Andrew Orlowski

Collected Journalism

  • Photographers rue Mandy’s copyright landgrab

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    A little-reported corner of the sprawling Digital Economy Bill reduces photographers to serf status – and concerns are rippling into the wider community. Photographers say bad wording and technical ignorance are to blame for Clause 42, calling it a “luncheon voucher” for greedy publishers. “The Bill contains no deterrent to the creation of orphans, no…

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  • LibDems score copyright coup

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    The LibDems’ surprise amendment to strengthen UK courts’ powers over digital copyright infringement passed late last night, despite Labour and Tory opposition, replacing the government’s original, preferred proposal in the Digital Economy Bill. Out goes the ability of the Minister to extend copyright legislation by statutory instrument – something earlier Ministers have already exercised, in…

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  • Rescuing Palm

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    You know you’re in trouble when your revenue is $1bn less than you’d expected for the year. But a few companies might envy being in Palm’s position. It has an excellent product it can’t sell, and in webOS an asset that wealthy rivals – Nokia, Samsung or Microsoft – would pick up in a snap.…

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  • LibDems back copyright takedowns

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Two LibDem peers have tabled an amendment allowing the Courts to grant injunctions against ISPs – blocking off sections of the internet found to host infringing material. It’s similar to the DMCA-style proposal punted by the BPI in the new year, which we exclusively revealed. Injunctions are already a legal tool against infringement, but the…

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  • Suits 2.0 at the BBC

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    Bureaucracy is the one sure winner in the BBC’s strategic review – the suits and wonks. It’s sort of like natural selection turned upside: in a changing environment, the most useless survive. Mark Thompson’s review, leaked to the Times today, was supposed to review the Corporation’s output, and it could have helped made inroads into…

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  • After Napster, bringing P2P in from the cold
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    After Napster, bringing P2P in from the cold

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    Andrew Orlowski

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    “The technology was sort of there. That software was there, and it was good – I wouldn’t do it that differently now. The basic model was just as appropriate then as it is now.” – Chris Castle. Read more at The Register…

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