Communication Breakdown
Communications from the world of, er, communications. And other stuff.
Thursday 19 November 2009, 5:01 PM
Reports: Mandelson to create file-sharing offence
The government intends to create a new offence of downloading copyrighted material without consent, according to reports that refer to a letter sent by business secretary Lord Mandelson to the leader of the House, Harriet Harman.
The news of the proposed statutory amendment to the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act — a technique that would allow the change to be pushed through without debate — came ahead of Friday's publication of the Digital Economy Bill, which is expected to make it possible to disconnect unlawful file-sharers.
The Guardian reported late on Thursday that:
The proposed alteration to the Copyright Act would create a new offence of downloading material that infringes copyright laws, as well as giving new powers or rights to "protect" rights holders such as record companies and movie studios – and, controversially, conferring powers on "any person as may be specified" to help cut down online infringement of copyright.
The changes proposed seem small – but are enormously wideranging, given both the breadth of even minor copyright infringement online, where photographs and text are copied with little regard to ownership, and the complexity of ownership.
On Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow wrote that he had been passed the letter from someone close to the government. He said the changes would allow the secretary of state to unilaterally create jail terms for unlawful file-sharers, and allow rights holders — music companies and film studios, among others — to force ISPs to turn over their customers' personal details.
Both Boing Boing and The Guardian noted that Mandelson was concerned about file transfer sites such as YouSendIt, which are generally used for privately passing large files between users. According to the reports, Mandelson wants such services to be unable to keep transfers private.
ZDNet UK has asked Mandelson's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) for confirmation that the letter has been correctly described in reports, but had received no comment at the time of writing.
Open Rights Group head Jim Killock told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the leaked details "should make people angry".
"We're extremely disturbed by what we're reading and we want clarification as quickly as possible to understand exactly what's being proposed," Killock said. "It's very clear that Mandelson's instincts on how to deal with copyright in the digital age are not very good. People should be concerned and should be writing to their MPs now."
Killock said that file-sharers should be "persuaded, not bullied, into changing their habits".
Meanwhile, Thursday's reports have prompted an outpouring of anger on Twitter — grouped under the subject #webwar — that could see a march on Parliament in protest at Lord Mandelson's proposed changes.
The news of the proposed statutory amendment to the 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act — a technique that would allow the change to be pushed through without debate — came ahead of Friday's publication of the Digital Economy Bill, which is expected to make it possible to disconnect unlawful file-sharers.
The Guardian reported late on Thursday that:
The proposed alteration to the Copyright Act would create a new offence of downloading material that infringes copyright laws, as well as giving new powers or rights to "protect" rights holders such as record companies and movie studios – and, controversially, conferring powers on "any person as may be specified" to help cut down online infringement of copyright.
The changes proposed seem small – but are enormously wideranging, given both the breadth of even minor copyright infringement online, where photographs and text are copied with little regard to ownership, and the complexity of ownership.
On Boing Boing, Cory Doctorow wrote that he had been passed the letter from someone close to the government. He said the changes would allow the secretary of state to unilaterally create jail terms for unlawful file-sharers, and allow rights holders — music companies and film studios, among others — to force ISPs to turn over their customers' personal details.
Both Boing Boing and The Guardian noted that Mandelson was concerned about file transfer sites such as YouSendIt, which are generally used for privately passing large files between users. According to the reports, Mandelson wants such services to be unable to keep transfers private.
ZDNet UK has asked Mandelson's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) for confirmation that the letter has been correctly described in reports, but had received no comment at the time of writing.
Open Rights Group head Jim Killock told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the leaked details "should make people angry".
"We're extremely disturbed by what we're reading and we want clarification as quickly as possible to understand exactly what's being proposed," Killock said. "It's very clear that Mandelson's instincts on how to deal with copyright in the digital age are not very good. People should be concerned and should be writing to their MPs now."
Killock said that file-sharers should be "persuaded, not bullied, into changing their habits".
Meanwhile, Thursday's reports have prompted an outpouring of anger on Twitter — grouped under the subject #webwar — that could see a march on Parliament in protest at Lord Mandelson's proposed changes.
Thursday 19 November 2009, 12:55 PM
Ion-toting Eee 1201N to hit UK in January
Asus has confirmed its long-rumoured Eee PC 1201N, the first in the company's line of netbooks to use Nvidia's Ion graphics platform.
