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Sky Sports Roll Out Cinematic Campaign For F1 Channel

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Sky have announced the official launch date of their dedicated Formula 1 channel (Sky Sports F1 HD), for 9 March, and with it a ‘major marketing campaign’ that begins today.

In what will be the satellite TV provider’s first-ever network dedicated to a single sport, Sky Sports F1 will show live coverage of all practices, qualifying sessions and races each year through to 2018, and as one of the most expensive events in the world, is a big-money commitment which Sky are planning to keep up with through their own mass of funds.

It seems as though they are intending to start off as they mean to go on, as their promotional campaign is set to include a 90-second long ‘cinematic’ TV advert, traditional billboard-style promotions, a ’3D installation’ on Cromwell Road in London (England), and what the broadcaster is describing as a smartphone-operated ’augmented reality’ initiative.

The adverts note that users will be able to watch all coverage live in HD via both TV platforms and online (browser and portable devices) with their Sky Go package. The ‘augmented reality’ application on smartphones will most likely see users scan their phones over posters to reveal new information on their screen, a method which could be considered as groundbreaking depending on how it is applied.

Corin Dimopoulos, Sky’s director of sports and marketing, said of the plans: ”This campaign is all about bringing Formula One to life. We’re targeting new and existing audiences and the creative reflects Formula One being given the Sky Sports treatment. With stunning cinematic film, incredible close-up imagery and interactive augmented reality, the campaign reinforces the fact that the race is only part of the story on Sky Sports F1 HD.”

The channel is set to premiere on 9 March (a week in advance of the year’s first race, the Australian GP), and will see the start of regular fill-in segments such as ‘legend interviews’ with presenter Steve Rider, and a weekly magazine show. The race weekend coverage will be fronted by Simon Lazenby, while other members of the presenting team will include Martin Brundle and David Croft (commentators), ex-drivers Damon Hill and Anthony Davidson (co-commentary, analysis, and punditry), and pitlane reporters Ted Kravitz and Natalie Pinkham.

Earlier this month, the channel also announced that they would be producing live coverage of official ‘feeder series’ GP2 and GP3. Executive producer Martin Turner said of this additional content: “We are delighted to be showing GP2 and GP3 live on Sky Sports F1 HD. There are six former GP2 champions in Formula 1 this season, including Lewis Hamilton and last year’s winner Romain Grosjean. The series promises nail-biting and fascinating racing and we’ll track gifted drivers through the ranks as they aim for Formula 1.”

With less than a month to go until the racing resumes, will the sport of F1 (and its feeder series) keep good viewing figures with its first ever pay-TV broadcast partner? The advert being used for the campaign can be seen below:

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Comcast Claim To Stem Flow Of Online Defection

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Netftlix To Produce More Original Shows With Orange is the New Black

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Netflix may still be basking in the positive reviews of first original online TV show, Lilyhammer, but they are said to be already planning a second online only show called, Orange is the new Black.

It is claimed, from anonymous sources quoted by Bloomberg, that the show which will run for thirteen episodes and is created by Weeds creator Jenji Kohan.

The show is a drama based on the memoirs of Piper Kerman about a communications executive who served 15 years at a minimum-security women’s prison for drug smuggling.

It is believed that the show is being made to ward off the threat from the HBO GO streaming service. CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings has been quoted as saying that the HBO service was, “the competitor we fear the most”.

Orange is the New Black forms part of a collection of five original scripted online-only shows to be produced and distributed exclusively by Netflix that will be complete by mid 2013.

Already netflix have produced original shows in crime drama, Lilyhammer starring Steven Van Dant as a former mob boss who flees to Norway under the FBI’s witness protection program. And soon to come is the House of Cards starring Kevin Spacey.

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Tim Cook Predicts More TV Presence For Apple

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Apple CEO Tim Cook recently announced his company’s intentions to expand on their offerings for connected TV services and devices, though he added that there was no particular direction that they are set to take at the current time.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs ‘Technology & Internet Conference’ on Tuesday, Cook claimed that following the sale of 1.4 million ‘Apple TV‘ set-top box units during the last quarter, the company are set to further step up their efforts in the industry, making such products more of a priority than the afterthought it has generally been seen as in the past.

