From: OII Newsletter [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: 18 January 2010 12:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: OII News [2010.01.18]: OII Events, Digital Economy Bill: Briefing Report

Dear friends and colleagues,   
   
I would like to draw your attention to a Policy Briefing written by our Visiting Associate Tony Wales, former General Counsel of AOL International, responsible for the company's worldwide legal affairs outside the US. It looks at socio-legal and regulatory issues arising from the UK Government's Digital Britain report (June 2009) and Digital Economy Bill, which includes detailed provisions for enforcement action against unlawful filesharing (where Internet users share music, video and other entertainment content without the permission of the copyright holders) by imposing new policing obligations on ISPs and other online intermediaries.   
   
Tony Wales (2009) Industry self-regulation and proposals for action against unlawful filesharing in the UK: Reflections on Digital Britain and the Digital Economy Bill [PDF, 230kb]   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/publications/IB5.pdf   
   
The addendum provides a briefing on the sections of the Digital Economy Bill that propose measures to deal with unlawful filesharing, together with recommendations for amendments.   
   
Forthcoming events at the OII include Nicholas Economides (an economist at NYU) on net neutrality on the Internet, Joseph Turow's Astor Lecture on attention and advertising in the digital age, a policy forum on mapping cybercrime, and another on the criminalisation of peer-to-peer music sharing (see below).   
   
And some more on Internet policy: we are calling for Panels and Abstracts for our September conference: 'Internet, Politics, Policy 2010: An Impact Assessment' (IPP2010), which subjects the relationship between the Internet, Politics and Policy to multi-disciplinary scrutiny (Deadline: March 15).   
   
We hope you will be able to take part in some or all of these events; please check our website for more information.   
   
Best wishes,   
Bill Dutton, Director   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/   
   
1. Events Diary   
2. Conference Call: Internet, Politics, Policy 2010   
3. Making Government Better: New Online Tool   
4. OII Day School: Social Transformation and the Internet   
5. Webcast: Relationships and the Internet (Public Panel)   
   
Summer Doctoral Programme (5-16 July 2010), Deadline: 22 Feb 2010   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/teaching/sdp/Y2010.cfm   
   
MSc (October 2010 start), Deadlines: 22 Jan / 12 March 2010   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/teaching/msc/   
   
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1. Events Diary   
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Wed 20 Jan:   
Nicholas Economides: Net Neutrality on the Internet: A Two-sided Market Analysis   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=343   
   
Fri 22 Jan:   
Mapping and Measuring Cybercrime (Public Forum)   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=341   
   
Mon 25 Jan:   
Joseph Turow: When the Audience Clicks: Buying Attention in the Digital Age   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=340   
   
Tues 9 Feb:   
Matthew David: Peer to Peer and the Music Industry: The Criminalization of Sharing - An OII Policy Seminar   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=339   
   
Mon 10 May:    
Matthew Allen: Authentic Assessment in the era of Social Media: ideas and applications from Internet Communications   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=344   
   
Thurs 16 - Fri 17 Sept:   
Internet, Politics, Policy 2010: An Impact Assessment   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=338   
contact: [log in to unmask]   
   
All the events:   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/   
   
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2. Conference Call: Internet, Politics, Policy 2010   
--------------------------------------------------   
   
The big OII event this year is the 'IPP2010 Conference', designed to subject the relationship between the Internet, Politics and Policy to multi-disciplinary scrutiny. We welcome paper submissions that report on innovative research into any aspect of the impact of the Internet on public policy and / or politics. We also welcome suggestions from people who would like to organise panel sessions.   
   
Internet, Politics, Policy 2010: An Impact Assessment   
University of Oxford, 16-17 September 2010   
http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/events/details.cfm?id=338   
   
Abstract / Panel deadline: 15 March 2010   
Contact: mailto:[log in to unmask]   
   
The conference will be organised in twin tracks: the Politics track will consider the use of the Internet by political organizations, examining the impact on policy of (for example) online interest group activity and political mobilization, e-voting, political parties and campaigning and e-government.   
   
