[Gllug] Fwd: Open Rights Group Update

[Richard W.M. Jones]

----- Forwarded message from Danny O'Brien <...> -----

Subject: Open Rights Group Update

     Dear Open Rights Group Pledger,

     Last year, with a thousand others, you pledged a fiver a month
     to help us set up the Open Rights Group -- an organisation to
     publicise and fight for civil liberties in the digital world.

     So far, we have around 500 supporters who have been true to
     their pledge and are giving us a fiver each month. If you are
     one of those five hundred, thank you. That was enough money to
     secure our short term future and to begin laying the
     foundations for the group. 

     But we don't have enough funding to achieve all that we set out
     to do. In the next six months, we want to expand the work that
     ORG is doing, and go beyond these first steps. 

     If you haven't yet fulfilled your pledge to ORG, can I ask you
     to live up to your promise, and send us that fiver? Please go
     to http://www.openrightsgroup.org/support-org and become an ORG
     supporter, and one of the Founding 1000. We need your help to
     be able to expand and increase our campaigning power. 

     What have we been doing over the last six months? Working on a
     shoestring and a part-time staff, we've still managed: 

     - A phone and email service for journalists to find alternative
     voices for their digital rights stories. Put +44 (0)20 7096
     1079 in your address book if you're a journalist!

     - Given written and oral evidence to MPs on the damaging
     effects of DRM.  The All Part Internet group picked up on many
     of our points, and their report called for tighter controls on
     DRM in the marketplace.  (see
     http://www.openrightsgroup.org/orgwiki/index.php/APIG_DRM_Public_Inquiry).

     - Collected public comments and submitted a digital rights
     perspective to the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property (see
     http://gowers.openrightsgroup.org/).

     - Been mentioned or quoted in over 30 press articles and helped
     print, radio and broadcast journalists present a more balanced
     view of digital rights issues.

     - Held networking events on digital rights and a monthly
     copyright activists' brunch.

     - Spoken at a number of conferences and meetings, including
     Xtech, an RSA/Economist debate, Radiator, RESfest, and Dublin
     Legal Workshop at	Trinity College

     With your additional support, we'll be able to expand our work.
     This year, the UK is facing some significant challenges in the
     online world:

     - The criminalisation of many intellectual property rights
     infringements, in the form of the second EU Intellectual
     Property Rights Enforcement Directive. Accidentally using
     copyrighted or patented materials in your own work? Under
     IPRED, you could end up in jail.

     - The implementation of EU Data Retention legislation. Which
     ISPs are  already storing your phone and internet usage on
     behalf of the police? 

     - Pushes to extend the copyright term for sound recordings.
     Cliff Richard may be all for it, but we think it's bad for
     music and musicians. We'll be publicising the benefits of
     public domain, examining the dangers of term extension, and
     lobbying for the term to remain the same. 

     - The introduction of Part III of the Regulation of
     Investigatory Powers Act, permitting the government to seize
     private encryption keys. Will it stop terrorists? Or will it
     just compromise your security?

     With your help, we can work to shine more light on these
     issues, bringing them to the attention of the media, the
     politicians and the wider public. Please go to
     http://www.openrightsgroup.org/support-org now, and fulfill
     your pledge. 

     Your promise is what will let us fulfill ours.

     But remember, it's not just your money that's valuable, it's
     you. To get more involved, please join the ORG Discussion list
     (visit http://www.openrightsgroup.org to sign up) or visit the
     ORG wiki at http://www.openrightsgroup.org/orgwiki. 

     Thanks again.

     Suw Charman
     Executive Director

     Michael Hollway
     Operations Manager

     PS If you'd like to talk about how your money will be used, or
     how you can get more involved, please contact us. 

     Blog: http://www.openrightsgroup.org/
     Wiki: http://www.openrightsgroup.org/orgwiki
     Email: suw at openrightsgroup.org or michael at openrightsgroup.org
     Tel: +44 (0)20 7096 1079
----- End forwarded message -----

-- 
Richard Jones, CTO Merjis Ltd.
Merjis - web marketing and technology - http://merjis.com
Team Notepad - intranets and extranets for business - http://team-notepad.com
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