He said of the development of a potential TV-based product, and one that could be made as more ‘main market’: “Apple doesn’t do hobbies, as a general rule. We believe in focus and only working on a few things. With Apple TV, however, despite the barriers in that market, for those of us who use it, we’ve always thought there was something there. If we kept following our intuition and kept pulling the string, we might find something that was larger. For those people that have it right now, the customer satisfaction is off the chart. We need something that could go more main-market for it to be a serious category.”

During his appearance made on behalf of the company (which was also broadcast via Apple’s website), he claimed that there were no problems with their supplier factories and their working conditions as had been previously rumoured, stating that while the process can be ‘complex’: ”…our commitment is very, very simple: We believe that every worker has the right to a fair and safe work environment, free of discrimination, where they can earn competitive wages and they can voice their concerns freely. And Apple suppliers must live up to this to do business with Apple.”

Cook summarised that despite his big-money appointment in the former role of Steve Jobs, the company’s culture has not changed following the latter’s death, saying that during his own tenure, he will: ”…not witness or permit the slow undoing of it, because I believe in it so deeply.”

With plenty of other contenders already established in the TV market, it will take a big effort from Apple to join the more high-profile names of home viewing, so just how far forward will a more ‘serious direction’ manage push them?

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NXP Software and Verimatrix Bring Secure Content Delivery to Android Devices

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NXP Software has integrated Verimatrix enhanced HLS content authorization into its LifeVibes QuickPlayer opening the way for premium internet TV services on Android phones and tablets.

Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 16 February 2012 – NXP Software has integrated Verimatrix ViewRight® Web client security into the Android version of its LifeVibes QuickPlayer. ViewRight Web is a component of the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS™), and its integration into QuickPlayer enables enhanced security for adaptive streaming content delivery on Android phones and tablets. This opens the door to new revenue streams for service providers such as broadcasters and IPTV providers to add premium (paid for) internet TV services.

“Consumer demand for premium content on smart phones and tablets is growing rapidly. As a global leader in enabling exciting multimedia experiences, NXP Software is keen to help service providers meet this demand. By partnering with Verimatrix, we have combined our know-how in high quality video and audio on mobile device platforms like Android with Verimatrix’s deep expertise in securing and enhancing revenue for multi-screen digital TV services,” said Peter Van de Berg, Marketing Director, NXP Software.

This new version of LifeVibes QuickPlayer supports fast deployment of VCAS-secured video service applications across the wide range of Android-based devices on the market using the proven HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) adaptive bitrate protocol. It enables an enhanced security infrastructure for HLS that is fully compliant with the rigorous requirements for licensing premium content. Furthermore, LifeVibes QuickPlayer offers a “living-room quality” user experience. It ensures a fast start to playback, and maintains smooth viewing with no re-buffering, dropped service or visual artifacts even during network switches and variations in bandwidth availability.

“As the OTT video market matures, network operators are now able to blend Internet TV into their traditional services – from an operational, technology and revenue model perspective. This requires enhanced security functionality and options in order to deliver premium content to connected devices. Our partnership with NXP Software helps operators to deliver services on the broadest range of new mobile devices, while still maintaining the appropriate level of security,” said Steve Oetegenn, chief sales and marketing officer at Verimatrix.

ViewRight Web and VCAS™ for Internet TV are components of the VCAS 3 architecture, which addresses the new video marketplace with a proactive revenue security and enhancement approach for DVB broadcast, hybrid, and IPTV networks. The Verimatrix ViewRight Web client family is a robust package of portable security applications that provide enhanced security for HLS service delivery, including authentication and fine grain entitlement management for a variety of device categories, including PC/Macs, mobile handsets, tablets, set-top boxes and connected TVs.

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Aereo Plan New Service For New York

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A new internet streaming service entitled Aereo is planning to make a big impression in the online viewing market, despite planning to use broadcasting equipment the size of a thumbnail.

Aereo are set to launch a trial version of the service in New York City (USA) starting 14 March in order to test the reaction of their potential audience, offering HD coverage of all American ‘broadcast television networks’ alongside local channels, being aired via desktop browsers, connected set-top boxes, or on portable devices, such as the iPad. Compatible networks will include Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, and CW, amongst others.

They are also aiming to make price a unique selling point, claiming that they can offer for a $12 a month subscription much of what a $100-per month cable services, adding that this legal option of streaming combined with other internet-based services could be seen as a cheaper and more effective alternative to ‘closed circle’ cable providers.

Upon subscription, a user will be allocated a single ‘antenna’ based in the company’s data centre, with the small size of the devices meaning that Aereo can host a potentially huge number of customers in just one room at their base. Users will then be able to tap into the feed of their antenna to view live and catch-up (via a personalised remote storage/DVR option) content.

