Government Chooses Active Choice…And the consultation is just to keep the Daily Mail nutters happy

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See  article from  dailymail.co.uk

Internet firms will be spared Government demands to impose default blocking of websites with content for adults. A leaked email says internet firms have been assured they will not face stringent filtering systems. The revelation makes a farce of a consultation paper that was launched earlier this week asking for views on dealing with adult material. The email says ministers wholeheartedly support active choice in which parents would have to say yes or no to adult material when setting up an internet connection. Last month David Cameron said there was a clear case for looking at default blocks. But this has been ruled out according to the email sent on Thursday by Andrew Kernahan of the Internet Service Providers’ Association to 200 members including BT, Virgin, Sky, AOL and Cable & Wireless. He wrote: I spoke to the Department for Education this morning about the consultation and they made it clear that UKCCIS (the UK Council for Child Internet Safety), ministers and the relevant departments wholeheartedly support active choice and not default filtering or the so-called active choice plus solution. The only reason they are consulting on this is because No 10 told the Daily Mail that they would consult and listen to all views. Proposals: The Government launched a consultation paper an on ‘opt-in system, under which internet service providers would automatically block pornography unless an adult asked for it to be available This is in line with what we’ve been told throughout — that government supports active choice. Helen Goodman, who is Labour’s media spokesman, said: This email is explosive. It is very important we have a proper consultation which gives parents and children’s organisations the chance to say why they want to put children first. It is time ministers stood up for ordinary people rather than big business.

Contamination…Video nasty to be released as part of US Region 0 Sci-Fi Double Bill from Blue Underground

Read more Video Nasties News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See Contamination trailer from youtube.com See The Shape of Things to Come trailer from youtube.com See also Calendar: Coming Soon : What’s Cut and What’s Not

Midnight Moves: Sci-Fi DoubleFeature US: Uncut and MPAA Unrated/PG for: US 2012 Blue Underground R0 DVD at UK Amazon released on 28th August 2012 Video Nasty: Contamination Contamination is a 1980 Italian horror by Luigi Cozzi. With Ian McCulloch, Louise Marleau and Marino Masé. See IMDb A short version was released after a further 2:40s of unofficial BBFC cuts for: UK 1982 ViP VHS UK 1985 European Creative Films VHS The video was banned as a video nasty in October 1983. It was dropped from the list in January 1985 though. Promotional Material CONTAMINATION: A deserted ship arrives in New York City carrying its slaughtered crew and a horrific cargo: Mutant green eggs the size of footballs that pulsate with life until they spray hideous chest-bursting death. But when a government research team begins an investigation, they uncover a grisly conspiracy of murder, space monsters and coffee. Who is harvesting these alien hell-spores? What is their connection to a doomed mission to Mars? And most important of all, how many actors will die screaming in massive explosions of blood, guts and gore? SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME: The time is the tomorrow after tomorrow and mankind has now populated the Moon where vast domed cities have been built on what was once a wasteland. But when the power-mad Emperor Omus (Oscar winner Jack Palance of CITY SLICKERS) attacks the lunar colony of New Washington, a team of scientists led by Dr. John Caball (Barry Morse of SPACE: 1999) launches a dangerous mission to destroy the dictator and his robot army. Can three daring space jockeys and one renegade robot save their universe from the dark forces of intergalactic evil? CONTAMINATION Extras: Alien Arrives on Earth – Interview with Co-Writer/Director Luigi Cozzi Luigi Cozzi on the Creation of CONTAMINATION – Behind-the-Scenes Documentary Theatrical Trailer Poster & Still Gallery Graphic Novel (DVD-ROM) SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME Extras: French Theatrical Trailer TV Spot Poster & Still Gallery

Twitter De-Tweeted…Chief Executive speaks of measures targeting the easy anonymity which is said to enable abusive tweeting

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See  article from  rt.com

Twitter is taking its first step towards censorship. Chief Executive Dick Costolo who was speaking to the Financial Times, described his frustration in tackling the problem of horrifying abuse. Irresponsible twitter-users apparently find the site ideal for expressing all kinds of extremist, racist and sexist opinions. To stop the hate speech anarchy, Twitter is considering starting off by blocking the very possibility of replies from so-called non-authoritative users, marked out by the absence of a profile picture, followers or bio information, as FT.com reports. This is the first step, but there might be more to come. However, the company’s management is concerned that by installing any kinds of selective measures, they may put an end to the unique Twitter-style freedom of tweets that has helped Arab revolutions. The reason we want to allow pseudonyms is there are lots of places in the world where it’s the only way you’d be able to speak freely, FT quotes Dick Costolo as saying. Twitter is basically the last harbor of anonymity, as it does not have to be linked with such powerful database platforms as Facebook and Google. Silencing trolls may hit thoserevolutionary users as well.

