[Free-sklyarov-uk] Corrupt CD's - Time for another protest/leafleting session?

[Alistair Davidson]

Julian T J Midgley wrote:

> A somewhat overdue and overlong note from me... ;-)


Dammit, I had a £5 bet with Phil that you'd been abducted by aliens and would 
never be seen again ;)


> (Both Watchdog
> and BBC Newsround got in contact (unprompted), but appear to have decided
> not to run pieces after BMG backed down over Natalie Imbruglia.)

I seem to remember reading that they're going to try again, only this time 
with labels and an option to exchange the CD in the store.

Gives us less purchase, but there are still plenty of issues to beat them 
about the head with.


> A quick note on my not entirely explained absence.  Thanks to genes
> carefully handed down from generation to generation, I'm variously
> blessed/cursed with manic depression (which, it's worth pointing out is
> not such a bad thing to have once you know what it is and have learnt how
> to live with it (it's just quite shitty for the several years it takes to
> get diagnosed correctly)).  After four years on lithium a recent
> experiment with coming off the stuff (with approval of GP) resulted in my
> briefly going manic (which was pleasantly entertaining, if not entirely
> productive).  So am back on the lithium again, and after a couple of weeks
> of gradually sorting my life out and getting all my cylinders firing
> normally again, am back on top form.


Ack, good to know you're okay now... what is it with geeks and depression? 
It's definitely more common among geek groupings.


> At much the same time, I decided that it was lunacy to attempt to hold
> down a full time job at the company I work for, whilst simultaneously
> dedicating every spare moment to the Campaign for Digital Rights and the
> Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR).  I therefore elected to
> take voluntary redundancy from the company concerned in order to give me
> time to work full time as a volunteer for FIPR for a while.  I'm working
> out my final months' notice at the moment and finish my current job on 19
> December.


I vote for turning the CDR into a registered legal entity of some form, 
soliciting donations / memberships, and paying you a wage (or, if you end up 
stepping down, your successor).

I think a large wage would be a mistake, but if it's affordable then enough to 
allow the poor fool^H^H^H^H^H^H^H CDR head to work part-time or whatever.


> In the meantime, I've been doing various bits of work for FIPR as and when
> I have the chance (spent a most interesting afternoon in the House of
> Lords yesterday witnessing the reading of the Data Retention clauses of
> the Anti-Terrorism bill), and handling CDR related press contacts.


Ooh, all sounds rather exciting :)


> In the interests of ensuring FIPR's impartiality, I may well have to step
> down as a spokesman for the Campaign for Digital Rights in the New Year,
> but should be able to remain active on the strategy/ideas side.


That would be a shame, but it's understandable and it's great that you're 
getting more involved with FIPR :)


> Dmitry's full trial doesn't start until April, but there will be
> opportunities to support him in various ways before then.  Anton has
> already suggested several. Martin Keegan and Gerry are some way advanced
> with plans to record and release a CD in support of Dmitry (free for
> download and distribution, of course).


A Christmas single? Good lord!

We should include the DeCSS song ;)

<singin'>"This function is void / It takes two args"


> I suspect that with Christmas this close, it may prove difficult to
> organise (m)any events before 25 December (not that this should stop those
> with the time from trying if they wish).  We should certainly try to get
> the Dmitry CD out in time for Christmas (Martin will supply more details)
> - and perhaps provoke some further discussion of the CD issue whilst
> people are buying CDs as presents.   But in general I think we can afford
> to relax a little until the New Year, and then start going after all three
> issues in earnest.


Maybe we could try and come up with a couple of media-friendly stunts to 
higlight the CD issue? Christmas being a reasonably slow news-time, 
seasonally-themed stunts are liable to get coverage.

Or get us laughed at. But that's not somethign to be scared of ;)

 
> I also think it would be a good idea to get as many members of the
> Campaign together as possible for a sort of
> mini-conference/discussion/party some time early in the New Year.  A lot
> of our best ideas have come out of discussions held in pubs after
> protests, and it's always good actually to meet the people who are
> otherwise just another email address.  London seems the most appropriate
> location for this - if anyone has suggestions for a venue, preferably
> free/inexpensive that can accomodate at least 100 people, let me know.
> I'll put my mind to a rough plan of events - the event will be used as
> much as anything else to thrash out some ideas for how best to tackle the
> issues next year.


Hmm. It certainly sounds like a fun idea, I'll start saving up.


-- 
Alistair Davidson
Read my comic, Bizmatch! http://www.altgeek.org/lord_inh/comic/index.html
"Disloyalty in a democracy is to stop asking questions."