Aereo’s founder and CEO Chet Kanojia said of the service, which he claims is directed more towards casual, ‘basic-channel’ viewers: “If you have this and you have Netflix, you absolutely have the ability to not have a standard cable subscription.”

A financial backer of the concept Barry Diller added: “Anyone will tell you, whether it’s Amazon or Hulu or Apple, that they can’t get enough programming that people want to see to – so to speak, ‘break the chain’ — because all of the programming is controlled within the circle. Aereo pries over-the-air broadcast television out of that closed system.”

With the beginning of their trial roll-out now less than a month away, will a high-concentration of potential customers to ‘available space’ work in Aereo’s favour in New York?

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How to Find and Watch Free Internet TV Streams

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You need not spend over $100 a month for cable to get access to all your favorite television shows and movies. There are dozens of free sources online for programming that can be watched on your computer or a set top device.

Learning how to sort the quality sites from those that are designed to promote spam or even infect your computer with a virus can be challenging. Here are a few tips for how to find free quality sites on which to watch streaming television shows and movies:

Start with the Networks

Many networks now offer their programming on their own Web sites. Sometimes, programs are shown simultaneously on the site, but most often, it is available on the site a few hours or a day after the program is shown on television. You do not have to subscribe to a cable provider in order to access this content. Networks will sometimes archive shows on their sites, but most often, they will only make available a select number of the most recent shows.

Search Directories

There are a number of reputable streaming directories that link to sites hosting content. These directories sort content by television programming and movies, then alphabetically by title. You can search for a specific title, or you can browse content. Numerous links will be provided for each show or movie. Some popular directory sites for streaming content include Project Free TV (http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/) (which also includes movies) and Surf the Channel (http://www.surfthechannel.com/). Browsing links for specific programs will also give you an idea of the most popular hosting sites, which include Mega Video, Veoh, Divxden, Putlocker, and more. Once you get a feel for the hosts that you trust and that have the content you want, you can bookmark them to search for content directly.

Use the Proper Search Terms

Many videos are uploaded and tagged with abbreviations and other shorthand. If you do not use the proper search terms, you may not be able to find the program that you want. Searching for “Desperate Housewives Season 1″ may yield no results or only a few results on some sites, but searching for “Desperate Housewives S01″ or “Desperate Housewives SE01″ will yield multiple results. Episode is often abbreviated “E” or “EP.” Numbers are sometimes listed in single digits and sometimes must include a 0. Seasons and episodes are often strung together like S01.E01. Popular shows are also often abbreviated. For example, “How I Met Your Mother” is often tagged “HIMYM.” Learn the common shorthand for program searches to ensure that you are able to find the content you want.

 Evaluate Quality

Not every streaming site is created alike. Some offer quality program, while others exist simply to spread viruses and spam. Be sure to research the reputation of a site before you access content. Even if you are not downloading content, you can still pick up malware or other harmful content from a streaming site. Take note of the other content on the site. Are there numerous

pop up ads? Are the ads for reputable products, or do they promote pornographic or other adult products? If you see a lot of this type of content, chances are that the site will target you for spam.

If you know where to look, you can easily cut out cable and access all your programming content online for free. Take the time to research the best sites and become familiar with how to search for videos to ensure that you can access all the best content and have an enjoyable viewing experience that is free of spam.

About the Author:
Heather Green is a freelance writer for several regional magazines in North Carolina as well as a resident blogger for onlinenursingdegrees.org. Her writing experience includes fashion, business, health, agriculture and a wide range of other topics. Heather has just completed research on online nursing program and online school for nursing.

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Time Warner Unveil Live PC Streaming Service

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Time Warner have announced their intention to do more in the internet streaming market, following a move to carry online streaming for their cable TV customers as an added means of viewing content.

The update to their service follows on from a previous release of an iPad app used for content streaming, as Time Warner Cable expand their options available to their customers with a browser version of ’TWC TV’. The service will also allow users to remotely organise recordings through their DVR, as well as tuning their set-top box for channel-changing without the use of a remote.

It is believed that the launch is part of TWC’s attempts to draw in and retain customers by bringing them higher potential ’value from their video subscription’. The options include live TV streams and (more prominently) catch-up offerings from a range of TWC-hosted networks, including Bravo, E!, and AMC.

