Siôn Simon decided to caricature the opponent’s of the Digital Economy Bill with a piece of ‘fan fiction’ based on Star Wars. As chilling effects notes, copyright law is not clear about the use of characters in derivative works. However, I’m sure as a staunch defender of copyright he will have cleared [...]
Categories: copyright, freeculture
Now that I’ve hung up my hat at the Open Rights Group, I actually have time to read stuff for pleasure again. And it has been with great pleasure that I’ve read the two pieces listed below. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you’re writing about – the quality of your prose sings through. In the [...]
Categories: business, censorship, copyright, freeculture, law, media, networks, open source, politics
Our conference packs here in Buenos Aires included a map I had not seen before – showing the distribution of royalty fees paid in 2002. From the site, creator, Worldmapper:
Over half (53%) of the value of all royalty and license fees paid in 2002 were received in one territory: the United States. Large proportions of [...]
Categories: business, copyright, development, freeculture
After James showed me the web is us/ing us video, I wrote about it for my latest openDemocracy piece. It’s the first time I’ve been able to join up my interest in linguistcs with my interest in the information age, and I’m quite proud of the result.
After the Sandinista government took power in Nicaragua in [...]
Categories: freeculture, media, networks, opendemocracy, politics
Yesterday was my first day working with the Open Rights Group. It’s going to take me a while to gain pace with the rest of the team, and the bevvy of projects they’re working on both in terms of campaigns (e-voting, more IP stuff, and the European Television without Frontiers legislation are all under the [...]
Categories: advertising, blogging, business, censorship, freeculture, law, music, networks, politics
Like many Brits, the BBC’s Radio 4 holds a very special place in my heart. After two weeks away from home, I was craving two things – a cup of tea made without UHT milk, and the mellow sound of received pronunciation washing over me from the wireless on my bedside.
Imagine my surprise, then, when [...]
Categories: business, freeculture, media
I’m pleased to announce that as of 15 January next year, I’ll be joining the Open Rights Group as their new Executive Director!
Suw Charman, ORG’s outgoing Exec Director, has just posted the announcement on the ORG website. I’m looking forward to working with her, ORG’s Ops Manager Michael Holloway, and the incredibly diverse and talented [...]
Categories: freeculture, law, media, newstatesman, opendemocracy, openrightsgroup, politics, surveillance
Some really fab coverage on Gowers in the Guardian and the Observer, starting with this Leader from Friday’s edition:
“…The report was given a guarded welcome by the recently formed Open Rights group which campaigned strongly against extending the 50-year limit, but the war is not won yet. The Gowers report is only a staging post, [...]
Categories: freeculture, law, media, music, politics
My interview with Andrew Gowers has gone up on openDemocracy.
“‘Look at the debates that there have been on intellectual property since the arrival of the internet. They have been loud and shallow. They have been between people who say everything’s free and you shouldn’t pay for [...]
Categories: business, censorship, development, freeculture, law, music, opendemocracy, politics
The House of Commons have started debating Gordon Brown’s speech and the Gowers Review has been published online. Here it is.
I’m reading over it now. Eye-catching recommendations include:
tougher penalties for online copyright infringement – with a maximum 10 years imprisonment
consulting on the use of civil damages as a deterrent for IP infringement
business representatives sit on [...]
Categories: freeculture, law, politics