The Queen’s been giving Her annual address to Parliament, formally unveiling what will be the current Government’s final legislative programme. In doing so, she announced that a new Digital Economy bill would be published on Friday and what the key elements will be – and there’s no mention of the infamous 50p levy on landlines being implemented.

One of the UK’s biggest ISPs says a late amendment to an European Union agreement on telecoms regulations means it’ll now be “almost impossible” for film studios and music labels to force ISPs to disconnect customers who are suspected of illegal files-sharing without obtaining a court order first. The so-called “Internet Freedom Provision” – deemed by the EU to “strengthen the rights of Internet users” – is part of a package of measures that could come into force as early as next year.

The Digital Britain minster’s been speaking in Scotland, promising superfast broadband will bring an array of social, economic and health benefits to consumers and businesses across the country. In order to achieve this, Stephen Timms says £200 million’s been set aside to supplement market-led growth and spend on “areas that have little or no service.”

Now the Government’s put a timetable in place for its plans to disconnect persistent online pirates, one ISP is considering a counter-attack that could see more than individual file-shares up in court. TalkTalk says it may resort to legal action if Lord Peter Mandelson continues with his plans – and it’s not the only one unhappy with the business secretary.

Lord Mandelson confirmed today in Cabinet that the controversial ‘three strikes and out’ policy to tackle internet piracy is to go ahead with the new revelations that ISPs and rights holders will share the cost of enforcement.
TalkTalk has been so incensed by the announcement that it has commissioned a ‘bright dancing’ video featuring a pair [...]

The industry body representing the UK’s record companies has just announced this is already the “biggest ever year” for sales of singles in Britain. Meanwhile, figures from the Motion Picture Association of America show that movie takings are, on the whole, rising. With Lord Peter Mandelson expected to outline the Government’s plans for dealing with illegal downloading tomorrow, what price piracy?

The culture secretary has revealed the Government is stepping back from its new tough stance on illegal file-swapping, following widespread outcry against the move. Ben Bradshaw now says that a court order will have to be obtained by those wanting punish those they suspect of being persistent offenders – and that nobody will just be cut off “willy nilly.”

Peter Mandelson’s plans to crack down on illegal file-sharing have a critical flaw, according to a senior TalkTalk exec. Andrew Heaney, the group’s Executive Director of Strategy and Regulation, says the ease of hacking Wi-Fi broadband connections on the average UK street means millions of people would be left at risk to “superhighway robbery.”

Officially, we are in the “implementation” phase of Digital Britain, though recent rumblings from the Government suggest that “disintegration” would be a more appropriate term. However, the Communications Consumer Panel (CCP) hasn’t given up on Digital Britain – and has just released its final response to the final report. Finally.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that there’d been a changing of the guard at the post of intellectual property minister – or that the role had been scrapped altogether. But David Lammy’s one of men who’s kept his position while the likes of Digital Britain architect Lord Carter and ex-Culture Secretary Andy Burnham have seen their former responsibilities reshuffled. And, despite Lord Mandelson’s moves towards tough new anti-piracy legislation, it’s refreshing to see he’s not changed his tune.

While the mainstream media were getting themselves worked up about YouTube and PRS finally coming to a financial settlement, it has emerged a band of bodies representing major musicians is mounting a protest against the Government’s recent u-turn on the road towards Digital Britain. The coalition, which the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and Damon Albarn associate themselves with, says the ministers’ new proposals are “extremely negative,” expensive and just don’t make sense.

The Government’s outlined new proposals that include cutting the Internet connections of persistent file-sharers of movies and music, bulldozing through the framework it had laid down in its own Digital Britain report. As recently as June, disconnecting people had been seen as going too far and was ruled out. Now, with the apparent personal involvement [...]

Without much fanfare, the Government has managed to sneak out its plan for implementing Digital Britain. And today new communications minister Stephen Timms has suggested the infamous copper cable “tax” might not make it until after the next election – and possibly not at all.