TWC director of digital communications Jeff Simmermon said of the service (which is currently being released to the public in a ‘beta’ stage of testing) in a blog post: “Ever since launching the TWC TV app for the iPad, we’ve been expanding the platforms that our customers can use to get value from their video subscription, and this represents the latest star in that particular constellation.”

The browser site also displays an in-depth 7-day electronic programme guide (EPG), and an interactive layout to clearly search for and see the shows appropriate to the user. Applicable to Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome web browsers, will Time Warner Cable’s TWC TV service be as success as its more portable cousin?

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China Puts Ban On Primetime Foreign Content

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While it is fairly well-known by now that Chinese TV regulators are not as lenient as similar organisations around the world, their latest move seems to be one that is making an attempt to insulate local network’s scheduling further than it was before.

Regulations being brought in by the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT), have declared that no station in China will be allowed to air a foreign-made entertainment show or drama in the ‘prime-time’ hours of 19:30-22:00, and that the overall concentration of foreign series in a channel’s schedule must not exceed a daily rate of 25%.

It is also claimed, though without much explanation, that channels cannot show too many programmes from the same ‘region’, though whether this means within China or global ‘regions’ is unclear.

Unlike much of the rest of the world, America is not the main source of imported programming for Chinese networks, with a majority of popular series often stemming from South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and India, amongst other Asian nations.

As an additional measure, most foreign content will be monitored and vetted before being permitted to go on-air, for a more reasonable fear of ‘vulgar or violent’ content. SARFT claim that the move is to ‘improve the quality’ of imported programming into China (despite the fact that they would have little control over what other nations produce), and added that an imported series will not be allowed to exceed a 50-episode run on a network.

SARFT also state that failure to co-operate with the new regulations will result in ‘severe punishment’ for the network, most likely with the possibility of a suspension of broadcasting licence. They stated of the plans, which have been put in place mainly as a means of promoting Chinese culture and home-grown shows: “Regulatory bodies around the country must increase their supervision over foreign television shows broadcast on television stations at all levels, and increase fines levied for those who break the rules.”

Will the move help Chinese media production develop as intended, or are the new rules set to turn more disgruntled viewers towards online streams for their foreign TV fixes?

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Apple Announce Date of iPad 3 Reveal

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Recent reports claim that Apple are due to reveal their latest version of their popular tablet computer, the iPad, with an official announcement of iPad 3 next month from their company headquarters.

The announcement of the iPad 3 seems to be set for 7 March in Cupertino (USA), with the much-anticipated tablet most likely to be revealed by company CEO Tim Cook, who took over the role from the late Steve Jobs.

The expected roll-out schedule (based on estimations industry experts have made after previous releases from the company) will most likely see the product released in selected key markets (such as USA, Canada, and Europe) a fortnight after the announcement, meaning a likely commercial release of the device in the week beginning  19 March.

The device will no doubt be talked up over its improvements on the iPad 2, with new features set to include support for ’4G LTE’ mobile services at speeds of 100Mbps, a larger power battery, ‘quad-core A6 processor’, and a ‘high resolution Retina Display’, amongst other technical aspects.

While the release of the device looks set to come soon in a number of countries and territories, China may not be one of them, as a dispute over the registry of the name ‘iPad’ lingers on, with the prosecution (computer display company Proview) attempting to stop all sales of Apple’s product in the country until the matter is properly resolved. Proview’s lawyer Ma Dongxiao said of his party’s request to block the iPad 3, and all other Apple products: ”We feel that Apple is infringing on the iPad trademark [in China].”

While there may still be some issues in the Far East to work out before they progress, other key markets will be able to get their first glimpse of the iPad 3 within the next three weeks. Will it be worth the wait for some?

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Youtube Channel Update Comes To Google TV

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Google have released a YouTube update for their Google powered TV sets, adding channel functionality to YouTube and making the viewing experience better, faster and smoother for the viewer.

Currently, the Youtube app allows viewers to search by topic and returns individual videos. The new update TV will return channel pages and allow users to browse by channel or category.

The update which was announced in a Googletv blog post says the new Youtube app will be available via the Android Market, and has a new feature called Discover. This lets viewers find Youtube channels by categories using a nifty scroll action using the remote arrow buttons. Another addition will let viewers post comments too.

When viewers watch a video they can see related videos by strategic use of the arrows on the Google remote and comment just like they are used to on the pc.

