open Rights Group missions
Electoral Commission grants official accreditation to Open Rights Group missions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 April 2007 The Electoral Commission have today granted Open Rights Group election monitors official observer status in the local elections of 3 May.
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19 April, 2007
Open Rights Group will monitor UK elections with thirty observers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday 20th April
Taking advantage of new legislation, the Open Rights Group will field a team of thirty observers to monitor the conduct of this May’s electoral pilots.
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02 April, 2007
Open Rights Group welcomes EMI move to ditch locked-up music
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2 April 2007
OPEN RIGHTS GROUP WELCOMES EMI MOVE TO DITCH LOCKED-UP MUSIC
The Open Rights Group, a grassroots membership organisation that campaigns for Internet users’ rights, has today applauded EMI’s move to sell unencumbered digital music compatible with all MP3 players.
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14 December, 2006
Announcement: Becky Hogge to be new ORG Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
14 December 2006
BECKY HOGGE TO BE NEW ORG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Open Rights Group is delighted to announce that Becky Hogge is going to be taking over from Suw Charman as ORG’s new full-time Executive Director on 15 January 2007.
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06 December, 2006
Open Rights Group welcomes Gowers Review
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6 December 2006
OPEN RIGHTS GROUP WELCOMES GOWERS REVIEW
* Evidence-based approach essential * Keeping the copyright term for sound recordings at 50 years is the right decision; Government must hold firm in face of music industry lobbying to ignore the report * Moves to tackle commercial-scale counterfeiting are welcome; but we must distinguish between counterfeiting and individual copying * Calls for “transformative works” exemption will be valuable if law drafted well * Delighted to see libraries supported in their essential cultural preservation role
The Open Rights Group is delighted to see Andrew Gowers taking an evidence-based approach to Review of Intellectual Property, and welcomes many of the recommendations he makes.
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05 December, 2006
Rigorous analysis of Gowers Review essential
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5 December 2006
RIGOROUS ANALYSIS OF GOWERS REVIEW ESSENTIAL
The Open Rights Group eagerly anticipates tomorrow’s publication of the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property.
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27 November, 2006
Gowers leak – copyright term not extended
For Immediate Release
A leak from the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property has indicated that the government will reject calls from the music industry to lengthen the term of copyright protection given to sound recordings.
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14 September, 2006
Digital Rights Ireland challenges EU mass surveillance law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
This press release is being distributed by the Open Rights Group on behalf of Digital Rights Ireland and can also be read online: http://www.
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12 July, 2006
Music Industry Proposes ISP Tax
Update (4 July 2008): Please note that this Press Release is 2 years old and relates to a proposal which is now, thankfully, off the table.
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