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EU Slams Copyright Law as UK Admits No Evidence for the Digital Economy Act
By Mark Jackson
ISP Review, 21 November, 2011
A key civil servant whom helped author the UK governments 2010 Digital Economy Act (DEA / DEAct), which seeks to tackle "illegal" internet copyright infringement (piracy) by forcing controversial new measures upon broadband ISPs and their customers (e.g. account "suspension"), has admitted that the acts "impact assessment was not based on new research or evidence".
The comments, which also assert that the only real "evidence" to be associated with the acts construction came from the Rights Holders themselves, is technically nothing new. However both the past (Labour) and present coalition (Conservative / Liberal Democrat) government have preferred not to talk about it.
"It is reasonable to acknowledge that the Open Rights Group have something of a point about the evidence used for the Digital Economy Act. It was somewhat opaque. The impact assessment was not based on new research or evidence.
We had no independent source of information. It is probably fair to say that the evidence we had, had been offered by the rights-holders, they were unwilling to lift the bonnet and let us see the engines, if you like the workings and methodology.
We were trying to make the best brick we could with what straw we could find. In those circumstances, I would say however, that we were always clear as to the provenance of the sources we were quoting. We never claimed they were government figures. We were clear that these were figures that were provided by the rights-holders."
See the full cited article We had no evidence for DEAct, UK gov't confesses
IPtegrity commentary
- EU law set for new course on child online safety
- MEPs reach political agreement to protect children and privacy
- UK border safety alert - mind the capability gap
- What? Will UK government ignore security as it walks away from EU?
- Betting on a costly space race: MPs probe OneWeb satellite deal
- Disrupting supply chains: how leaving the Single Market means systemic breakdown
- Big tech and anti-trust: an ill-fitting suit?
- Schrems ruling puts a spoke in UK data flows from 2021
- Digital rights - why they matter in a time of coronavirus
- EU upload filter - Germany's crucial deciding vote
- Copyright Directive upload filter - why EU Council should block it
- Data and Brexit - a mis-calculation?
- EU lawmakers seek to protect free speech in online content rules
- How Brexit rips up business models Part 2: visas for money and music
- How Brexit rips up business models Part 1: putting back barriers
- Norwegian Blue or Super-Canada - is there any life in this parrot?
- EU Copyright Directive - who pays the bill for the upload filter?
Published work
- Algorithms Patrolling Content: Where's the Harm?
- Content responsibility: The looming cloud of uncertainty for Internet intermediaries
- Freedom of Expression, Human Rights Standards and Private Online Censorship
- The Policy Challenge Of Content Restrictions: How Private Actors Engage The Duties Of States
- Internet Policy Review - The Aereo dilemma and copyright in the cloud
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About Iptegrity
Iptegrity.com is the website of Dr Monica Horten. I am an independent policy advisor, with expertise in online safety, technology and human rights. I am a published author, and post-doctoral scholar. I hold a PhD from the University of Westminster, and a DipM from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. I cover the UK and EU. I'm a former tech journalist, and an experienced panelist and Chair. My media credits include the BBC, iNews, Times, Guardian and Politico.
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