The 1201N will also be one of the first netbooks to include Intel's new dual-core Atom 330, which should boost the processing power of small, cheap subnotebooks.
An Asus spokesman told ZDNet UK on Thursday that an official UK announcement regarding the 1201N would be made within the next day or so, while the exact release date, specification and pricing is worked out.
However, the spokesman said, the netbook would definitely launch in "early to mid January". Although the precise UK spec is yet to be finalised, the spokesman said, confirmed features include a 12-inch screen, HDMI output and 2GB of RAM.
Ion is a platform that combines Intel's Atom processor with Nvidia's graphics processor, so as to make it possible to run high-definition graphical content smoothly on low-powered systems.
The 1201N will also be one of the first netbooks to include Intel's new dual-core Atom 330, which should boost the processing power of small, cheap subnotebooks.
An Asus spokesman told ZDNet UK on Thursday that an official UK announcement regarding the 1201N would be made within the next day or so, while the exact release date, specification and pricing is worked out.
However, the spokesman said, the netbook would definitely launch in "early to mid January". Although the precise UK spec is yet to be finalised, the spokesman said, confirmed features include a 12-inch screen, HDMI output and 2GB of RAM.
Ion is a platform that combines Intel's Atom processor with Nvidia's graphics processor, so as to make it possible to run high-definition graphical content smoothly on low-powered systems.
Thursday 19 November 2009, 11:44 AM
YouTube UK launches full-length TV shows
YouTube, Google's main online video repository, has made full-length episodes of shows such as The IT Crowd and Who's Line Is It Anyway? available to UK viewers.
YouTube's Shows section was launched on Thursday. According to a statement from YouTube, the section is already populated with around 5,000 videos from more than 60 partners, including Channel 4's 4oD service, ITN and al-Jazeera.
"The YouTube community has always enjoyed the vibrant range of video on the site, from amateur make-up videos to professional TV highlights and everything inbetween," YouTube director of video partnerships Patrick Walker said in the statement.
"The Shows section of the site will make it easier for users to discover videos from the biggest names in British broadcasting, and help our content partners reach new audiences and generate new revenues."
YouTube's Shows section was launched on Thursday. According to a statement from YouTube, the section is already populated with around 5,000 videos from more than 60 partners, including Channel 4's 4oD service, ITN and al-Jazeera.
"The YouTube community has always enjoyed the vibrant range of video on the site, from amateur make-up videos to professional TV highlights and everything inbetween," YouTube director of video partnerships Patrick Walker said in the statement.
"The Shows section of the site will make it easier for users to discover videos from the biggest names in British broadcasting, and help our content partners reach new audiences and generate new revenues."
Wednesday 18 November 2009, 12:53 PM
Nokia could drop Symbian for Maemo on N-series
Nokia could drop Symbian for the Maemo Linux operating system on its flagship N-series handsets by 2012, according to Maemo marketing staff.
A report published on Wednesday on The Really Mobile Project quotes Maemo staff from an event last night in London. The 'meet-up' was organised to celebrate the N900 smartphone, which runs Maemo and is likely to launch in the UK within weeks.
According to the report, Nokia does not intend to phase out Symbian completely. The company is a prime backer of the Symbian Foundation, an industry group that is in the process of open-sourcing the venerable operating system.
This may suggest that Symbian will be relegated to Nokia's enterprise-focused E-series range, with Maemo powering the Finnish manufacturer's consumer-oriented handsets.
ZDNet UK has asked Nokia for confirmation of its plans for the N-series, but had received none at the time of writing.
A report published on Wednesday on The Really Mobile Project quotes Maemo staff from an event last night in London. The 'meet-up' was organised to celebrate the N900 smartphone, which runs Maemo and is likely to launch in the UK within weeks.
According to the report, Nokia does not intend to phase out Symbian completely. The company is a prime backer of the Symbian Foundation, an industry group that is in the process of open-sourcing the venerable operating system.
This may suggest that Symbian will be relegated to Nokia's enterprise-focused E-series range, with Maemo powering the Finnish manufacturer's consumer-oriented handsets.
ZDNet UK has asked Nokia for confirmation of its plans for the N-series, but had received none at the time of writing.