Bond 50: James Bond The Complete 22 Film Collection…Celebrating 50 years of Bond films with Blu-ray box set releases in UK and US

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See also Calendar: Coming Soon : What’s Cut and What’s Not See also Calendar: Recent Releases

UK: Bond 50: James Bond 22 Film Collection is released for UK 2012 MGM RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon released on 24th September 2012 US: Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection is released for US 2012 MGM RA Blu-ray at US Amazon released on 25th September 2012 Promotional Material Collectible box set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray disc in one complete offering for the first time. Collection includes all 22 James Bond feature films from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace and more than 130 hours of bonus features including never-before-seen content from the Bond archives, and more. One disc of brand new bonus content approximately one hour in length. 9 titles available on Blu-ray for the first time ever: Goldeneye, Octopussy, The Spy Who Loved Me, You Only Live Twice, The Living Daylights, Tomorrow Never Dies, Diamonds are Forever, A View to a Kill and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. US Amazon Exclusive Amazon Exclusive – Limited Edition James Bond 50 Years Of Movie Posters Book. Available For A Limited Time, While Supplies Last. This Hardcover Book includes 50 Years of Movie Posters that provide a kaleidoscope of Bond imagery that captures, distills and defines the lasting appeal of cinema’s most compelling superspy.

Lifting the Curse of Censorship…Hammer announce the premiere of The Curse of Frankenstein restored

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See  details from  blog.hammerfilms.com

Hammer has announced on its blog: The world premiere of our restored THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN will take place at the CATH/DMU Hammer event in Leicester on Saturday 14th July For the first time in many years, the film will be screened in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1 aka Academy . The film will also include the eyeball scene — restored from a reel of a print housed at the BFI then integrated into the main restoration, which was scanned from a Warner Bros. I/P — though not thehead in acid bath scene, which despite our best efforts appears no longer to exist. For those of you who can’t make it, we hope to announce the UK Blu-ray release date at the event. …See details

Parental Internet Controls…Government consultation on default website blocking of adult content

Read more UK Government Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See  article from  bbc.co.uk See consultation details from education.gov.uk Closing Date: Thursday 6 September 2012

The government is to consider putting extra pressure on computer users to filter out pornography when setting up internet accounts. The latest system, calledactive choice-plus , is aimed at reaching a compromise. It would automatically block adult content, but would set users a loaded question, along the lines of whether they want to change this to gain access to sites promoting pornography, violence and other adult-only themes. Ministers are suggesting that people should automatically be barred from accessing unsuitable adult material unless they actually choose to view it.  It is one of several suggestions being put out for an e-consultation on how to shield children from pornography. Children’s minister Tim Loughton said: The internet is transforming every aspect of society and family life – and opens up enormous opportunities for us all. But with the benefits come risks. Growing numbers of parents do not feel in control of what their families are exposed to online. Many want to take responsibility, but all too often they do not how know how because they find the technology too difficult to use or their children are more technically advanced then they are. There is no silver bullet to solve this. No filter can ever be 100% foolproof. There is a cottage industry of people, mostly operating outside the UK, continually creating and proliferating ‘proxy’ websites that provide links to adult and harmful content. Automatic filtering on its own risks lulling parents into a false sense of security and there can never be any substitute for parents taking responsibility for how, when and where their children use the internet. The answer lies in finding ways to combine technical solutions with better education, information and, if necessary regulation further down the line. The discussion paper asks for views on three broad options for the best approach to keeping children safe online. It is an e-consultation where responses can be made online. The paper’s introduction reads: Tim Loughton, Minister for Children and Families, and Lynne Featherstone, Minister for Equalities and Criminal Information are joint chairs of the executive board of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). They are writing to members of UKCCIS to seek their views and advice on parental controls. The request is to members of UKCCIS and other organisations and individuals, especially parents, who might want to respond. See consultation details from education.gov.uk Closing Date: Thursday 6 September 2012.

