As we consider that the cost of the UK government's 3-strikes measures could be as high as £500 million*,  it is a salutory thought the the movie industry  - which the £500 million spend is designed to protect - is enjoying healthy profits which are greater than that in just 3 months. And those profits are far higher than many an ISP will realise, given the need to invest in super-fast broadband.

In the recent run of quarterly financial results, the movie industry seems to be fighting the recession rather better than most. Indeed, it is boasting of good profits  to its shareholders and investors,  and giving them increased dividends.  At the same time it is behind the scenes lobbying the UK and other governments to implement graduated response schemes which will cost tax-payers and consumers money, decrease the amounts that ISPs have for investing in future networks, and risk widespread survellance and censorship.

It is illuminating to see just how well some movie distributors are doing, at a time when some  IT companies are struggling, and even going out of business ( such as Nortel). 

Rupert Mudoch's News Corporation  reported a net profit for the last quarter of

Read more: 3-strikes to a profitable movie industry

The 3-strikes/graduated response measures in the  Digital Economy Bill entail State-sponsored measures to limit Internet access. They will  impact on fundamental rights. The government should fully justify why it wants to interfere with those rights.

A Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has examined the UK's proposed 3-strikes/graduated response measures,  which occupy the lion's share of the inappropriately-named  Digital Economy Bill.  The Committee's  report was released last Friday, and it contains a  serious and exhaustive criticism  of the Bill. 

 Although  many news media are drawing the obvious  conclusion that   the Bill breaches human rights, I think it is actually more complicated than that.

 In fact, the report highlights areas where there is a likely breach

Read more: Does the Digital Economy Bill breach human rights law?

Tom Watson and Don Foster have placed calls in the UK Parliament for information on the ACTA . But are they asking the right questions?

The UK Member of Parliament Tom Watson, who is courageously opposing his own party on the issue of copyright enforcment, has asked in Parliament for information on the ACTA process. ACTA is a proposed  international agreement which will impose new copyright enforcement measures onto Internet users worldwide, and it has serious implications for civil liberties and freedom of speech.  

Questioning one of the  Ministers from the Department of

Read more: UK politicians try to lever open ACTA