From Orgwiki

Please add links to stories in reverse chronological order. Links should be in the form date publication, name of news source, title of the article, author, one line synopsis of what it's about, and whether or not anyone from ORG was actually quoted or whether we were just mentioned.

Contents 1 2008 1.1 November 1.2 October 1.3 September 1.4 August 1.5 July 1.6 June 1.7 May 1.8 April 1.9 March 1.10 February 1.11 January 2 2007 2.1 November 2.2 October 2.3 September 2.4 August 2.5 July 2.6 June 2.7 May 2.8 April 2.9 March 2.10 February 2.11 January 3 2006 3.1 December 3.2 November 3.3 October 3.4 September 3.5 August 3.6 July 3.7 June 3.8 May 3.9 April 3.10 March 3.11 February 3.12 January 4 2005

[edit] 2008

[edit] November

2008-11-19 - Telecom TV - '3 Strikes' could be back for a second innings warn rights groups

Author: Ian Scales

Summary: The important amendments to the European Parliament's Telecoms Package, passed at the end of September, may end up being for nothing if the Commission and the Parliament 'do a deal', say observers... To add to the suspicion, the UK's Open Rights Group points out that those good amendments have apparently been deleted by the Commission in the proposed final text... Just to reinforce the real and current danger posed by the Telecoms Package, the Open Rights Group has completed a legal analysis and says it provides a set of "crucial obligations' on Europe's telecoms companies and ISPs to "co-operate" with the copyright industries. It shows how the various tendrils of the package could all be brought together at the end of the process to give a green light to European governments to proceed with 3 strikes laws.

2008-11-18 - IAB UK - Online advertising ‘does not compromise privacy’

Summary: After a lively debate in a packed Grand Committee Room at the House of Commons last night, the Parliamentary Debating Group and assembled audience voted to oppose the motion “online advertising compromises privacy”... [Next] was Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, a grassroots campaign for civil liberties in the digital world. “I’m not here to debate that advertising is an intrusion”, Hogge began. Indeed she explained that she was there to oppose what she sees as “something more sinister”, namely “the harnessing of data about our browsing habits online”. Hogge’s argument centred around “the right to disclose selectively”. She attacked Walmsley’s comments about “geeks and technofiles” and argued that it shows “advertisers are falling into the trap of thinking they are cleverer than consumers”. For her the crucial point is that providers are “intercepting” communications “to sell advertising”. This she said is “as bad for advertisers as it is for the market”.

2008-11-13 - The Stage - The Stage: Insight

Author: Kay Smith

Summary: The EU Commission has accepted proposals to extend musician’s copyright from 50 to 95 years, despite unfavourable independent reports and fierce campaigning from the Open Rights Group.

Note: Doesn't seem to be available online.

2008-11-05 - Mac User - ORG: file sharing talks have locked out" consumers

Author: Simon Aughton

Summary: Consumers have been locked out of discussions on how to tackle unauthorised file sharing, according to the Open Rights Group's contribution to the government's consultation process.

[edit] October

2008-10-27 - PC Pro - E-voting vetoed for 2009 election

Author: Stuart Turton

Summary: The Government says it has no plans to roll out e-voting for the next election, potentially signalling an end to its interest in the technology... Trials of the technology have already drawn heavy criticism, with its use in London's 2008 mayoral election described by the Open Rights Group as "weak in design and testing."

2008-10-17 - Computer World UK - Government backtracks on electronic surveillance plans

Author: Jeremy Kirk

Summary: The proposal, in the Communications Data Bill, would allow the government to collect data on phone calls and other electronic communication. The government planned to put the proposal in Parliament's upcoming legislative agenda, but opted instead on Wednesday to conduct a consultation next year due to concerns about intrusive monitoring of private citizens. "It's a sensitive issue, and there needs to be a proper public debate," a Home Office spokesman said. ... The Open Rights Group, a pressure group that monitors Internet-related privacy and legal issues, said it supported the government's decision for a consultation. "Creating this database would drastically alter the relationship between the citizen and the state, handing national security and law enforcement agencies immense power to invade the private lives of ordinary people," wrote Becky Hogge, the group's executive director.

2008-10-16 - PC World - UK Slows Down Plan for Sweeping Electronic Surveillance

Author: Jeremy Kirk

Summary: The British government is slowing down a proposal that would give law enforcement sweeping power to collect electronic data as a measure to prevent terrorism. ... The Open Rights Group, a nongovernmental group that monitors Internet-related privacy and legal issues, said it supported the government's decision for a consultation. "Creating this database would drastically alter the relationship between the citizen and the state, handing national security and law enforcement agencies immense power to invade the private lives of ordinary people," wrote Becky Hogg, the group's executive director.

Note: Also reprinted in Macworld, [Computerworld]

2008-10-08 - The Guardian - Democracy needs spontaneity

Author: John Ozimek

Summary: Fear not Freedom day will publicise our drift towards a surveillance society, as our freedom to demonstrate is being undermined. ... This Saturday is Fear not Freedom day. It is a day intended to publicise our gradual drift toward a surveillance society - not just in the UK, but across Europe. Some 23 countries are likely to be participating in activities of one form or another. In the UK, one event will take place in Parliament Square. It will be a collage of photos intended to illustrate the extent of surveillance, and will be organised by NO2ID and the Open Rights Group. It is an arts event. An image. Whatever else it is, it is not a demonstration.

[edit] September

2008-09-26 - Ars Technica - EU Parliament: Only judges can order 'Net disconnections

Author: Nate Anderson

Summary: France's much talked about "three strikes" law receive a spirited non! from the European Parliament this week, but French and EU officials are already claiming that the vote won't ultimately impact so-called "graduated response" schemes. The EU Parliament voted Wednesday to pass the "Telecom Package," a major overhaul of European telecom rules that will turn the entire region into a single market for the purposes of selling mobile, landline, and Internet services... Hundreds of amendments were tabled, making the entire legislative process difficult to follow, but two of the key changes proposed were Amendments 133 and 138. As the UK's Open Rights Group points out, 133 would have prevented EU countries from requiring local ISPs to filter content.

2008-09-26 - Audioholics - EU 45 Year Copyright Extension Plan to Net Aging Musicians a Cool €30

Author: David Waratuke

Summary: With compact disc sales tanking year over year and recording artist long abused by the system becoming independent via the Internet, the recording industry is in a world wide frenzy to grab whatever source of cash they can. Looking to get the kind of copyright extension that they enjoy in the States, courtesy of Sonny Bono and Mickey Mouse, the recording industry has recently convinced the European Commission (EC) that an additional 45 years of copyright are just what poor, aging musicians need to make it through their Golden Years. Responding to a request for comments on the EU copyright proposal from the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), the UK based Open Rights Group (ORG) has taken a bit harder look at music industry claims about who actually benefits from copyright than the EC.

2008-09-08 - Ars Technica - 80% of artists would get <€30/year from copyright extension

Author: Nate Anderson

Summary: The EU is considering a plan to extend musical copyrights for another 45 years, ostensibly to help out aging performers who are being cut off when the current 50-year terms expire. But those musicians (can someone introduce them to the concept of saving for retirement?) won't see much of the new cash, according to the UK's Open Rights Group. Most performers will make less than €30 a year, even as major labels and big stars take far more. ... Given the EU's proposal, ORG can't help but wonder if facts weren't the primary determinant in choosing to go forward with a term extension fight; the evidence "strongly suggests that [the Commission] has been swayed by special-interest lobbying," says the group.

2008-09-08 - OUT-LAW.COM - Copyright changes would only earn fifty cents a year for artists, say activists

Summary: The European Commission's proposal to extend copyright protection for musicians is a windfall for record companies that will net performers as little as €0.50 a year, according to a digital rights pressure group. The Open Rights Group (ORG) has produced an analysis of the figures used by the Commission itself to conclude that the move is designed to benefit the music industry and not, as Commissioner Charlie McCreevy asserts, performers. The ORG figures show that all but the top 20% of earning performers in the music industry can expect to earn between an extra 59 cents and €26.79 a year under the extension from 50 to 95 years. Record labels, though, will earn an extra €200,000 to €4.1 million a year each under the new scheme, it said. "Now at least we get to the heart of the matter that this is a windfall for record labels," said ORG's research.

[edit] August

2008-08-19 - Reuters Blogs - Is file-sharing morally wrong?

Author: Peter Griffiths

Summary: A woman who shared a pinball game online has been ordered to pay 16,000 pounds in compensation and legal costs to its creator. ... Cracking down on file sharers will simply drive them further underground, making it even harder for companies to make money out of their content, according to contributors on the Open Rights Group website.

