DEB: write to MPs campaign launch

My views on the DEB are I think relatively plain:-)

38 Degrees are trying to get 10,000 people to write to their MPs in next few days to make a real impact that might lead to a debate in the Commons over the Digital Economy Bill. I feel it is an insult to democracy as well as bad for the digital economy (sic) for this Bill to pass without effective further Commons .scrutiny. See my summary here: (now confirmed by Hansard).

I imagine many people who read this blog have already written to their MPs (though I also know some readers support the Bill, which is their opinion) - but if you oppose it and haven't, please do: a form letter can be found in various places, notably here but please do tweak it to your own ends as multiple identical letters are usually discounted by MPs.

Please write via the 38 Degrees page which can count the letters sent - it's here.

What you can also do is repost this on your own blogs, social networks etc . If you follow @OpenRightsGroup (whose Advisory Council I sit on) on Twitter you will get tweets about this which are easily re-tweetable.) Please think about doing this. The Guardian comments on the campaign here. Some MPs have already said they are going to insist on having a say. About 1-3,000 people have already written.

I have just heard that the Government has already rushed through the First Reading in the Commons and the Second Reading is being scheduled. After Second Reading it is likely Committee will be skipped, as constitutionally the Bill can then be dumped in wash-up and put through in an hour. This is how sausages are made, not laws. Which reminds me..

Upcoming speaking venues

COUNTER Conference (EC FP7 funded event) Manchester, March 23rd-24th, http://www.counter2010.org/; I am on a panel Wed 24th at 1.30 which includes Richard Miollett of the BPI and looks rather interesting .

I will be speaking at Cafe Scientifique in Sheffield at the Showroom, on April 19th (not the usual date due to Easter) on "Law and sausages: how not to legislate for the Digital Economy." Free. 7-9pm. Contact C.Kuppuswamy@sheffield.ac.uk for details.

BILETA 2010, March 29th -30th, Vienna: speaking with Andreas Ruhmkorf of Sheffield University on web rating sites for teachers, doctors etc, and their legal issues in Europe. Fab looking programme.

Oxford Internet Institute, 12th-13th April, privacy event, no details yet.


IISS Cyber Warfare Workshop, London, 20 April 2010: speaking on cyber crime and cyberwar, legal aspects.

MY INAUGURAL LECTURE, Sheffield, May, 21st : "Anti-Social Networking" - all welcome , free, with drinks reception after; 5pm, St George's Church, . Please email if you're coming and want to let me know in advance!

A couple more events to add shortly in Edinburgh, London and Estonia - I must be mad..

Oh and

GIKII V: the Voyage Home - Edinburgh, 28th-29th June. Contact me or a.guadamuz@ed.ac.uk.