Ofcom Shares its Plans…New UK measures to protect online copyright and inform consumers

Read more Ofcom Internet Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See  press release from  media.ofcom.org.uk See next round of Ofcom consultation from stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk See also New Details from a consumer perspective from  torrentfreak.com See also New details from an ISP perspectivefrom  publicaffairs.linx.net

Internet users will be encouraged to download music and films through legal channels under measures outlined today by Ofcom. Ofcom has published a draft code for consultation that would require large internet service providers (ISPs) to inform customers of allegations that their internet connection has been used to infringe copyright. The code, which Ofcom is required to publish under the Digital Economy Act 2010, includes measures to help inform the public and promote lawful access to digital content such as music and films. When notifying customers of reported infringements, ISPs must explain the steps subscribers can take to protect their networks from being used to infringe copyright and tell them where they can go to find licensed content on the internet. Copyright owners are expected to invest in awareness campaigns to help educate consumers about the impact of copyright infringement and further to develop attractive online services to offer their content. Ofcom will report regularly to the Government on the effectiveness of both the code and these broader initiatives from copyright owners. Claudio Pollack, Ofcom’s Consumer Group Director, said: These measures are designed to foster investment and innovation in the UK’s creative industries, while ensuring internet users are treated fairly and given help to access lawful content. Ofcom will oversee a fair appeals process, and also ensure that rights holders’ investigations under the code are rigorous and transparent. How the code will work The code will initially cover ISPs with more than 400,000 broadband-enabled fixed lines — currently BT, Everything Everywhere, O2, Sky, TalkTalk Group and Virgin Media. Together these providers account for more than 93% of the retail broadband market in the UK. The draft code requires ISPs to send letters to customers, at least a month apart, informing them when their account is connected to reports of suspected online copyright infringement. If a customer receives three letters or more within a 12-month period, anonymous information may be provided on request to copyright owners showing them which infringement reports are linked to that customer’s account. The copyright owner may then seek a court order requiring the ISP to reveal the identity of the customer, with a view to taking legal action for infringement under the Copyright Designs and Patent Act 1988. Copyright owners can already seek such court orders under existing law, but the Code is designed to enable them to focus legal action on the most persistent alleged infringers. Appeals Customers would have the right to challenge any allegation of infringement through an independent appeals body. Ofcom will appoint this body and require it to establish transparent, accessible appeal procedures. Copyright owners will need Ofcom approval of their procedures for gathering evidence of infringement before they can be used under the scheme. Changes to the code The key proposals of the first draft code, on which we consulted in May 2010, are unchanged in the code published today. However a number of revisions have been made, including: Evidence-gathering procedures: copyright owners’ procedures for gathering evidence of infringement must now be approved by Ofcom, rather than by the copyright owners themselves. Ofcom plans to sponsor the development of a publically-available standard to help promote good practice in evidence gathering; Notification letters: ISPs must now include, in letters to subscribers, the number of copyright infringement reports connected to their account. Appeals: Ofcom has decided that subscribers should have 20 working days to appeal an allegation of infringement. Following a direction from the Government, Ofcom has removed the ability for subscribers to appeal on any grounds they choose; they must now do so on grounds specified in the Digital Economy Act. Beyond the code, the Digital Economy Act outlined a process for further measures which the Secretary of State might consider to help reduce online copyright infringement. These would require ISPs to take steps (such as internet bandwidth reduction, blocking internet access or temporarily suspending accounts) against relevant subscribers in certain circumstances. However, those measures could only be considered after the Code has been in force for at least 12 months, and would require further legislation and approval by Parliament. They would also require Ofcom to establish a further independent appeals process with judicial oversight. Next steps Ofcom will now consult on the revised draft code.2 Subject to further review by the European Commission, it will be laid in Parliament around the end of 2012. ISPs will then prepare to meet their obligations, and Ofcom will appoint an appeals body. Ofcom currently expects the first customer notification letters to be sent in early 2014. Ofcom will review the criteria for applying the code to ISPs once the obligations have been up and running for six months. The revised draft code and consultation, which closes on 26 July 2012, can be found here. The code includes provisions for sharing of costs between copyright owners and ISPs, as set out in a draft Statutory Instrument on costs being laid in Parliament by the Government. Ofcom is today also publishing a consultation on how these costs are allocated. This consultation closes on 18 September 2012. See next round of Ofcom consultation

