Britain’s digital economy bill: what made it

The digital economy bill was an ambitious piece of legislation designed, among other things, to overhaul the broadcasting industry, start the ball rolling on radio switchover, ensure high-speed broadband access for all, and deal with internet piracy.Gordon Brown regarded it as an attempt to equip Britain for the digital age by providing the infrastructure needed to ensure the country’s creative industries could flourish.A lack of parliamentary time ahead of the general election torpedoed several key measures in the bill. And a process that would normally involve several weeks or even months of legislative scrutiny was squeezed into a two-hour Commons debate last night, during which the rest of the bill was largely waved through by MPs.Today the bill is being considered for a final time in the Lords, where peers are expected to rubber stamp the legislation.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/08/digital-economy-billAlso see:U.K. Approves Crackdown on Internet Pirates
The British Parliament on Thursday approved plans to crack down on digital media piracy by authorizing the suspension of repeat offenders’ Internet connections.Following the House of Commons late Wednesday, the House of Lords on Thursday approved the bill after heavy lobbying from the music and movie industries, which say they suffer huge losses from unauthorized copying over the Internet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/technology/09piracy.htmlDigital Economy Bill passed by House of Commons
The Digital Economy Bill has been passed by the House of Commons and will become law before the general election. The Bill was passed amidst criticisms from inside and outside of Parliament about the lack of Parliamentary time and debate given to it.The Bill was designed to implement last summer’s Digital Britain Report, itself the result of a long and extensive research and consultation process. Its most controversial proposals, though, were added in later without such consultation.
http://out-law.com/page-10901ISP defies digital bill
One of the UK’s three biggest internet service providers has vowed not to co-operate with measures to combat file-sharing set out in the government’s controversial digital economy bill, expected to receive royal assent within days.TalkTalk, with more than 4 million UK internet users, said that “many draconian proposals remain” in the bill, including some that would allow content companies to force internet service providers (ISPs) to block the connections of customers suspected of online copyright infringement.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/08/internet-piracy-billTalk Talk restates pledge to go to court over Digital Economy Act measures
Telco Talk Talk has restated its pledge to take music and film companies to court if they try to use parts of the just-passed Digital Economy Act. It said it will not hand over any customer details without a court order.The Act was passed by the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday and became law. It includes the power for ministers to force internet service providers (ISPs) to disconnect households or businesses from the internet if copyright holders claim that the connection is being used to infringe their rights.
http://out-law.com/page-10906TalkTalk vows resistance as digital bill becomes law
TalkTalk will fight in court any attempt to have it disconnect one of its subscribers for unlawful file-sharing, the ISP said on Thursday, as the Digital Economy Act 2010 became law.The bundle of legislation, previously known as the Digital Economy Bill, saw a final round of debate in the House of Lords on Thursday and then gained royal assent. The Lords briefly examined and approved only the amendments that were added in the House of Commons after the initial period of debate by peers.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2010/04/09/talktalk-vows-resistance-as-digital-bill-becomes-law-40088580/