Google TV has been a bit of a let-down since launch in 2010, but an update to Google TV has been released that addresses some of the underlying issues with the system. And the fact that Google are tying the TV system in with the Android OS and market bodes well for the future.

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Samsung CEO Faces Inheritance Battle

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The operations at the top level of South Korean technology and smart TV giant Samsung are currently not in the smoothest shape at the moment- after an old-fashioned family argument involving inheritance.

While the legal claim being made by 80-year-old Lee Maeng-Hee towards his 70-year-old brother Lee Kun-Hee (the CEO of Samsung) will no doubt be investigated by the authorities, it seems as though the odds are stacked against Maeng-Hee, as he has seemingly waited for 25 years to complain that his younger brother holds over 700b won ($622m) worth of company shares that he claims should have been split between the two upon their father’s death in 1987.

The claim is based on eight million shares of ‘Samsung Life Insurance’ alongside 20 shares of ‘Samsung Electronics’ that the pair inherited from their father (Lee Byung-Chull).

Byung-Chull first founded Samsung as a ‘noodle-and-grocery’ tradesman in 1938, before branching out into a wide number of varied markets following World War II, the most notable of which would go on to become their highly successful electronics division. His death would see his four main company divisions (Hansol, Shinsegae, CJ, and Samsung) given to four of his children, with the latter granted to Kun-Hee, and is now the only one that remains under direct management of the overall ‘Samsung Group’.

Maeng-Hee, however, claims that a further part of Byung-Chull’s inheritance was company shares, which he claims to have not recieved any of, and that Kun-Hee ‘hoarded’ all of it for himself. His legal claims note the stocks as “…put in a trust under the name of non-heirs, and they should have been apportioned to the heirs according to law.”

Overall, The Samsung Group currently operates in the fields of electronics, insurance, heavy industry, and international trading/investment, in 2010 recording a combined overall turnover of $220b, while in the same year Lee Kun-Hee was listed by the Forbes Rich List as the richest man in South Korea, with a noted personal fortune of $7.9bn having managed the company for much of the 25 years since he inherited it.

While his brother might naturally be quite jealous of his sibling’s success, the timing is certainly not looking too good for his case, as it is quite surprising he is filing the lawsuit now, when (if he is proven to be in the right) he could have been trying to claim those very valuable shares a quarter of a century ago…

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Google Granted Greenlight For Motorola Move

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US and EU officials have confirmed that the planned $12.5b takeover of Motorola (Mobility) by Google can go ahead, regardless of their concerns that the move could contribute to an ‘increasingly strategic use of patents’ in the world of technology.

The European Commission (executive representatives of the European Union) greenlighted the plans (which have been in place by Google since August) last night, claiming that it would not cause ‘significant issues’ of competition in the mobile device market. The EC confirmation (along with similar agreements made from similar bodies in the USA) is thought to mean the deal is one key step closer to completion, though approval is still said to be be required from similar executive officials in China, Israel, and Taiwan to make the takeover of Motorola’s presence worldwide a certainty.

All regulators that have agreed so far that the bid (which Google are making for the ‘mobile devices’ half of the company only) will be approved, but monitored to keep check on their activity, especially on their operations involving ’technology patents’, of which Motorola Mobility have the rights to over 17,000 (which would all technically become Google property), and which caused a (currently ongoing) court case with Apple in Germany.

It was also a potential  concern that Google would tactically apply their newly-acquired rights on their own Android products, though the EC ruled that amongst other concerns, the takeover would not hold any significant changes to the way the market is operating, as well as meaning little overall change on Google’s part.

European Commission ‘vice-president of competition policy’ Joaquin Almunia said of their eventual decision to approve Google’s purchase: “We have approved the acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google because, upon careful examination, this transaction does not itself raise competition issues. Of course, the Commission will continue to keep a close eye on the behaviour of all market players in the sector, particularly the increasingly strategic use of patents.”

An EC statement concluded by addressing concerns that Google would refuse service to Motorola’s rivals: “The Commission’s investigation showed Android helps to drive the spread of Google’s other services. Consequently, given that Google’s core business model is to push its online and mobile services and software to the widest possible audience, it is unlikely that Google would restrict the use of Android solely to Motorola, a minor player in the European Economic Area (EEA), as compared to operators such as Samsung and HTC.”