2008-08-19 - BBC - Game sharers face legal crackdown

Summary: A British woman who put a game on a file-sharing network has been ordered to pay damages to the game's creator. Topware Interactive has won more than £16,000 following legal action against the woman who shared a copy of Dream Pinball 3D. ... Becky Hogge, director of the Open Rights Group that campaigns on cyber liberties issues, said: "An open court process with a full report is certainly preferable to justice of the type being mooted by the government on P2P, where activity takes place behind closed doors through industry action." She added that awards for damages had to be realistic and not made to act as a "deterrent". "In relation to the orders for release of personal data, it is important that court processes do not become rubberstamps for industry action but retain judicial safeguards and independence," said Ms Hogge.

2008-08-01 - The Register - Electoral Commission criticises London e-counting

Summary: The Electoral Commission has registered concerns over the electronic counting of votes in London's recent elections. ... Its findings reflect those of an earlier (pdf) from the Open Rights Group, which it accredited as an observer to the elections. This says that over-sensitive scanners could have caused some blank ballots to record votes, and that the screens by the scanners provided data that was meaningless to observers.

[edit] July

2008-07-31 - Kable - Commission joins e-count critics

Summary: The Electoral Commission has registered concerns over the electronic counting of votes in London's recent elections. It highlights a number of issues in a report on the elections for the mayor and the London Assembly. Among these are apparent discrepancies between the number of ballot papers recorded as having been issued and the number scanned. ... Its findings reflect those of an earlier report from the Open Rights Group, which it accredited as an observer to the elections. This says that over-sensitive scanners could have caused some blank ballots to record votes, and that the screens by the scanners provided data that was meaningless to observers.

2008-07-25 - The Sun - You a music pirate, son?

Author: Leon Watson

Summary: Hundreds of of thousands of kids face being grilled by their parents — as warning letters are sent to internet music pirates. ... But Becky Hogge, chief executive of consumer champions Open Rights Group, said: "This is a disproportionate response." "It will have the effect of driving illicit file sharing further underground."

At least 66 news sources around the world ran The Associated Press article that contained quotes from Becky.

2008-07-24 - The Telegraph - Parents face fines if children illegally download music or films from web

Author: Robert Winnett and Nicole Martin

Summary: Parents face having their internet viewing restricted if their children continue to illegally download music or films, under a Government-backed crackdown. ... Becky Hogge, the executive director of the Open Rights Group, which campaigns for internet freedom, said: "Disconnection is not a good option - either for internet users or for the artists whose livelihoods are harmed by illicit file-sharing." "Not only is the punishment disproportionate to the crime, in most households, an internet connection is shared by a number of people. What's more, as soon as law enforcers start snooping for IP addresses to pass on to ISPs for disconnection, hardcore file-sharers will simply start using encryption and IP-masking to obfuscate their identities."

2008-07-24 - The Guardian - Transcript from BPI call with journalists this morning

Author: Charles Arthur

Summary: A (rough) transcript of what the BPI said. No per-month "tax"; and both up- and downloaders will be targeted with "hundreds of thousands" of letters ... Q: The Open Rights Group says consumers' voices haven't been heard in this, just industry. GT: we don't have to worry about groups not making their views heard, the consultation is going on, government was alive to the interests of consumers. We as an industry are very focused on finding ways to with this problem. But we can't duck this issue. It's vital to the future.

2008-07-24 - BBC Radio 4 Today Show - Internet firms tackle music piracy

Summary: Six of the UK's biggest internet service providers are believed to be backing a government plan to tackle music piracy online. Andy Burnham, culture secretary, musician Billy Bragg and Becky Hodge, of consumers' digital rights campaign the Open Rights Group, discuss whether this will stop the illegal downloading of music files.

2008-07-22 - Ars Technica - Experts attack Big Content's EU copyright power-grab

Author: Nate Anderson

Summary: Now that the EU plan to retroactively add 45 years of copyright protection to old sound recordings looks set to keep the work of the 50s and 60s locked up for another half century, resistance is solidifying... The UK's Open Rights Group has some strong words of its own for the plan, which it sees as more of a rights grab than an attempt to help poverty-stricken musicians. "While granting unending intellectual property rights may sound good," said the group, "a fair and balanced approach means that legislators must avoid dismissing economic rationale and the traps of faith based policy and voodoo economics that simply grant IP rightsholders requests for more."

2008-07-18 - ZDNet - E-voting flawed in London election, say campaigners

Author: Tom Espiner

Summary: Digital rights campaigners have repeated assertions that the May 2008 London mayoral election results were potentially flawed due to e-voting problems. The mayoral elections were won by Conservative candidate Boris Johnson. However, Open Rights Group (ORG) campaigners asserted that as many as 41,000 votes could have been miscounted, and that the final result could, therefore, have been skewed.

2008-07-17 - Computer Active - EU moves to extend copyright for performers

Author: Dinah Greek

Summary: Musicians will retain copyright on sound recordings for 95 years if proposals from the European Commission (EC) are made law. ... However ,opponents argue that sound recordings of 50 years old or more should be released from copyright in order to benefit all society. A review carried out in 2006 for the UK Government by Andrew Gowers, former editor of the Financial Times, dismissed the music industry’s call for this extension; he even said he had considered shortening the term. His decision to leave it at 50 years was backed by an EC report on copyright, The Recasting of Copyright & Related Rights for the Knowledge Economy as well as the Open Rights Group and some musicians' groups. They argue that not only will it stifle creativity but the record labels, rather than the performers, are the ones most likely to benefit

2008-07-07 - BBC News - Europe votes on anti-piracy laws

Summary: Europeans suspected of putting movies and music on file-sharing networks could be thrown off the web under proposals before Brussels. The powers are in a raft of laws that aim to harmonise the regulations governing Europe's telecom markets... The UK's Open Rights Group said the laws would be "disproportionate and ineffective".

2008-07-06 - The Register - Europe drafts law to disconnect suspected filesharers

Author: Jan Libbenga

Summary: France has suggested an amendment to the pan-European Telecoms Package, which would bar broadband access to anyone who persists in illegally downloading music or films... Action groups Netzpolitik.org, Open Rights Group and La Quadrature du Net (Squaring the Net) have been actively campaigning on the issue. They believe the amendments will "pave the way for the monitoring and filtering of the internet by private companies, exceptional courts and Orwellian technical measures".

2008-07-04 - Hendon Times - Polling allegations to be investigated

Author: Kevin Bradford

Summary: Problems at the polls during this year's London elections will be investigated as part of a review of the election process. The London Assembly's elections review committee will look into reasons why ballot papers arrived late to five polling stations in Mill Hill and investigate claims that some residents were unable to vote for up to an hour at one location in Friern Barnet... The review will also investigate a claim made by the Open Rights Group (ORG) that problems with the counting technology could have resulted in up to 41,000 ballot papers being unaccounted for.

2008-07-03 - BBC News - Warning letters to 'file-sharers'

Summary: Virgin Media has sent about 800 letters to customers warning them that they should not be downloading illegal music files via file-sharing sites. ... Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said the letters were a disproportionate response from the music industry. "We need to protect users from punitive measures," she said. She said the music industry had to be in a position of offering a viable alternative before it clamped down on the activities of some users. "Stopping illicit file-sharing might not be as effective a measure as trying to monetise it," she said.

2008-07-02 - This Is London - Investigation launched into '41,000 missing votes'

Summary: An investigation has been launched into claims that there is "insufficient evidence" that the results of London elections were accurate. The London Assembly Elections Review Committee will question individuals and institutions responsible for administering May's vote and count at a City Hall meeting on July 17. The Open Rights Group, which raised concerns about the way the poll was conducted, will also give evidence.

2008-07-02 - 24dash - Thousands of ballots 'miscounted' in London Mayoral election

Author: Jon Land

Summary: The legitimacy of Boris Johnson's victory in the London Mayoral elections was today thrown into question by a new report into how the count was carried out. According to the report, published by the Open Rights Group, electronic voting methods used in the May ballot could have miscounted up to 41,000 ballot papers. The ORG report stated: “There is insufficient evidence available to allow independent observers to state reliably whether the results declared in the May 2008 elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly are an accurate representation of voters’ intentions.”

2008-07-02 - PC Pro - London election "lost up to 41,000 votes"

Author: Matthew Sparkes

Summary: Electronic voting methods used in the recent London Mayoral elections may have miscounted or mislaid up to 41,000 ballots, claims the Open Rights Group... "On count day, efforts towards transparency around the recording of valid votes were nothing more than a pretence: hundreds of screens were set up by the scanners to show almost meaningless data to observers, party candidates and agents, while officials admit that underneath the system was likely to be recording blank ballots as valid votes," says a report from the ORG.

