Tag: European Union
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Ding Dong The Wicked ACTA is Dead!
I spend far too long complaining about this injustice or that, so it’s nice for once have good news – European Parliament yesterday threw out the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The right decision – people will blather on about rights-holders and piracy, but a much bigger issue was how the US steamrollered this treaty (it…
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First SOPA/PIPA – then ACTA. Round 2!
OK fresh from the wins of the Great Internet Blackout, it’s time to remember that ACTA, The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (remember that?) has NOT gone away, it’s coming up for the final vote in the European Union, despite major problems with the lack of transparency, a massive vote against it in 2010, private and public…
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We’re living in a police state
Well those in the UK are – and should be concerned because Orwell’s predictions (and even Alan Moore’s in V for Vendetta) are seemingly comng true. With The Fear this time being terrorism – despite a terrorist attack happening last nearly 4 years ago – they are clamping down on a variety of things. They…
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Shame in the East
Well for the next couple of months it’s Pride season, traditionally June because of Stonewall but London Pride is in July and Brighton is in August. Prides in this country are fun mostly apolitical affairs (I’ve commented on that in the podcast before now). But spare a thought for those in countries where it’s still…
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Legal mashups? Gowers review & Warners
As mentioned here before Open Right Group (podcasters might know them as Suw Charman spoke at the PodcastCon in another capacity) have been lobbying the Government and the Gowers Review, commissioned by the Treasury, into not extending the current UK copyright laws Cliff Richards and others were lobbying to extend musical copyright from the existing…