My research interest is in European policy for the Internet and online content. In very simple terms, it concerns  the content - news,  pictures, TV programmes, movies,  music - that we get over the Internet - or indeed, that we put there ourselves.  And it looks at how companies and governments are arguing over what  we are - and are not - allowed to do with it.

I am interested in how we deal with the Internet at a political level in Europe.

Notice that I do not use the word 'regulate'. Officially, of course, we do not regulate the Internet, and there are many voices who say that we should never do so. And they may be right. However, the reality is that there are several ways that this apparently 'free' resource can be controlled by governments and other interests. The law can be applied to the Internet and to those of us who use it. The 'net is also an economic resource and as such there are many powerful interests who would like to control it.

I am  interested in how communications policy is made in the EU, and how the policy-making processes is or is not  adapting to a new media environment. I am also interested in  how the European approach contrasts with the way it has been handled elsewhere, especially in the United States .   In the course of my research, I havel analysed the policy-making process in the EU legislature. My analysys will include the lobbying by business and other interests, as well as   moves by other EU institutions to address this difficult and new policy area. 

The  title of  my thesis  is 'The Political Battle for Online Content in the European Union'. My thesis  considers how the EU has dealt with the competing interests in content and  copyright policy for the Internet,   and how it has balanced them against citizens' interests. This is the 'battle' that I refer to in the title. 

My research focussed on  two EU policy initiatives. One was  the European Commission's Creative Content Online consultation. This consultation  addressed the hot debate over copyright enforcement measures known as graduated response or 3-strikes - and downloading of music and film. 

The other policy initiative  was  the review of the telecoms reglulatory framework - known as the 'Telecoms Package'. The review  was not meant to deal with content at all, but by various means, content and copyright-related  amendments crept into it. My thesis explains how and why this happened. 

In the course of my research, I spoke to policy-makers and industry stakeholders who lobbied in Brussels.   I spoke to  interests on both sides of this highly polarised debate. 

I carried out my PhD research as a self-funded student. All of my research is independent of any organisations outside the University of Westminster.  

PLEASE NOTE:The information I publish on iptegrity.com is free information. I do so because I am interested in debating with others who also work in this area or have an interest in it.  This is indeed a difficult and complex area of research.   I reserve the right not to publish all of the references.