2008-07-02 - Guardian Technology - London mayoral election: doubts over 41,000 votes counted by machine

Author: Bobbie Johnson

Summary: The results of the London mayoral elections have been called into question after independent observers cast doubt on the hi-tech process used to count ballot papers. A report today from the Open Rights Group (ORG), which closely monitors the use of electronic voting systems, claims that problems with the technology could have resulted in as many as 41,000 ballots going unaccounted for in the May elections. "The system threw up a number of problems and an unacceptable level of uncertainty," said Becky Hogge, executive director of the organisation, which campaigns on technological issues that affect members of the public.

[edit] June

2008-06-19 - Guardian Technology - Call Doctor Who: BBC's Highfield stuck in a time warp

Author: Bobbie Johnson

Summary: Never let it be said that the BBC's head of digital Ashley Highfield is behind the times. In a posting on the BBC website today, he ponders the question of net neutrality and whether ISPs should have any liability for illegal content that is being shared on their networks. A hot topic, to be sure... Not only that, but the response he quotes at length from the Open Rights Group, which he says was issued "last week" was actually from (yes) two years ago (July 2006, to be precise.)

2008-06-12 - The Word Magazine - Hello. Here comes a music tax

Author: David Hepworth

Summary: In other words the music industry would get the people who run ISPs or manufacture iPods to pay them a sum of money to compensate them for the loss of revenue that these technologies entail. I'm no lawyer but I don't see how this can work. ... The BPI's argument is here. The counter-argument, from the Open Rights Group, is here. What do you think?

2008-06-10 - Computer Weekly BCS urges opt-in policy for Phorm to build trust

Author: Justin Richards

Summary: The British Computer Society (BCS) is urging Phorm and other profile-based internet advertising systems to adopt an "opt-in" approach to help build consumer trust... The Foundation for Information Policy Research and the Open Rights Group, a campaigning organisation that raises the awareness of digital rights and civil liberties issues, has produced an analysis of Phorm's system, highlighting potential privacy issues.

2008-06-06 - PC Pro - Virgin begins file-sharing offensive

Author: Simon Aughton

Summary: Virgin Media and the British Phonographic Institute are to begin sending warning letters to Virgin broadband subscribers who they allege have been illegally sharing music files... A Virgin spokesman [says], "We want people to enjoy music online without infringing the rights of musicians and music companies. This campaign is about helping our customers understand how they can do this." But the ISP is not yet threatening to disconnect persistent sharers, though it will warn them that this is a possibility... Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group says that she welcomes Virgin's commitment not to disconnect its customers, but warned the threats may yet cause problems: "A hard core of dedicated illicit file-sharers will instantly route around any IP sniffing that goes on by using encryption. Then they'll develop tools for less tech-savvy users to take advantage of encryption. And then we'll be back where we started."

2008-06-04 - Computeract!ve - Facebook lets people “sniff out their friends”

Author: Andrea-Marie Vassou

Summary: People will soon be able to find their friends using their mobile phone signals... It works through similar technology used by the police to track down suspects or missing children via their mobile phone... However, Michael Holloway, a representative for privacy organisation the Open Rights Group, warned that the technology could be dangerous. He said: "The technology to track people via their phones has been available for quite some time, but as with all systems, the devil is in the detail, of which we are unaware. One interesting and useful implication of Sniff would be addressing the concept of 'friend' in the context of social networks, which has been until now largely meaningless.”

[edit] May

2008-05-22 - New Statesman - Protected species

Author: Becky Hogge

Summary: The story was so British it hurt. A keen knitter, who also happened to be a Doctor Who fan, designed a set of knitting patterns and posted them on her blog so that other knitters, who might also be keen Doctor Who fans, could knit their favourite characters from the current series. Not David Tennant or Catherine Tate, but the Adiposes - little creatures bred from human fat by an alien "Nanny" - and the Oods - a telepathic race lobotomised and subjected to willing slavery by the humans of the 25th century. But you will know the story of Doctor Who and the knitting by now. It was so British that when my organisation, the Open Rights Group, publicised it, it went national almost instantly.

2008-05-20 - Age Concern - Monster knitter warned

Author: Adfero Ltd

Summary: A Dr Who fan who created and gave away online knitting patterns for the show's monsters has been told to remove them from her website. ... Following the warning the sci-fi fan approached the Open Rights Group for advice and it publicised her case. This week the BBC replied, saying: "We are not heavy-handed when it comes to fans creating their own products out of a love for the show."

2008-05-19 - Experian QAS - Data privacy groups attack planned employers' 'black-list'

Summary: Data security experts and workers' organisations have hit out at plans to introduce an online database which would allow employers to list former employees accused of misconduct. ... However, according to the NGO The Open Rights Group, such a database would "undermine the courts" and allow employers to punish former workers in a "non-judicial manner". Becky Hogge, executive director of the organisation, explained: "This proposal seems like it is wide-open to being abused against both workplace rights activists and whistle-blowers. A throwback to darker times made all the more sinister with 21st-century data-breach and mining technologies. She added: "The Information Commissioner's powers are weak and ineffectual, and his office is completely without the resources to police and act as an alternative 'after the fact' industrial tribunal, which appears to be what is proposed."

2008-05-18 - Sunday Herald - The sorry yarn about Dr Who’s Knitted Ood™

Author: Roxanne Sorooshian

Summary: Beware, Dr Who fans. Auntie Beeb can get heavy if you mess with The Brand. So discovered a 26-year-old, known only by her online moniker Mazzmatazz, who became embroiled in a row with the corporation last week over knitting patterns. ... Her case was publicised by the Open Rights Group, a lobbying organisation specialising in digital rights issues. Executive director Becky Hogge said: "In the offline world, what she's doing would be fine. But because she's doing it online, which is a public space, it causes a problem." Best hide behind the sofa.

2008-05-17 - The Times - BBC chiefs soften over Doctor Who fan's toys

Author: Dan Sabbag

Summary: A report in The Times and a very British public outcry yesterday persuaded the BBC to adopt the knitting patterns used to create the Doctor Who monsters - instead of threatening to force them out of existence. ... Becky Hogge, from the Open Rights Group, said: "This is great news for Mazzmatazz, but this does not change the law. It is very easy for media companies to threaten fans of their content, and we'd like the law changed to give fans more rights".

2008-05-15 - The Stage - Woolly Thinking

Author: Mark Wright

Summary: A Doctor Who fan who is known only as Mazzmatazz has fallen foul of the BBC’s legal arm for posting some really very cute knitting patterns on the internet, giving instructions on how to knit your very own Ood or adorable Adipose. ... “We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off hand-bags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future.” Becky Hodge, executive director of the open rights group, has said in relation to this story.

2008-05-15 - Channel 4 - Knitter needles the BBC

Summary: A Doctor Who fan has been told by the BBC to stop producing knitting patterns from the sci-fi TV series. The Open Rights Group, an advocacy organisation for civil and consumer rights, is helping to publicise the case. Becky Hogge, the group's executive director, said: "We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off handbags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future."

2008-05-15 - ITV - Knitter needles the BBC

Summary: BBC Worldwide contacted "Mazzmatazz", after she began creating patterns of creatures like the Ood and the Adipose for her online knitting circle. ... The Open Rights Group, an advocacy organisation for civil and consumer rights, is helping to publicise the case. Becky Hogge, the group's executive director, said: "We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off handbags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future.

2008-05-15 - The Sun - Beeb tries to extermi-knit!

Author: Colin Robertson

Summary: A DOCTOR Who fan has been banned from giving away KNITTING patterns of the show’s characters. ... Ood ... stitched up ... Becky Hogge of campaigners The Open Rights Group, which advised her, said: "It is not causing the BBC to lose money. It is actually enriching their output."

2008-05-14 - United Press International - Fan knits tribute to 'Dr. Who,' BBC irked

Summary: A British fan of the long-running BBC show "Doctor Who" was threatened with legal action for creating knitted versions of the show's monsters. ... Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group -- a British organization that advocates on digital rights and civil liberties issues -- suggested copyright law needs to be changed to protect fan tributes to popular movies, TV shows and books. "We need to recognize that there is a difference between selling knock-off hand-bags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future," said Hogge.

2008-05-14 - RTE - Beeb bans Dr Who fan's knitting patterns

Summary: The BBC has told a 'Doctor Who' fan to stop making knitting patterns based on the TV series. ... The Open Rights Group, which advocates for civil and consumer rights in the UK, has supported the 'Dr Who' fan. A spokeswoman said: "We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off handbags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future.

