Andrew Orlowski

Collected Journalism

  • Kumbaya is not a legal defence

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Maybe photographers have a guardian angel, after all. The Stop 43 campaign to throw out the orphan works clause may be the only part of the vast Digital Economy Bill where activists have achieved their goal – rather than made things worse. With the Tories pledging to drop the clause, it’s unlikely to survive the…

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  • Digital Economy marathon reaches Wash Up

    Digital Economy marathon reaches Wash Up

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    The Mandybill looks set to become law, with its teeth and gold fillings intact. Conservatives have vowed to oppose three controversial clauses of the Digital Economy Bill in the next 48 hours of legislative horse trading, but will keep the online file sharing portions intact. Photographers have been more persuasive than the anti-copyright lobby: Clause…

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  • Open Rights Group musters Flash Mob… of 7

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Music House — HQ for a number of the UK music industry’s trade groups — was in a lock-down situation this lunchtime as an Open Rights Group Flash Mob descended, protesting against the Digital Economy Bill. As many as seven protesters could be seen outside the Berners Street offices, according to staff who phoned us…

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  • Associated Newspapes, GMG to pool newsrooms

    Associated Newspapes, GMG to pool newsrooms

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Marketing teams at both newspapers discovered a new super-segment of the declining newspaper market they have informally dubbed ‘the new authoritarian’. According to one circulation manager, this is a reader who “wants to find out what everybody is doing, and stop them doing it” Read more at The Register… Read More

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  • BBC, big business leer creepily at orphan works

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Big publishers and the BBC have come out to lobby for the controversial Clause 43, that part of the Mandybill that strips photographers of their historical rights. Is that surprising? It should be, because Clause 43 is the section that deals with ‘orphan works’ – and according to the Business department BIS, the only people…

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  • Web-blocking returns

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    The government has been circulating revised web-blocking powers for the Digital Economy Bill with industry and activist groups, and The Register has seen a draft. This version is believed to have won the backing of the Tories, and could end up in a Second Reading. The revised Clause 18 we’ve seen is a hybrid of…

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