Home » UK ISP News Archive » Article Tag: Internet Law (264 Posts)

Articles for Category Tag - Internet Law

Competition Complaint Investigates the High Price of Provider Loyalty

28th September, 2018 (8 Comments)

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has opened a “super-complaint” into broadband ISPs, mobile and financial (savings etc.) providers, which will examine how consumers who remain loyal (e.g. stay with the service at the end of their contract) can end up paying “significantly more” than new customers.

ECtHR Rules UK Mass Internet Surveillance of Citizens Unlawful

13th September, 2018 (10 Comments)

The European Court of Human Rights has today ruled that the United Kingdom’s mass surveillance programmes, which came to light in 2013 after ex-NSA employee Edward Snowden leaked significant details to the press, were unlawful and “incapable of keeping the ‘interference’ to what is ‘necessary in a democratic society’“.

Threat of Internet Censorship Remains as EU Softens Copyright Law

12th September, 2018 (9 Comments)

The European Parliament has today voted to approve a mildly softened version of Article 11 (aka – “link tax“) and Article 13 (aka – “upload filters“) in their proposed new Copyright Directive, which among other things places restrictions on the sharing of news content and threatens mass automated internet censorship.

Virgin Media and Durham Council Settle Fibre Rollout Legal Fight

23rd August, 2018 (7 Comments)

Cable TV and broadband ISP Virgin Media UK has announced that they’ve settled their legal challenge against Durham County Council (England), which began after the operator objected to the “hefty” fees per metre that the authority wanted to charge for laying new fibre optic cable along grass verges.

Northern Ireland Police Issue Second Warning of Broadband Scams

12th July, 2018 (3 Comments)

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has this week issued a second warning about UK broadband customers being scammed after £78,000 was stolen from 5 people by fake ISP support agents over the past month. But there’s now a worrying new “compensation” twist to the fraud.

Government Responds to UK Internet Snooping Law Consultation

11th July, 2018 (6 Comments)

The Government has today published its response to the recent consultation on proposed amendments to the controversial 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, which among other things would force broadband ISPs to log the Internet Connection Records (ICR) of all their customers for up to 12 months.

Internet Piracy – 6.52 Million UK People Downloaded Illegal Content

4th July, 2018 (13 Comments)

The Government’s Intellectual Property Office has today published its 8th study into the extent of online copyright infringement by broadband ISP and mobile users, which estimates that 15% of UK Internet users aged 12+ (6.525 million people) had downloaded at least one item of “illegal” online content (unchanged from 2017).

Crunch Day as EU Copyright Reform Threatens Internet Censorship UPDATE

19th June, 2018 (6 Comments)

The European Parliament will tomorrow vote on a reformed Copyright Directive, which among other things features provisions mandating online platforms to install automated upload filters that many fear could result in significant “over-blocking” of lawful content (censorship) and restrictions on news linking.

UK Gov Aim to Make ISP Piracy Website Blocks Cheaper and Easier

15th June, 2018 (5 Comments)

The United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) appears to have echoed the British Phonographic Industry’s (BPI) recent call (here) for it to be made both cheaper and easier to get websites – those that facilitate internet piracy – blocked by major broadband ISPs, possibly by removing the court process.

BT and ISPs Win UK Court Battle Over Website Blocking Costs

13th June, 2018 (8 Comments)

BT and three other broadband and mobile operators have today won their battle in the Supreme Court with Cartier, which challenged whether it was right for them to suffer the costs of implementing blocks against websites that were found to be selling counterfeit goods (i.e. abuse of Trade Mark).

Battle of the Fibre Optic Patents as Emtelle Take Hexatronic to Court UPDATE

12th June, 2018 (3 Comments)

Competition over fibre isn’t just a matter for broadband ISPs. Scotland-based Emtelle, which is a global manufacturer of blown fibre and ducted network solutions for the industry, has today launched patent infringement proceedings in the UK High Court against Hexatronic over their competing air blown fibre products.

Virgin Media UK Sue Durham Council Over Fibre Optic Rollout Costs UPDATE

11th June, 2018 (13 Comments)

Cable broadband ISP Virgin Media has taken the unusual decision to sue Durham County Council (England) in the hope that doing so will enable them to lay new fibre optic cable along grass verges and without having to pay “hefty” fees per metre. The case will test the recently revised Electronic Communications Code (ECC).

ORG Warns Many Court Ordered UK ISP Website Blocks are in Error

4th June, 2018 (0 Comments)

A new study conducted by the Open Rights Group has claimed that around 37% of court ordered website blocks in the UK, which are often enforced by large broadband providers against copyright infringing websites (internet piracy), are done in error and being “improperly administrated by ISPs and rights holders.”

BPI Calls for Quick and Easy Blocking of Piracy Websites by UK ISPs

23rd May, 2018 (15 Comments)

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which represents the recorded music sector, has called for the Government’s forthcoming ‘Internet Safety Strategy‘ to add new measures that would make it easier for copyright holders to get websites that facilitate internet piracy blocked or completely removed.

Carlisle Court Fines Virgin Media UK £385K for Unsafe Street Work

17th May, 2018 (6 Comments)

A couple of months ago we reported that Virgin Media was facing 14 alleged safety breaches in the Carlisle Magistrates’ Court, which related to the expansion of their cable broadband and TV network in Cumbria. This week the ISP admitted to seven offences and was fined £385,000.

High Court Rules Part of UK ISP Internet Snooping Law is Unlawful

27th April, 2018 (5 Comments)

The High Court of Justice (Queen’s Bench Division) has today ruled that a key part of the controversial 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, which would force broadband ISPs to log the internet activity of all their customers for up to 12 months, is unlawful and must be amended.

Nobody Wants to Talk About UK ISP Internet Piracy Alert Emails

18th April, 2018 (9 Comments)

At the start of 2017 several ISPs, including BT, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and Sky Broadband, began sending the first internet piracy warning emails (“subscriber alerts“) to those suspected of taking part in copyright infringement (here). Today even the government are still clueless as to its progress.