2008-05-14 - Web User - Doctor Who aliens spark online row

Summary: A Doctor Who fan has removed knitting patterns of characters from the TV show from her website after a request from the BBC. ... While Becky Hogge, the executive director of the Open Rights Group, wrote: "The approach the BBC have taken with Mazz's knitting patterns demonstrates a distinct lack of flexibility." "It is quite possible that through transforming the characters in Doctor Who into knitting patterns, Mazz may have infringed upon the BBC's copyright. But it's hard to see how Mazz's non-commercial knitting patterns actually damage the commercial interests of the BBC."

2008-05-14 - Metro - Dr Who knitter 'crossed the line', says BBC

Summary: A Doctor Who fan has been told by the BBC to stop producing knitting patterns from the sci-fi TV series ... The Open Rights Group, an advocacy organisation for civil and consumer rights, is helping to publicise the case. Becky Hogge, the group's executive director, said: "We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off handbags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future."

2008-05-14 - Daily Mail - BBC monsters Dr Who fan for creating internet knitting patterns of the sci-fi series' characters

Summary: At first glance it is hard to tell what they are. But these knitted blobs have landed one unsuspecting Dr Who fan in hot water with the BBC. ... After her Dr Who patterns were discovered on the internet, Mazzmatazz was sent a letter by the BBC demanding she remove all the designs from her website. ... Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, which helped to publicise the case, said it illustrated the problems with copyright law. "This case illustrates what's wrong with copyright law in the digital age, it can't really discern between a breach by people sharing knitting patterns of popular characters or a guy on a market stall selling knock-off handbags." She said Mazz had not been selling either patterns or dolls and her activities had not harmed the BBC's commercial interests.

2008-05-14 - BBC - Dr Who fan in knitted puppet row

Summary: A Doctor Who fan is embroiled in a row with the BBC after she published knitting patterns for the sci-fi drama's monsters on the internet. ... Her case is being publicised by the Open Rights Group, a lobbying organisation which specialises in digital rights issues. ... Executive director Becky Hogge told BBC News: "She doesn't feel she's doing anything wrong yet she's being threatened with legal action." "In the offline world, what she'd be doing would be fine. But because she's doing it online, which is a public space, it causes a problem."

2008-05-14 - The Telegraph - Doctor Who's new enemy: the BBC lawyers

Author: Andy Bloxham

Summary: A Doctor Who fan who gave away knitting patterns which created vague recreations of the programme's aliens has been threatened with legal action by the BBC for copyright infringement. ... Legal experts said the case showed the changing nature of copyright on the internet. ... Becky Hogge, the executive director of the Open Rights Group, which helped to publicise the case, said: "We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off hand-bags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future."

2008-05-13 - The Times - Alien knitting patterns undo Dr Who fan

Author: Dan Sabbagh

Summary: A Doctor Who fan who created knitting patterns for the programme’s monsters and gave them away online has been told by the BBC to stop or face the threat of court action. Becky Hogge, the executive director of the Open Rights Group, which helped to publicise the case after trying to advise Mazzmatazz, said: "We need to recognise that there is a difference between selling knock-off hand-bags in the market, and fans who are making tributes and contributing to creativity in the future."

[edit] April

2008-04-11 - BBC - Europe rejects anti-piracy plans

Summary: European politicians have voted down calls to throw suspected file-sharers off the net. The idea to cut off persistent pirates formed part of a wide-ranging report on creative industries written for the European parliament. the Open Rights Group, it does "signify resistance" among European law makers to the strict measures that nations such as France are implementing.

2008-04-11 - ITPro - EU rejects file-sharing laws

Summary: The European Parliament threw out attempts to criminalise file sharing in a plenary vote yesterday. Although not legally binding, the 'no' vote is expected to hamper plans on the part of some governments in Europe to introduce a 'three-strikes' rule that would force internet service providers (ISPs) to ban users found sharing copyrighted files of music, TV shows or films via peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. ... The Open Rights Group (ORG) backed the decision and observed: "The report is not legally binding, but it does signify resistance among MEPs to measures currently being implemented in France to disconnect suspected illicit file sharers."

2008-04-11 - The Inquirer - EU Parliament rejects file sharing ban

Author: Nick Farrell

Summary: The eu parliment narrowly threw out a vote that would have banned file sharing by private individuals and decided against banning copyright abusers from the Internet. ... The move has been at the instigation of France, which already has similar laws in place ... Many observers, including the UK-based Open Rights Group, expect it to push for EU-wide rules similar to its own.

2008-04-11 - Slashdot - Europe Rejects Plan To Criminalize File-Sharing

Summary: Lineker points out a report that the European Parliament has rejected plans to criminalize file-sharing by private individuals. The amendment to remove the anti-piracy measures passed by a vote of 314-297. The decision is expected to influence how France, with its strict anti-piracy polices, approaches this issue when it assumes the EU presidency later this year. From InfoWorld: "France's so-called Oliviennes strategy to combat copyright abuse includes a 'three strikes and you are out' approach: Offenders lose the right to an Internet account after being caught sharing copyright-protected music over the Internet for a third time. The report is significant because it 'signifies resistance among MEPs to measures currently being implemented in France to disconnect suspected illicit filesharers,' the Open Rights Group said in a statement.

2008-04-10 - The Register - Civil liberties groups challenge Data Retention Directive in ECJ

Summary: UK groups the Open Rights Group (ORG), Statewatch and Privacy International, amongst 40 others, have submitted their arguments in support of Ireland's ongoing case to have the Directive repealed.

2008-04-09 - OUT-LAW - Civil liberties groups challenge Data Retention Directive in ECJ

Summary: European civil liberties groups have lodged an objection to the EU's Data Retention Directive with the European Court of Justice, claiming that the Directive breaches a fundamental right to privacy guaranteed in the European Convention on Human Rights. UK groups the Open Rights Group (ORG), Statewatch and Privacy International, amongst 40 others, have submitted their arguments in support of Ireland's ongoing case to have the Directive repealed.

2008-04-07 - ZDNet - Thinktank: Phorm a 'green light for lawbreaking'

Author: David Meyer

Summary: The Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) said on Sunday that it hoped the Information Commissioner would "reconsider what appears to be a green light for lawbreaking". These words came after the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) made a long-awaited statement about the system, which is called Phorm. ... "We have had detailed discussions with Phorm. They assure us that their system does not allow the retention of individual profiles of sites visited and adverts presented, and that they hold no personally identifiable information on web users," the ICO said. "Indeed, Phorm assert that their system has been designed specifically to allow the appropriate targeting of adverts whilst rigorously protecting the privacy of web users. They clearly recognise the need to address the concerns raised by a number of individuals and organisations including the Open Rights Group."

2008-04-05 - The Scotsman - BT under fire over 'spyware'

Author: Matt Williams

Summary: Privacy campaigners criticised BT yesterday after the telecoms giant admitted "spying" on its broadband customers. The Open Rights Group said software BT used to track the web-browsing habits of 36,000 people was potentially illegal. The data watchdog, the Information Commissioner is now investigating, following a complaint. BT said spyware software developed by US firm Phorm was trialled on customers during 2006 and 2007.

2008-04-04 - Channel 4 News - BT condemned on internet 'spying'

Summary: Privacy campaigners have attacked BT after the telecoms giant admitted to "spying" on thousands of its broadband customers. The Open Rights Group said software used by the firm to track the web-browsing habits of 36,000 people was potentially illegal. Data watchdog the Information Commissioner is now looking into the affair following a complaint.

[edit] March

2008-03-18 - Information World Review - Phorm slammed as 'illegal'

Summary: Online advert system Phorm is in contravention of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and illegal in the UK, according to the Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR). ... The Open Rights Group (ORG) recently raised concerns over potential privacy violations caused by the ad system Phorm. "Until we know exactly how Phorm works, and across whose networks our data will flow, speculation about the privacy implications will continue", said ORG in a statement.

2008-03-17 - The Market Research Industry - BT Accused of Bad Phorm

Summary: UK ‘phone giant BT is facing a possible lawsuit after it admitted using business customers’ data without permission, in a trial run for ‘Webwise’ software from analytics and ad-serving company Phorm. Others including Webfather Tim Berners-Lee have been joining the privacy debate.

2008-03-17 - Information Age - BT admits using customer data without consent

Summary: Telco confesses that test run for market analytics product Phorm used live customer data without permission; customers threaten lawsuit. ... Phorm, a web analytics package, has been accused of being ‘spy-ware’. The Open Rights Group (ORG) last week called for more details about Phorm – which has been trialled by BT, VirginMedia and TalkTalk – to be released to the public. ORG suspects that the software invades the privacy of web users. "Until we know exactly how Phorm works, and across whose networks our data will flow, speculation about the privacy implications will continue", said ORG.

