Digital-Lifestyles

Legal

The many legal issues raised as media digitises

  • Ofcom: Cut Mobile Number Transfers To 2 Days

    Ofcom: Cut Mobile Number Transfers To 2 DaysOfcom has floated a proposal to simplify the process of moving your mobile phone number to another provider and cutting the transfer time to within two hours, a stark contrast to the five days it takes now.

    With the two hour goal just over two years away, Ofcom has ruled that the mobile industry must reduce the time taken to a getting-close-to-reasonable two working days, starting on 1 April 2008 (why do UK organisations persist in using 1 April? It’s so open for abuse if problems arise).
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  • Digital SwitchOver: The Rubbish Dump Awaits! UK MPs

    Digital SwitchOver: The Rubbish Dump Awaits!: UK MPsWhile the UK Government is keen as mustard for the Digital Switchover of TV in the UK, there’s now discussion of the impact that disposing of the analogue kit will bring on – that of further waste generation.

    The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) was under discussion yesterday at Westminster Hall by UK MPs.
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  • UK Information Commissioner Calls For Great Powers

    UK Information Commissioner Calls For Great PowersThe security of information is always something that the government and financial institution are banging on about – pushing the responsibility of this on to the individual.

    Personal responsibility for your own data should be part of your every day, but it sticks in the throat when the big companies that are lecturing about personal data security then go and treat the data under their control with gay abandon.
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  • AllofMP3.com Gets Closed Down

    AllofMP3.com Gets Closed DownAllofMP3.com, the hugely popular Russian music download site (as we’ve been covering) has been closed down again after Russian authorities caved in under the relentless diplomatic pressure from the international record industry and governments.

    The music download site, the second most popular in the UK after iTunes, flogged songs at a fraction of the cost of other sites, thanks to its alleged cavalier attitude towards copyright law.
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  • Universal in Dispute With Apple Over iTunes

    Universal in Dispute With Apple Over iTunesUniversal, the planet’s biggest music corporation, has told Apple that it won’t be renewing its annual contract to sell music through iTunes.

    According to an anonymous executive cited in the New York Times, the mighty Universal Music Group of Vivendi will now market music to Apple at will, leaving the company free to remove its songs from the iTunes service at short notice if pricing and terms can not be agreed.
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  • China Unblocks English Wikipedia, Mostly

    China Unblocks English Wikipedia, MostlyQuick catchup news. China has modified their content blocking – or Great Firewall of China as it’s sometimes called – to allow through the English language version of Wikipedia to be seen in China.

    This change only took place at the beginning of this week. My experience the week before (while in Beijing), was that results were show in Google, but when clicking on the Wikipedia links, they would timeout with nothing displayed – classic firewall blocking behaviour.
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  • Manhunt 2: BFFC Bans UK Release

    Manhunt 2: BFFC Bans UK ReleaseThe British Board of Film Classification (BCCF) have ruled that Manhunt 2, the second version of the game from Rockstar Games, has been banned in its current form from sale or rental in the UK.

    Originally scheduled for release during July 2007, the BCCF today made it pretty clear that they really didn’t like it – at all. David Cooke, Director of the BBFC said, “Rejecting a work is a very serious action and one which we do not take lightly. Where possible we try to consider cuts or, in the case of games, modifications which remove the material which contravenes the Board’s published Guidelines. In the case of Manhunt 2 this has not been possible. Manhunt 2 is distinguishable from recent high-end video games by its unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone in an overall game context which constantly encourages visceral killing with exceptionally little alleviation or distancing. There is sustained and cumulative casual sadism in the way in which these killings are committed, and encouraged, in the game.”
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  • China Tackles Internet Porn

    China Tackles Internet PornThe month of May saw a month-long crackdown on Internet porn in China. The combined forces of 10 ministries lead the closing of 300 domestic porn and ‘salacious’ sites being closed down.

    Li Baozhong, head of the official press watchdog and deputy director of the national anti-porn and anti-piracy office also reported that they’d blocked 4,000 links to porn sites and filtered out more than 10,000 ‘online porn games’ – we’ve no idea what these porn games could be.

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  • Sky Probed Over ITV Share Holding

    Sky Probed Over ITV Share HoldingThe UK Department of Trade and Industry has referred Rupert Murdoch’s Sky purchase of nearly 18% share holding in major UK broadcaster ITV.

    In the words of Alistair Darling, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, “My decision reflects consideration of the reports I have received from both the Office of Fair Trading and Ofcom and of other representations I have received about this matter.”

    This action won’t be unexpected at Sky, Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading recommended this back on 27 April this year.

    Sky has released the following statementSky notes today’s announcement by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. We look forward to engaging with the Competition Commission as the ongoing regulatory process enters its next phase.Translation: Bring it on.

  • A Fair(y) Use Tale

    A Fair(y) Use TaleProfessor Eric Faden of Bucknell University has been a clever bunny. He’s used clips from many of Disney’s films to explain how copyright law and fair use works in the America.

    Even if you’re a copyright nut who thinks that these rights should be extended indefinitely, excluding others from benefiting for the same advantages that Disney had, of building on others works that came before, you’ll appreciate the skill and patience that were required to make it.

    (Watch it after the jump)
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