The Policy track will look at policy responses to Internet-driven social change, including e-health, on-line education, cybercrime, security, privacy and digital inclusion. Plenary sessions will merge these tracks, investigating the intersection of policy and politics and the Internet.   
   
The conference is convened by the OII in partnership with the European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR) 'Internet and Politics' Section, the journal Policy and Internet, and the Policy Studies Organization (PSO).   
   
Policy and Internet:   
http://www.psocommons.org/policyandinternet/   
   
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3. Making Government Better: New Online Tool   
--------------------------------------------------   
   
A team of researchers from the LSE Public Policy Group and the OII have developed an online tool to help government organisations improve their communication with customers. The team was led by Patrick Dunleavy (LSE) and Helen Margetts (OII), and Tobias Escher (OII) developed and programmed the online checklist.   
   
More information, access to online tool and report downloads:   
http://www.governmentontheweb.org/   
   
Paper forms, online applications and call centre scripts are the 'face of government' for most citizens. Earlier research by the team found that often forms were long, with confusing numbering. Some forms asked for the same information more than once and also requested information from customers that the government body already held. Our research found that this leaves customers frustrated, wastes the time of both customers and government staff, and often leads to inaccurate information where questions are badly designed.   
   
The checklists were designed following work undertaken by the same research team for the UK National Audit Office on the Department for Work and Pensions. They allow government department staff to work through current forms (whether paper based, online or phone based) and identify aspects that are most difficult for customers to follow. They cover the language used, how customers prove their identity, how well help and guidance is provided for customers completing the form and the documentation customers are required to provide.   
   
The online tool was launched last week at a seminar addressed by Sir Leigh Lewis, Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions, hosted by the Institute for Government.   
   
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4. OII Day School: Social Transformation and the Internet   
--------------------------------------------------   
   
We are excited to be offering a day school on 'Social Transformation and the Internet' as part of the Department of Continuing Education's programme of courses. The day is aimed at anyone who is curious about the social, cultural, and legal aspects of the Internet's current influence, and who would like to know more about the potential social impacts of a future ubiquitous Internet.    
   
Social Transformation and the Internet   
Saturday 27 March 2010 (09:30-17:30)   
Dept of Continuing Education, Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA   
http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/results.php?Category=800   
   
The Internet, and applications like Facebook, YouTube and Second Life, provides us with unprecedented access to people and information. What impact is the Internet having on our social lives and identities? Our political and social engagement? Who and what we know? What are the key challenges for safeguarding our privacy and security in a world of increasingly centralized databases?   
   
Speakers:   
Dr Kathryn Eccles: Social Impacts of Digital Archives and Photo Sharing   
Dr Bernie Hogan: An Introduction to Social Networking Sites   
Dr Ralph Schroeder: Second Lives? Exploring Virtual Worlds   
Dr Alison Powell: Internet Politics and Activism   
Dr Ian Brown: Balancing Privacy and Security on the Internet   
   
For further information and prices, contact Rita Allingham (Day School Administrator) at: mailto:[log in to unmask]   
   
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5. Webcast: Relationships and the Internet (Public Panel)   
--------------------------------------------------   
   
Relationships and the Internet (Public Panel)   
   
A public panel discussion focusing on the significance and impact of the Internet on interpersonal relationships [rec. 4 Dec 09]   
http://webcast.oii.ox.ac.uk/?view=Webcast&ID=20091204_308   
   
Other recent webcasts cover: digital television and digital switchover, digital technology and forgetting, Internet regulation (at a crossroads), the crisis of global capitalism, social science research on emergent collective behaviour, broadband policy, and recordings from the Oxford Social Media Convention.   
   
Watch all the webcasts:   
http://webcast.oii.ox.ac.uk/   
   
   
   
   
[Editor: David Sutcliffe]   
   
Oxford Internet Institute   
University of Oxford   
1 St Giles Oxford OX1 3JS   
United Kingdom   
Tel: +44 (0)1865 287210   
Fax: +44 (0)1865 287211   
Email: [log in to unmask]   
Web: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk


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