2008-03-16 - BBC Click - The pros and cons of DRM

Summary: Is Digital Rights Management saving or killing music sales? Click's Spencer Kelly speaks to Richard Gooch from the International Federation of Phonographic Industry and Becky Hogge, director of the Open Rights Group.

2008-03-16 - Scotland on Sunday - True to Phorm

Summary: Internet service providers BT, Talk Talk and Virgin have opted into a trial of a new system that collects data about internet surfers' habits for advertising purposes. The Open Rights Group, a digital political campaign organisation, has complained that the system, called Phorm, violated the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act without benefiting customers.

2008-03-14 - Information World Review - Privacy group questions Phorm system

Author: Guy Dixon

Summary: The Open Rights Group has raised concerns over potential privacy violations caused by the Phorm advertising system. The monitoring system analyses users' surfing habits and is proving increasingly popular with ISPs looking to more accurately target subscribers with advertising. Talk Talk, Virgin and BT are all currently working with Phorm on a pilot basis.

Note: Also reprinted in WhatPc Privacy group questions Phorm system, CRN Privacy group questions Phorm system, IT Week Privacy group questions Phorm system, vnunet Privacy group questions Phorm system, Computing Privacy group questions Phorm system

2008-03-14 - Zero Paid - From Privacy to Censorship - Activists Have Their Hands Full

Summary: The Open Rights Group have recently compiled information related to the Phorm controversy. Essentially, Phorm is a technology employed by an Internet Service Provider to drop ads onto users browsers based on content being viewed. "On top of this, question marks are beginning to appear over Phorm’s compliance with the law. Can ISPs' employment of Phorm comply with the Data Protection Act?" Asks Open Rights Group poster Becky, "Is intercepting traffic in this manner an offence under section 1 of RIPA (the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act)? The Information Commissioner has issued a statement (pdf) saying his office is making inquiries – but is this enough?" Open Rights Group then points to a petition with over 4,000 signatures which demands that the government stop ISPs from breaching privacy through advertising technologies. The last known case of an ISP trying to intercept the browsing experience and placing content over top of the requested page occurred in Canada where Rogers placed warning messages about users net usage late last year. ...

2008-03-13 - Digital Trends - Phorm's ad system is proving very controversial in the UK, and it hasn't even started yet

Author: Christopher Nickson

Summary: Phorm’s ad system is proving very controversial in the UK, and it hasn’t even started yet. ... the Open Rights Group (ORG) is demanding more details about Webwise. "Until we know exactly how Phorm works, and across whose networks our data will flow, speculation about the privacy implications will continue," the group said, and wondered openly if the system complied with the law, although a Home Office review concluded that it did, as long as users gave their permission and also agreed to new terms and conditions.

2008-03-12 - BBC - Open Rights Group questions Phorm

Summary: Campaign body the Open Rights Group (ORG) has called for further detail on the workings of ad system Phorm. BT, Virgin and Talk Talk have signed up to trial the system, which intercepts users' web surfing to analyse habits. More than 2,500 people have signed a Downing Street petition expressing concern about privacy implications. "Until we know exactly how Phorm works, and across whose networks our data will flow, speculation about the privacy implications will continue", said ORG.

2008-03-12 - Boing Boing - Open Rights Group to Downing Street: find out how Phorm works!

Summary: Over the last few weeks, the story that BT, Virgin and TalkTalk are signed up to trial a new technology called Phorm, which tracks users' online surfing habits in order to target ads at them, has caused a storm all over the internet. The Open Rights Group (ORG) has called for further detail on the workings of ad system Phorm. More than 2,500 people have signed a Downing Street petition expressing concern about privacy implications. 'Until we know exactly how Phorm works, and across whose networks our data will flow, speculation about the privacy implications will continue', said ORG.

[edit] February

2008-02-24 - The Observer - MPs must thwart the dark plans of the state

Author: Henry Porter

Summary: Parliament has never been less vigilant about the many measures to increase Home Office power. In the name of the great democrats of the past, act now. ... If you want to know how Britain will be in 20 years' time, the best place to look is the legislation affecting children. An excellent report produced by, among others, Action on Rights for Children, Liberty, the Open Rights Group and No2ID, paints a horrific picture of the intensive surveillance of our children who are being conditioned to tolerate the collection of biometric data (fingerprints for library use) and the endless attention of these faceless monitors.

2008-02-15 - The Times - New lease of life for ageing rock stars

Author: Dan Sabbagh

Summary: Now the European Commission has struck a chord with the rock dinosaurs and their music companies by proposing that the rights for recorded music be extended from 50 to 95 years. ... Critics said that extending copyright would benefit only a few artists. Becky Hogge, from the campaign group Open Rights Forum, said: "A handful of artists will get most of the rewards, and it is not clear this will benefit the economy."

2008-02-14 - Intellectual Property Watch - European Commission Seeks Copyright Extension, New Levy Debate

Author: William New

Summary: In a flurry of intellectual property-related activity Thursday, the European Commission proposed extending copyright protection for performers from 50 to 95 years, resurrected debate on the contentious issue of copyright levies on blank media, and ranked member states on their innovativeness. ... McCreevy's move was welcomed by the International Federation for Phonographic Industry, which has been pushing for a longer term of protection for performers. The UK-based Open Rights Group, however, said McCreevy is ignoring evidence in favour of "emotive arguments." The case against copyright term extension was clearly made in the UK and in a study commissioned by the Internal Market Directorate-General, said the group’s executive director, Becky Hogge. Longer copyright terms risk "consigning vast swathes of cultural heritage to a commercial vacuum in favour of the very small percentage of tracks still making their creators money 5 years after they were laid down," she said.

2008-02-07 - BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours

Summary: Discussion about how consumer demand for new ways of distributing content online can lead (slowly) to changes in intellectual property and licensing practices. The debate was sparked by a new "online PVR" service, TVcatchup.com, which launched at the end of last year. Becky from the Open Rights Group explains some of the issues.

2008-02-06 - BBC - Rights attack on smart card plan

Summary: Civil liberties groups say Welsh A Assembly Government proposals for a "smart card" are a way of introducing identity cards "through the back door". ... However, Suw Charman, founder of the Open Rights group, which campaigns on digital rights, described the scheme as "pointless". She told the BBC Wales programme CF99 on S4C: "I haven't seen an argument about what's wrong with the existing cards." "Why do we need to put all this information on one smart card that's going to keep a log on what people do and where they go? It's treating people like criminals."

[edit] January

2008-01-23 - Computer Active - ID cards to arrive in 2012

Author: Andrea-Marie Vassou

Summary: UK citizens will receive their compulsory national ID card two years after the proposed date, according to documents leaked to the Conservative party. ... Security expert Richard Clayton agreed, attributing the delay to the Government's recent "incompetent handling of private data". Becky Hogge, director at the the Open Rights Group told Computeractive: "It would come as no surprise if the Government was to reconsider its plans for ID cards given its recent record on data protection."

2008-01-09 - OUT-LAW - Commission consultation: the need for pan-European copyright licence

Summary: The European Commission says European media businesses should be able to offer creative content in a single legal environment. It has launched a consultation that calls for multi-territory licences and interoperable digital rights management (DRM) systems. Digital media rights activists, though, have warned that the plan covers much more ground than just copyright, and that consumer rights could be damaged by it. ... the plan could threaten consumer rights in a number of areas, according to digital consumer rights pressure group the Open Rights Group (ORG). "Looking at some of the details of the European Commission consultation document it seems to be that they are proposing a lot more than just a cross Europe licensing scheme," said Becky Hogg, executive director of ORG. "There is stuff here about transparency and interoperability in digital rights management systems, there is stuff about codes of conduct between internet service providers and rights holders to encourage legal access and discourage unauthorised file sharing." "These sorts of proposals have been causing waves in the consumer rights community since the last part of last year when France announced an experimental project where ISPs would monitor and disconnect users suspected of illicit file-sharing online," she said. Hogg said that the consultation was likely to touch on difficult questions that the UK has already answered, such as the proposed extension of the copyright term in sound recordings beyond the current 50 year limit. This was a proposal that was rejected by Andrew Gowers in his 2006 review of intellectual property law, which the Treasury has backed. "Gowers has already rejected this so it will be interesting to see how that goes, but we will be keen to see the evidence that Gowers collected on that being put before the European Commission," said Hogg. Hogg said, though, that ORG had no principled objection to a pan-European copyright licence, and that it could solve a problem that certainly exists. "It is certainly good news that the European Commission is looking it and if there can be a simpler system then both for artists and consumers that is good news," she said. "But what's clear is that this is yet another front for consumer groups to be aware of."