GRA Shares its Plans…More from Laurie Hall on games censorship under the GRA

Read more VSC and PEGI Watch at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See  article from  gamesindustry.biz

The Games Rating Authority, a part of the Video Standards Council, will take over video games censorship from the BBFC next month. The group will use PEGI ratings and symbols, as used across Europe, eg age restrictions will be set at 12, 16 and 18. The PEGI ratings have been used for sometime on games not featuring realistic video but now they will be used for all games. Laurie Hall is the director general of the Video Standards Council, the organisation that handles the PEGI rating process in the UK. For clarity sake the Video Standards Council will use the name Games Rating Authority for its new role. The new mantra for the GRA will be: Games aren’t just for kids. Be responsible . For Hall, the real problem is with parents not realising that games content can now be every bit as graphic as anything in a movie. A lot of parents wouldn’t allow their 12-year-old to watch an ’18′-rated film, Hall agrees: But play an ’18′-rated game? They’re more inclined to. We’ve got to get the message across. PEGI is stricter than the BBFC, insists Hall somewhat censorially: We’re not ashamed of that at all, because the methodology of rating films is not appropriate for rating games. Games and films are totally different And with the enthusiasm of a new censor, he stresses: We will have the power to ban a game in the UK. And he outlines the process for banning games, that he considers transparent, fair and legally tight, and which required the Government’s approval. An Appeals Panel has been set-up, chaired by Baroness Kennedy, a barrister. And beyond that, there’s an Expert Advisory Panel, comprising Tanya Byron, media violence specialist Dr Guy Cumberbatch, and Geoffrey Roberston QC. Hall explains: Why we set up the Expert Advisory Panel is the ability to ban a game under the law is very complex – it’s an expert matter. We can only ban something if it is likely to cause harm to the viewer or society in general. You interpret that! The Panel will not be making the decision – what they will do is advise the designated officers of the factors they must consider in reaching their decision. It was put in place to make sure if a banning decision ever was made it was as watertight as it possibly could be.

A Free Debate…For the Moment…World internet censorship to be discussed at the World Conference on International Telecommunications in December 2012

Read more International Censorship News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from news.cnet.com

Dozens of countries have had closed-door meetings in preparation for an upcoming worldwide debate over internet censorship. The United Nations is looking at possible amendments to a telecommunications treaty that could amount to worldwide Internet censorship. The World Conference on International Telecommunications is to be held in Dubai this December and more than 190 countries are expected to attend. One of the matters to be discussed at the conference is changes to a 24-year-old telecommunications treaty called the International Telecommunications Regulations, according to the Associated Press. In a U.N. document with proposed amendments to the treaty that came out last month, Russia said the public should have unrestricted access to international telecommunication services, except in cases where international telecommunication services are used for the purpose of interfering in the internal affairs or undermining the sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity and public safety of other states, or to divulge information of a sensitive nature. The ramifications of such changes to the International Telecommunications Regulations could be detrimental for citizens of countries that use the Internet to voice government opposition. For example, if Russia’s suggested proposal goes through, events such as the Arab Spring could be silenced. The U.S. delegation has promised to block any language that would allow for any censorship. Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the U.N. agency that oversees the treaty, told the Associated Press that all proposals must be agreed upon to by all member states or else they would not be included in the final document.

A Network of Censors…Facebook speaks of its censorship procedures

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See  article from  mashable.com

Facebook have revealed some of their procedures used for responding to complaints about user posted content. Facebook employs 4 teams based in Menlo Park, Austin, Dublin and Hyderabad. Facebook explained: Reports of inappropriate content, which users can submit with just a couple of clicks, are directed to one of four support teams. An Abusive Content Team handles spam and sexually explicit content. Meanwhile, a Safety Team handles threats of vandalism, graphic violence, credible threats of violence and illegal drug use. A Hate and Harassment Team handles, well, reports of hate speech and harassment. The team that handles hacked and imposter accounts is called the Access Team. If found to be in violation of Facebook’s policies, Statement of Rights and Responsibilities or Community Standards, the content is removed and its publisher warned. Facebook’s support teams may also block users who post inappropriate content or ban them from specific features. A separate team handles appeals. Sometimes content on Facebook violates not just the company’s policies, but the law. Facebook says it will share reports with law enforcement when: we have a good faith belief it is necessary to prevent fraud or other illegal activity, to prevent imminent bodily harm, or to protect ourselves and you from people violating our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.