Tuesday 17 November 2009, 2:42 PM
Watchdog reveals illegal sale of phone users' data
The Information Commissioner's Office is preparing a prosecution file against a mobile operator's employees who allegedly sold on thousands of customers' details to a competitor.
The Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, said in a statement on Tuesday that his office was highlighting the case in order to argue for custodial sentences for those who sell on personal data without permission.
According to the statement, ICO investigators have been working with the unspecified mobile operator, who suggested that "employees allegedly sold details relating to customers' mobile phone contracts, including their contract expiry dates".
This information was allegedly sold to the company's competitors, whose agents then used the details to cold-call those customers whose contracts were about to expire, offering them alternative contracts.
"The ICO has investigated and it appears that the information has been sold on to several brokers and that substantial amounts of money have changed hands," the statement read. "The ICO has obtained several search warrants and attended a number of premises, and is now preparing a prosecution file."
Graham said he wanted to "close down the entire unlawful industry in personal data", but would only be able to do so if the perpetrators faced prison sentences rather than fines.
"The existing paltry fines for Section 55 offences are simply not enough to deter people from engaging in this lucrative criminal activity," Graham said. "The threat of jail, not fines, will prove a stronger deterrent."
Graham added that a custodial sentence would also give a perpetrator a criminal record and "open up the possibility of extradition in appropriate cases".
The government is currently consulting on a new £500,000 maximum fine for organisations that breach the Data Protection Act — the current maximum fine is just £5,000 — while upcoming European telecoms laws make it mandatory for organisations to report data breaches to the relevant regulators.
UPDATE: It's T-Mobile who got hold of the ICO. A statement reads:
T-Mobile takes the protection of customer information seriously. When it became apparent that contract renewal information was being passed on to third parties without our knowledge, we alerted the Information Commissioner's Office.
Working together, we identified the source of the breach which led to the ICO conducting an extensive investigation which we believe we will lead to a prosecution. While it is deeply regrettable that customer information has been misappropriated in this way, we have proactively supported the ICO to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry.
We had been asked before today to keep all information on this case strictly confidential so as to avoid prejudice to the investigation and prosecution. We were therefore surprised at the way in which these statements were made to the BBC today.
ZDNet UK tried to get a comment out of the ICO as to why it publicised the case, but they refused.
The Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, said in a statement on Tuesday that his office was highlighting the case in order to argue for custodial sentences for those who sell on personal data without permission.
According to the statement, ICO investigators have been working with the unspecified mobile operator, who suggested that "employees allegedly sold details relating to customers' mobile phone contracts, including their contract expiry dates".
This information was allegedly sold to the company's competitors, whose agents then used the details to cold-call those customers whose contracts were about to expire, offering them alternative contracts.
"The ICO has investigated and it appears that the information has been sold on to several brokers and that substantial amounts of money have changed hands," the statement read. "The ICO has obtained several search warrants and attended a number of premises, and is now preparing a prosecution file."
Graham said he wanted to "close down the entire unlawful industry in personal data", but would only be able to do so if the perpetrators faced prison sentences rather than fines.
"The existing paltry fines for Section 55 offences are simply not enough to deter people from engaging in this lucrative criminal activity," Graham said. "The threat of jail, not fines, will prove a stronger deterrent."
Graham added that a custodial sentence would also give a perpetrator a criminal record and "open up the possibility of extradition in appropriate cases".
The government is currently consulting on a new £500,000 maximum fine for organisations that breach the Data Protection Act — the current maximum fine is just £5,000 — while upcoming European telecoms laws make it mandatory for organisations to report data breaches to the relevant regulators.
UPDATE: It's T-Mobile who got hold of the ICO. A statement reads:
T-Mobile takes the protection of customer information seriously. When it became apparent that contract renewal information was being passed on to third parties without our knowledge, we alerted the Information Commissioner's Office.
Working together, we identified the source of the breach which led to the ICO conducting an extensive investigation which we believe we will lead to a prosecution. While it is deeply regrettable that customer information has been misappropriated in this way, we have proactively supported the ICO to help stamp out what is a problem for the whole industry.
We had been asked before today to keep all information on this case strictly confidential so as to avoid prejudice to the investigation and prosecution. We were therefore surprised at the way in which these statements were made to the BBC today.
ZDNet UK tried to get a comment out of the ICO as to why it publicised the case, but they refused.
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