[edit] 2007

[edit] November

2007-11-27 - The Register - 'Use me as a mouthpiece' - Guardian hack pleads

Author: Andrew Orlowski

Summary: Ben Goldacre, The Guardian's Mr "Bad Science" writes witheringly about sloppy science journalists. But last week found Ben in a frantic rush, commissioned to write a feature about biometric technology. So he put in an email request to the Open Rights Group, including this interesting offer: "i am offering ORG the chance to use me as a mouthpiece for your righteous rightness." The material from the ORG presumably arrived on time - Goldacre's piece ran on Saturday. The Register asks if this is how journalism should really work.

2007-11-23 - PC Pro - France moves to cut off file sharers

Author: Simon Aughton

Summary: The music industry has roundly welcomed the decision by French president Nicolas Sarkozy to disconnect internet users who share copyright files over P2P networks. The music industry has roundly welcomed the decision by French president Nicolas Sarkozy to disconnect internet users who share copyright files over P2P networks.Becky Hogge, executive director of The Open Rights Group, says there are several potential problems with the French proposals. "I would be interested to see the details of the termination procedures, particularly provisions for customers to appeal against termination if they feel they have been inaccurately identified as illicit file sharers," she says. "Given the likelihood of false positives in technologies designed to filter out infringing content, I would be surprised if this experiment leads to anything but disgruntled customers - for ISPs and for the French recording industry both." French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir was more outspoken, describing the decision as "very harsh, potentially repressive, anti-economic and against the grain of the digital age".

2007-11-19 - The Guardian - Digital democracy

Author: Becky Hogge

Summary: The Open Rights Group is the prototype for a new breed of campaign group that the political and media elite simply cannot ignore. It has run two major campaigns, one to inform the reform of intellectual property law for the digital age, the other to halt the misguided introduction of digital technology to the electoral process. Now in the contacts book of dozens of journalists, its name has been heard in the debating chambers of Westminster, and its members have met with senior ministers and the opposition front bench to air their concerns.

2007-11-19 - Bedford Today - Government claims computer vote count success

Summary: More electoral experiments planned despite the problems encountered in Bedford. A row over Bedford's experiment in high-tech voting has been resurrected, after the Government described the pilot scheme as a success. ... This week a Government report claimed all of the pilots had "supported successful elections". But electronic watchdog the Open Rights Group (ORG) claimed the experiment had been a failure, which threatened to undermine democracy. ... Becky Hodge, executive director of the ORG, said: "Elections are one of the most complicated areas it is possible to conceive of to which to apply digital technology." "Not only must the system be robust and easy to use, it must ensure voters' anonymity and privacy, yet be transparent and auditable, and be completely secure against both external tampering and fraud by employees, consultants and the outsourced workers often used to develop components of the system." "Every voter expects their vote to count, and to count once. Until there is consensus that that expectation can be met, remote electronic voting should be reserved for the purposes for which it is fit - naming cats on Blue Peter and voting on the X Factor."

2007-11-15 - Computerworld UK - Fundamental failings in e-voting, says Open Rights group

Author: Tash Shifrin

Summary: A digital rights campaign group has warned that the government is ignoring fundamental failings in its trials of electronic voting technology. The group, which organised volunteers to monitor e-voting and e-counting pilots in the May elections, hit out at the government’s rejection of the Electoral Commission’s call to halt electronic voting trials. ... the Open Rights Group, which submitted its own highly critical 64-page report to the Electoral Commission in June, said its observers had seen significant problems. ... Becky Hogge, the Open Rights Group's executive director, said: "Every voter expects their vote to count, and to count once. Until there is consensus that that expectation can be met, remote electronic voting should be reserved for the purposes for which it is fit - naming cats on Blue Peter and voting on the X factor."

2007-11-14 - ZDNet - Digital rights group: E-voting fit only for X Factor

Summary: The Open Rights Group has criticised the government for standing by its plans to continue pilots for electronic voting and counting in England and Wales. ... The Open Rights Group (ORG), a digital rights advocacy group, issued a statement on Tuesday stating its "deep concern" at the government's response to an Electoral Commission report on the May 2007 e-voting and e-counting pilots. ORG observers were accredited by the Electoral Commission to monitor the pilots — and observed serious failings in the process.

2007-11-13 - Kable - Digital group declares dismay on e-voting

Summary: The Open Rights Group has criticised the government for standing by its plans to continue pilots for electronic voting and counting in England and Wales. This comes the day after the government rejected the Electoral Commission's recommendation that it should pull back from testing the technology in elections until a full electoral modernisation framework has been developed.

2007-11-13 - PC Pro - Privacy group slams government stance on e-voting

Author: Simon Aughton

Summary: The Open Rights Group has condemned the UK government's decision to continue with e-voting, despite calls from the Electoral Commission to abandon the scheme. The commission, which oversees all elections in the UK, called on the government in August to suspend internet voting until the current system had been modernised and made more secure.

[edit] October

2007-10-25 - PC Pro - Government ready to legislate on file-sharing

Author: Simon Aughton

Summary: The UK government is prepared to legislate to stop the illegal file sharing of copyrighted content, a minister has told the BBC. Speaking to Radio 4, Lord Triesman, the parliamentary Under Secretary for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said that the government was not prepared to tolerate "intellectual property theft". ... A spokesman for UK ISPs, however, argues that they cannot be expected to track every file that travels on their networks. A view backed up by Becky Hogge, executive director of The Open Rights Group, who tells PC Pro, that the comments are nothing new, and suggests the minister is overestimating the potential of a technical solution. "Solutions which attempt to detect whether data that moves across a network is in breach of copyright law, either by attempting to identify the content of that data or by attempting to identify the type of traffic, are too subject to error to be realistically and proportionately used for enforcement purposes," she argues. "And this is before you even start considering the potential privacy implications of monitoring internet traffic in this way."

2007-10-18 - The Telegraph - The day the music dies

Author: Shane Richmond

Summary: If you unwittingly downloaded music with inbuilt rights restrictions, you could find it stops working. That's hardly fair, says Shane Richmond. If the manager of your local record shop arrived at your door saying that his store had gone out of business and he needed his records back, you'd think he'd gone mad. You certainly wouldn't give him back the music. Sadly, real world norms don't always apply online, as customers of the Virgin Digital Music Club recently discovered. ... Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, which campaigns for consumer rights online, says: "If reputable brands such as Virgin can do this, then the lesson is that DRM music is not a safe purchase unless the provider allows you to rip it to a DRM-free format such as a CD. It also shows that the law is lacking and the public needs protection against this kind of abusive misuse of DRM."

Note: Full text of the interview here. Interview: Becky Hogge, Open Rights Group

2007-10-05 - Computer Weekly - Tories slam ‘gimmicky’ web voting and call for urgent action on e-crime

Author: Rebecca Thomson

Summary: IT skills, electronic elections and online security were the main IT issues discussed at the Conservative Party conference last week. ... Elsewhere at the conference, e-elections were branded "gimmicky" by an Open Rights Group fringe meeting. Jonathan Djanogly, MP for Huntingdon, said, "The key to healthy democracy does not lie in gimmicky use of text and internet votes. Simply computerising the system will not increase turn-out." Group member Jason Kitkat, who had seen several trials of e-counting, said observers could not express confidence in computer-counted results. "There were serious technical problems with the process - serious enough to threaten its integrity," he said. Kitkat added that very slight changes in ballot papers, imperceptible to the human eye, could change the way computers read the vote. "E-voting may be possible one day, but within the next 10 to 15 years, and within the current technological limits, it will not be," he said.

[edit] September

2007-09-18 - Contractor UK - EU court: Microsoft guilty of abuse

Summary: Microsoft was told three years ago to go away and do its homework after losing a competition ruling, but now the software giant concedes “additional steps” are still needed to comply. Brad Smith, Redmond’s general counsel, made the admission yesterday after the European Court of First Instance rejected Microsoft’s appeal against a fine of €497m (£750m). ... Last night, the Open Rights Group, a lobbyist against digital monopolists, said the court’s rejection of Microsoft’s appeal is “good news for consumers and business alike.”

