Web publishers responsible for ‘inevitable’ database rights infringement of users, says Court of Appeal – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 7th, 2013 in appeals, database right, internet, news by sally

“Website operators can be held responsible for database rights infringement by their users if that infringement was ‘inevitable’ as a result of actions of the site operators, the Court of Appeal has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 7th February 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

‘Trial by Google’ a risk to jury system, says attorney general – The Guardian

Posted February 7th, 2013 in crime, internet, juries, malicious communications, news, trials by sally

“‘Trial by Google’ threatens to undermine the integrity of the British jury system and ‘offends the principle of open justice’, according to the attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC.”

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The Guardian, 6th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Snooper’s charter rests on ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, MI5 boss told MPs – The Guardian

“The government’s plans to track everybody’s web and mobile phone use rest on some ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, the head of MI5 has told MPs and peers.”

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The Guardian, 5th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ASA begins oversight of new online behavioural advertising rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted February 6th, 2013 in advertising, codes of practice, complaints, consent, internet, news, ombudsmen by sally

“New UK rules governing the use of online behavioural advertising (OBA) have come into effect.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th February 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Gambling firms start legal fund to fight government tax crackdown – The Independent

Posted February 6th, 2013 in EC law, gambling, internet, news, taxation by sally

“Gambling executives are planning to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to keep open a tax loophole estimated to cost British taxpayers £250m a year.”

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The Independent, 5th February 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Cruddas wins libel payout over former Blair aide’s Twitter slurs – The Guardian

Posted February 4th, 2013 in damages, defamation, internet, news by tracey

“Peter Cruddas, the former Conservative Party co-treasurer, has won £45,000 in libel damages plus costs from a former private secretary to Tony Blair who repeatedly alleged he was a criminal who flouted electoral law.”

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The Guardian, 4th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Twitter cases ‘threat to freedom of speech’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 4th, 2013 in freedom of expression, internet, malicious communications, news, prosecutions by tracey

“Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said too many investigations
into comments on networks such as Twitter would have a ‘chilling effect’ on free
speech. He issued his warning as he signalled that anyone who posted an
offensive message but then quickly removed it could escape prosecution.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

ICO to change cookie policy to recognise implied consent – OUT-LAW.com

Posted January 28th, 2013 in consent, internet, news, ombudsmen, privacy by sally

“The UK’s privacy watchdog will no longer require individuals’ explicit consent in order to serve them with ‘cookies’ when they visit its website.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Google faces legal action over alleged secret iPhone tracking – The Guardian

Posted January 28th, 2013 in compensation, computer crime, fines, internet, news, privacy, telecommunications, trespass by sally

“Google is facing a fresh privacy battle in the UK over its alleged secret tracking of the internet habits of millions of iPhone users.”

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The Guardian, 27th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ISPs and defamation law: hold fire, Robert Jay – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2013 in defamation, internet, news, publishing by tracey

“Defining internet service providers as publishers within defamation law would be totally unworkable.”

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The Guardian, 25th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Google, Facebook and Twitter may ‘face EU defamation and privacy cases’ – The Guardian

Posted January 24th, 2013 in defamation, EC law, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Google, Facebook and Twitter’s decision to establish their European bases in Dublin has opened the internet giants up to EU defamation and privacy laws like never before, a libel lawyer has warned.”

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The Guardian, 24th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Media law trends in 2013: what’s on the horizon – The Guardian

Posted January 24th, 2013 in advertising, copyright, defamation, internet, media, news by sally

“From libel reform to ambush marketing, our experts highlight the key media law trends in 2013.”

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The Guardian, 24th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The supreme court’s YouTube channel is a welcome step for open justice – The Guardian

Posted January 21st, 2013 in internet, judgments, news, Supreme Court, video recordings by sally

“Judgment summaries are a good start, but it would be useful to watch recordings of full hearings. Do you agree?”

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The Guardian, 21st January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Golden Eye (International) Ltd and others v Telefόnica UK Ltd (Open Rights Group, intervening) – WLR Daily

Golden Eye (International) Ltd and others v Telefόnica UK Ltd (Open Rights Group, intervening) [2012] EWCA Civ 1740; [2012] WLR (D) 396

“Where a court had found that arrangements entered into by copyright owners with a claimant copyright owner to sue intended defendants in its own name and on behalf of the other owners for alleged breach of copyright were not champertous and that it was proportionate to make an order for disclosure to enable the other owners to have their infringement claims brought, since their interests in enforcing their copyrights outweighed the interests of intended defendants in protecting their privacy and data protection rights, there was no justification for the court to grant relief to the claimant alone and not the other owners without identifying some factor as affecting the balance of the competing interests identified.”

WLR Daily, 21st December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

How the workplace will change in 2013 – OUT-LAW.com

“What changes can workers expect from their employers in the coming year? Employment law expert Edward Goodwyn of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, looks ahead to some significant changes.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th January 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted December 21st, 2012 in internet, legislation, prisons, telecommunications by tracey

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Poppy burning teenager meets forces personnel in lieu of criminal charges – The Guardian

“A teenager who was arrested after posting a picture of a burning poppy on Facebook has escaped charges after meeting serving and former military personnel as part of a restorative justice programme.”

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The Guardian, 20th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Law relaxed on digital copying – BBC News

Posted December 21st, 2012 in copyright, internet, news by tracey

“Making digital copies of music, films and other copyrighted material for
personal use is to be made legal for the first time under government plans.”

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BBC News, 20th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Remorseful Twitter and Facebook jokers less likely to face prosecution – The Guardian

Posted December 19th, 2012 in internet, malicious communications, news, prosecutions by sally

“Drunken Twitter and Facebook users who post grossly offensive messages online may be less likely to face prosecution if they hit delete and express remorse after they sober up, Keir Starmer, the director of public prosecutions, indicated.”

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The Guardian, 19th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New prosecution guidance on offensive speech online: sensible, but the law is still out of date – UK Human Rights Blog

“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published interim guidance on when to prosecute people for grossly offensive and obscene messages they send on social media. The guidelines are now subject to a full public consultation. Earlier this year, I took part in a series of round table discussions with the DPP over how the guidelines would look.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th December 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com