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• The Statute of Anne, the Digital Economy Bill and the Red Flag Act

  Kevin Marks with a great (and short) comment that highlights the real, long-term issue with where copyright, trademark and especially patent law is headed. All three were originally intended to prevent abuse by originators of products. All three have become instruments to control consumers of products in the digital realm.

  Until now, those of us with first-hand contact with the emerging digital economy have gone largely unheard as the giants of 20th century industry have used the influence granted to them in the years since they were the underdog to manipulate legislation into shoring up their businesses. Today, legislation acts against citizens rather than protecting them. It’s time to reverse the trend and be heard. I called my MP about the Bill, and I am not alone.

  This election in the UK, we need to put the real digital economy – the one with citizens in it – on the agenda.

Shorter comments:

• UK Shop Refuses To Make Prints Of Digital Photos Because They’re ‘Too Good’ And Must Infringe
  “As copyright laws get more ridiculous, we’re teaching people to not move forward if they don’t know for sure — and that can create a massive stifling of creativity and expression.” — This is the reason we need to turn back the trend expressed by the Digital Economy Bill. As Kevin Marks suggests, it’s creating a digital economy the same way the Locomotive Bill created a transportation system.
• Open Letter to the Negotiators of ACTA
  This is an excellent idea, and I think helping Norbert get the letter tidied up is a worthwhile activity.
• Online Communities Patented; Lawsuit Against Facebook Moves Forward
  Presumably after this the trolls with the patent pursue pretty much everyone else on the internet? It’s hard to imagine a better poster-child for patent reform.
• UK Digital Economy Bill Turns To Ashes
  “Quick, define irony: the BBC, one of the main proponents of a bill to allow them to use other people’s images in ways they didn’t envisage without permission or payment, is furious that somebody has taken a BBC image and used it in a way the BBC didn’t envisage without permission or payment.” — Section 43 of the Digital Economy Bill is a travesty of justice for photographers, from amateurs-on-iStockPhoto like me all the way up.

Filed under: Digital Economy Bill, Links | Comments Off on ☞ The Digital Election