2007-09-07 - Web User - Govt steps into iPlayer row

Author: Ben Camm-Jones

Summary: The government has responded to a petition signed by 16,000 people, demanding that the BBC make its video-on-demand service available on all platforms. ... The government responded by saying that it was satisfied that the BBC was going to make available on other operating systems, and that the BBC Trust - essentially the broadcaster's board of directors - would ensure that this happened. ... The Open Rights Group (ORG) described the government's response as "lacklustre" and pointed out that by launching on Windows first, the iPlayer afforded Microsoft a "significant competitive advantage". "What the Trust's provisions fail to acknowledge is the significant competitive advantage this lag time gives the purveyors of the only operating system currently supported by the iPlayer - Microsoft," a statement on the ORG blog said. "The Open Rights Group believes that the BBC should release content that has been bankrolled by license-fee payers in standard formats that are accessible to all," it continued.

2007-09-06 - Web User - Facebook privacy concerns aired

Author: Ben Camm-Jones

Summary: Social networking site Facebook is to allow anyone to search through its profiles in a controversial move. ... Becky Hogge of the Open Rights Group said that it was a development that needed to be watched closely, but there were steps anyone concerned about protecting their privacy on Facebook could take. "What needs to be emphasised is that individual users are able to control their profile," she told Web User.

[edit] August

2007-08-10 - Washington Post - UK report questions role of ISPs in online safety

Author: Jeremy Kirk

Summary: A new report on Internet safety has concluded ISPs (Internet service providers) should take more responsibility for online security since end users are often lax. ... The report, however, suggested a tightening of how that defense works in an effort to nip emerging security problems earlier, such as sites containing malicious software. "In particular, once an ISP has detected or been notified that an end-user machine on its network is sending out spam or infected code, we believe that the ISP should be legally liable for any damage to third parties resulting from a failure immediately to isolate the affected machine," the report said. But the Open Rights Group, a nongovernmental group that monitors Internet-related privacy and legal issues, urged caution on issues dealing with ISP liability. "As notice and takedown practices tied to suspected copyright infringement have shown, ISPs are not best placed to police the network, and can be expected to react to this kind of pressure by knocking users off the network without appropriate levels of investigation into those users' actions," the group wrote on its Web site.

2007-08-10 - PC World - Report: ISPs Should Take More Responsibility for Security

Author: Jeremy Kirk

Summary: UK report says ISPs should examine content flowing through their networks and apply filtering to cull malicious activity. ... But the Open Rights Group, a nongovernmental group that monitors Internet-related privacy and legal issues, urged caution on issues dealing with ISP liability. "As notice and takedown practices tied to suspected copyright infringement have shown, ISPs are not best placed to police the network, and can be expected to react to this kind of pressure by knocking users off the network without appropriate levels of investigation into those users' actions," the group wrote on its Web site.

2007-08-07 - BBC - The ghosts in the voting machines

Author: Bill Thompson

Summary: Following concerns about the accuracy of the electronic voting systems used in last year's the California state legislature commissioned computer science and cryptography experts at the University of California to review the main players ... Anyone looking for reassurance will have had their hopes dashed ... The report says that 'the security mechanisms provided for all systems analyzed were inadequate to ensure accuracy and integrity of the election results and of the systems that provide those results', which is about as bad as it gets. ... Here in the UK the Open Rights Group, resolute campaigners for civil liberties in the digital world, sent observers to several of the e-voting pilot projects in the May 2007 English and Scottish elections. They had to fight through a bureaucracy which seemed to see openness as a dangerous aberration, where 'observers were frequently subject to seemingly arbitrary and changeable decisions via unclear lines of authority', but the final report makes chilling reading. It outlines many problems, noting that 'inadequate attention was given to system design, systems access and audit trails. Systems used both inappropriate hardware and software, and were insufficiently secured'. A big problem for ORG is that 'E-voting is a 'black box system', where the mechanisms for recording and tabulating the vote are hidden from the voter. This makes public scrutiny impossible, and leaves statutory elections open to error and fraud'. The Electoral Commission, the body responsible for the administration of elections in the UK, has also been looking at the trials and it recently called for a halt to pilot projects while security and testing procedures are improved, an implicit admission that the ORG analysis of flaws in the May pilots was well-founded. We can only hope that these warnings are heeded, and that the UK politicians ...

2007-08-06 - Computerworld UK - E-voting must stop, warns Electoral Commission

Author: Tash Shifrin

Summary: Security and reliability 'needs to be improved'. The Electoral Commission has called for a halt to electronic voting unless major changes are made to the way the voting systems are implemented and secured. ... A report by independent observers from the Open Rights Group, published in June, painted a grim picture of crashed computers and concerns about the systems' security and reliability. The group’s concerns are echoed in the new reports.

Note: Also reprinted in PCWorld E-voting Must Stop, Warns U.K. Electoral Commission, Computerworld E-voting must stop, warns U.K. Electoral Commission

2007-08-06 - ITPro - E-borders could be used to enforce fines

Author: Nicole Kobie

Summary: The government's e-borders project could be used for more than preventing movement of criminals in and out of the country, a Home Office document has shown. ... However, for the data to be used in these ways, new secondary legislation must be introduced, the document said, a move that was criticised by digital rights campaigners. "What I think this... demonstrates is that advances in data collection, storage and mining have the power to fundamentally alter the relationship between citizen and state," said Becky Hogge, of campaigning organisation The Open Rights Group. "Rather than introducing these sorts of powers via secondary legislation, there needs to be a full public debate about data sharing in this country."

2007-08-06 - PC Pro - Anti-DRM campaigners plan BBC protests

Author: Simon Aughton

Summary: Anti-DRM campaigners are to hold demonstrations outside the BBC buildings in London and Manchester to protest about the usage restrictions embedded in the corporation's new iPlayer software. ... Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, notes. "What's really bizarre about the BBC's employment of DRM for the iPlayer is that their programmes can already be downloaded using PVRs that receive free-to-air digital transmissions," she says. "Media convergence means there is no practical difference between unencrypted satellite, free-to-air, DAB or the internet in terms of control of content."

2007-08-02 - ZDNet - Halt e-voting, says Electoral Commission

Author: David Meyer

Summary: Trials of electronic voting and vote-counting should be halted until the government can come up with a good reason for using the technology, the Electoral Commission has said ... A spokesperson for the Commission told ZDNet.co.uk on Thursday that a "robust electoral modernisation strategy" was needed to justify any further exploration of e-voting. "There is not a clear direction and a clear reason [for e-voting and e-counting]," the spokesperson said. This stance was echoed by Jason Kitcat of the Open Rights Group, an organisation that monitored the latest round of e-voting trials. "[The report] shows a complete lack of strategy as to why we're doing this," he told ZDNet.co.uk. "No strategic plan has been published or consulted on, and there has been no consultation to parties or candidates or the general public. There is no clarity on what [the government] want."

2007-08-02 - PC PRO - Government urged to halt internet voting trials

Summary: The Electoral Commission has urged the UK Government to halt trials of telephone and internet voting. The organisation responsible for monitoring elections across the country believes that recent pilot tests in local elections have shown that the electoral system needs to be modernised and made more secure before e-voting is re-introduced. ... The Commission's findings were welcomed by the Open Rights Group (ORG), which opposed the recent e-voting trials. Executive director Becky Hogge claims that the Commission's report echoes the conclusions of ORG's own monitoring teams. "We're pleased that the Commission has recognised the desperate need for public debate about the role technology might play in our electoral system," she says. However she is concerned that the report does not address "fundamental" issues highlighted in ORG's e-voting briefing pack, namely that e-voting "is an incredibly complex and very expensive technology that introduces new risks, doubts, and opportunities for fraud and failure".

2007-08-02 - Web User - Online voting gets thumbs-down

Author: Ben Camm-Jones

Summary: A report from the Electoral Commission has criticised trials of online voting that took place in May's local elections. According to the Commission the pilot schemes were flawed, especially when it came to the counting of votes. ... The Open Rights Group welcomed the Electoral Commission's verdict but expressed concerns about shortcomings in the report. "We're pleased that the Commission has recognised the desperate need for public debate about the role technology might play in our electoral system. But we're disappointed that the fundamental challenges in using computers for elections have not been fully recognised by the report," the Open Rights Group said in a statement on its website.

2007-08-02 - BBC News - Halt e-voting, says election body

Summary: Web and phone voting pilots should be stopped until security and testing have been improved, the Electoral Commission has said. It said much has been learnt from recent pilots, but added that "there is little merit" in holding more. ... Concerns were raised about low public confidence in the security of internet and phone voting, accessibility, and technical difficulties. The commission called on the government to publish a strategy for modernising the electoral process - including changes to improve security. ... The Open Rights Group (ORG) said: "The government does not seem to be learning the lessons of previous pilots." "We believe this technology is not appropriate for public elections, and now is the time for a public debate."

[edit] July

2007-07-17 - Computer World - Opposition MPs warn on 'piecemeal' data protection changes

Author: Tash Shifrin

Summary: Opposition MPs and campaigners have warned that changes to data protection rights are being made without proper scrutiny after prime minister Gordon Brown slipped a raft of new data sharing powers into his proposed programme of legislation. ... Becky Hogge, executive director of data privacy campaign the Open Rights Group, said: "This is a worrying trend. The debate doesn’t seem to be one we’re having out in the open. Lots of this is tacked on to bills that are not ostensibly about data sharing." "This level of data sharing does have the power to alter the relation between citizen and state." Any relaxation of data protection laws should be "closely scrutinised and evaluated", she warned.

2007-07-17 - ZDNet - BBC iPlayer launch on, despite crack

Author: David Meyer

Summary: The launch of the BBC's new media player will not be delayed by a new crack for the digital rights management features of Windows Media Player, the corporation said on Tuesday. ... But some continue to argue against any inclusion of DRM in the iPlayer. Becky Hogge, executive director of the Open Rights Group, said on Monday that, although the BBC was including DRM at the wishes of rights holders, it was questionable as to whether DRM was suitable for its audience. "Most people in the technical community understand the cat and mouse game," she told ZDNet.co.uk, adding that it was "unfortunate" that the BBC was launching the iPlayer with DRM just as those in the recording industry — a reference to EMI and Apple's recent decision to move away from copy-protected music tracks — were realising it was a "flawed methodology".

2007-07-07 - BBC Black Country - Talking about a revolution

Summary: Hundreds of Linux users from across the world met in Wolverhampton on the 7th and 8th July 2007. They got together to talk about software, digital rights and freedoms. They had some fun, too. ... The event continued on the Sunday with a full programme including a lively discussion on digital rights, freedoms and the implications of electronic voting lead by Becky Hogge of the Open Rights Group. The discussion included a question and answer session with the developer of the BBC iPlayer where the Linux and open source community's concerns over being locked out from the service were expressed.

2007-07-06 - Bedford Today - Watchdog lays into election experiment

Author: Ben Raza

Summary: Government's e-counting pilot threatened to undermine faith in democracy, says report. ... A new report by electronic watchdog the Open Rights Group (ORG) has revealed a long list of further concerns. ... Concerns on the night were so serious that at 10pm representatives from the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups collectively called for a manual recount of the votes, only to be turned down by returning officer Shaun Field.

2007-07-05 - BBC News - E-voters 'not boosting turnout'

Summary: Internet and phone voting does not seem to boost turnout at local elections in England, according to BBC analysis. Analysis of pilot projects since 2002 suggests that those people who voted online would have voted anyway. BBC political research editor David Cowling said postal voting was the only option which seemed to boost turnout. ... In June the Open Rights Group warned e-voting could undermine British democracy and called for it to be abandoned until it was to be proved reliable. The group said e-voting did not allow people to see how their votes were recorded or counted, making oversight of elections "impossible" and open to fraud.

2007-07-03 - ZDNet - UK Archives, Microsoft tackle format obsolescence

Summary: Archives chief Natalie Ceeney said society faced the possibility of “losing years of critical knowledge” because modern PCs could not always open old file formats. Thus the Archives welcomed a Microsoft initiative to allow PCs to read old documents in their native formats. ... While Frazer ballyhooed Microsoft’s Open XML as proof of this new commitment, advocates of the truly standards-based Open Document Format questioned Microsoft’s motives in creating its own standards-based format and then offering a translation tool. Ben Laurie, director of the Open Rights Group, said: "This is a well-known, standard Microsoft move. Microsoft likes lock-ins. Typically what happens is that you end up with two or three standards."

2007-07-03 - BBC News - Warning of data ticking time bomb

Summary: The growing problem of accessing old digital file formats is a "ticking time bomb", the chief executive of the UK National Archives has warned. ... She was speaking at the launch of a partnership with Microsoft to ensure the Archives could read old formats. ... But some critics question Microsoft's approach and ask why the firm has created its own new standard, rather than adopting a rival system, called the Open Document Format. Instead, Microsoft has released a tool which can translate between the two formats. Ben Laurie, director of the Open Rights Group, said: "This is a well-known, standard Microsoft move." "Microsoft likes lock-ins. Typically what happens is that you end up with two or three standards."

[edit] June

2007-06-30 - New Scientist - Electronic polling gets vote of no confidence

Summary: Trials of e-voting machines and optical scanners used to count paper ballots were held during local elections last month in England and Scotland. In a report into the trials released last week, the London-based Open Rights Group says it cannot express confidence in the results of ballots which use such systems. Observers spotted a host of problems with e-voting machines, including insecure software, error messages and poorly designed encoded receipts. Malfunctions and software errors delayed counts using optical scanners and, in some cases, electronic counts differed widely from manual ones. From issue 2610 of New Scientist magazine, page 25

2007-06-25 - silicon.com - Call for e-voting to be scrapped amid security fears

Author: Andy McCue

Summary: Official observers express "deep concerns" after May election trials. Privacy campaigners have called for any further e-voting trials to be scrapped after uncovering evidence of poor security, inadequate audit trails, equipment failures and an over-dependence on technology suppliers during the May local elections. The Open Rights Group (ORG) had a team of 25 officially accredited election observers at the e-voting and e-counting pilots and has expressed "deep concern" about the use of the technology in a report of its findings.

2007-06-22 - BBC News - E-vote 'threat' to UK democracy

Summary: British democracy could be undermined by moves to use electronic voting in elections, warns a report. The risks involved in swapping paper ballots for touch screens far outweigh any benefits they may have, says the Open Rights Group report. It based its conclusions on reports from observers who watched e-voting trials in May's local elections.

2007-06-22 - newswireless.net - net.wars: Many hidden returns

Author: Wendy M Grossman

Summary: This week, the Open Rights Group released its report on the May 7 electronic voting pilots, conducted during by-elections in various locations in England and across all of Scotland. ORG observed these as closely as it could through the eyes of 25 volunteers. Much of the report should be familiar to anyone who's read about similar trials and pilot projects in the US and elsewhere (especially the UK's own 2003 trials). There were technical problems when equipment failed or had to be rebooted. There were people problems, when both voters and officials were uncertain how to make machines work. There were security issues, as when ORG observers found PCs and switches with open ports and no one watching them. And there were design problems, when ballot layouts confused voters into spoiling ballots. Sound familiar?

2007-06-22 - Guardian - Schools warn of abuse risk from IT database

Author: James Meikle

Summary: Misuse of an electronic database holding sensitive information on 11 million children in England could lead to millions of breaches of security each year, it is claimed today. Privacy campaigners and independent schools have warned of the "enormous" potential for abuse of the huge IT system to be launched next year. ... But today's letter, signed by representatives of the Independent Schools Council, Action on Rights for Children, the Foundation for Information Policy Research, the Open Rights Group and Privacy International, says that the problems of "a potentially leaky and inadequate system" must be solved before the plan goes further. It claims that evidence from Leeds NHS trust last year suggested that in one month staff logged 70,000 incidents of inappropriate access. "On the basis of these figures, misuse of the ContactPoint system could run to 1,650,000 incidents a month."

2007-06-21 - Slashdot - E-Voting Report Finds Problems with Modern Elections

Summary: The Open Rights Group has released a report on challenges faced by voting technology. Using the May 2007 Scottish/English elections as a testbed, researchers have collated hundreds of observations into a verdict on voting in the digital age. 'The report provides a comprehensive look at elections that used e-counting or e-voting technologies. As a result of the report's findings ORG cannot express confidence in the results for the areas we observed. This is not a declaration we take lightly but, despite having had accredited observers on location, having interviewed local authorities and having filed Freedom of Information requests, ORG is still not able to verify if votes were counted accurately and as voters intended.' The report is available online in pdf format for download."

2007-06-21 - Kable - Report gives thumbs down to e-voting

Summary: The Open Rights Group (ORG) has given a vote of no confidence to the recent round of e-voting pilots. It published a report on 20 June 2007 that includes scathing criticisms of the way e-voting and e-counting proceeded at a number of sites during the local government elections last month. ORG said it cannot express confidence in the results declared in the areas observed, and remains opposed to the introduction of e-voting and e-counting in the UK. The group – a non-governmental organisation that deals with information management and privacy issues – was given accredited observer status at the elections by the Electoral Commission. It placed observers at sites in England and Scotland to record how the pilots performed. The report says there is an underlying problem with e-voting being a "black box system" where the mechanisms for recording and tabulating the vote are hidden from the voter. This makes public scrutiny impossible and leaves statutory elections open to error and fraud.

2007-06-21 - CIO -