Google vice-president Don Harrison claimed that the approval in USA and Europe is a key ’milestone’ in the takeover plans, and that Motorola Mobility will be an important part of the Google family, as he wrote: “As we outlined in August, the combination of Google and Motorola Mobility will help supercharge Android. It will also enhance competition and offer consumers faster innovation, greater choice and wonderful user experiences.”

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Apple iEye Patent For 3D Depth Sight

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Apple have reportedly filed a patent to claim the official rights of a potential new technology that would create glasses-free 3D effects based on the position of a user’s eye.

It would seem very likely that such an approach would be seen mainly on Apple’s key handheld devices (such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod), with the application of ‘facial recognition and ambient light awareness’ in order to form a ‘world-behind-the-screen experience’, able to ‘detect and respond’ to eye placement and focus to create depth effects, such as a section of the screen appearing as more ‘pop-out’ than others if the user is looking in that area.

Similarities have been made to Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect system, and the displays could also be drawn with Google’s planned ‘Google Goggles’, but Apple are claiming it to feature more than simple recognition, with the 3D effect also responding to light sources in order to create relevant shadows (such as on icons and text) within the display itself as an added part of the view.

The production team may have been eating Japanese food when they thought of the technology, as they described in the patent that their devices would become similar in ’viewing method’ to a ‘bento box’ (traditional lunchboxes in Japan featuring selections of different foods from the country).

The official patent filing read: “It is possible to render the virtual 3D operating system environment as having a recessed ‘bento box’ form factor inside the display… As the user rotates the device, he or she could look into each ‘cubby hole’ of the bento box independently. It would also then be possible, via the use of a front-facing camera, to have visual ‘spotlight’ effects follow the user’s gaze, i.e., by having the spotlight effect ‘shine’ on the place in the display that the user is currently looking into.”

The filing adds that users would also be able to see ‘behind’ the items at the front of the 3D-enhanced screens, although it is still questionable as to what will happen when more than one person is looking at the device, and if glasses-free 3D has developed as a reputable viewing method. Will the planned future inclusions be seen as a major technological breakthrough, or another flawed attempt at 3D?

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Germany Halts Progress Of ACTA Bill

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While the attempt by several big-money companies in America to pass the controversial SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) bill has fallen flat in recent weeks, a similar version drafted by the European Union (EU) for multi-national legislation against online piracy is facing a similar level of dissatisfaction across its planned area, and while governments have been growing in support for the move of ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), the plans have been delayed by Germany’s concerns on the matter, having made the decision to postpone their signing of the agreement to allow for further review.

ACTA is looking to bring in an internationally-recognised model on ‘intellectual property rights enforcement’ (including ‘counterfeit goods’, ‘generic medicine’, and ‘online copyright infringement’) and while it was signed last month by 22 of the EU’s 27 member states, Germany are amongst the 5 that have delayed their confirmation process, alongside Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, while Cyprus, Estonia, and Holland have not yet signed for other reasons. Non-EU nations which have been an integral part of the process (drafting and signing) include USA, Canada, Japan, Morocco, Australia, and New Zealand.

The citizens of nations that have signed up to the bill, however, are not best pleased, with the weekend witnessing protests amongst the continent-wide cold weather in Sofia (Bulgaria), Paris (France), London (England), Vilnius (Lithuania), Prague (Czech Republic), and Warsaw (Poland), amongst several others. Numerous websites across Europe (most notably in Poland and Slovenia) have been hacked as a further form of protest.

While European Parliment is not due to discuss ACTA for ratification until June, Internet users across Europe are still worried that it could lead to unfair arrests based on fairly trivial ‘crimes’ such as downloading a pirated movie. Numerous politicians have also noted the impact it could have on online freedom of speech and activity, with Lithuanian Justice Minister Remigijus Simasius adressing readers of his blog: “I don’t know where it [ACTA] comes from and how it originated, but I don’t like that this treaty was signed skillfully avoiding discussions in the European Union and Lithuania.”

His complaints, though, were nothing compared to the actions of French MEP Kader Arif (who’s country signed the bill) resigned last month from his role as rapporteur of ACTA, stating:  ”Everyone knows ACTA is problematic, whether it is its impact on civil liberties, the way it makes internet access providers liable, its consequences on generic drugs manufacturing, or how little protection it gives to our geographical indications. This agreement may have a major impact on the lives of our citizens, and yet everything is done so that the European parliament has no say. I will not participate in this charade.”

In a very similar situation to SOPA, it seems as though everyone except from a few big-money corporations want ACTA to be passed. Will it get there, or is a mass of European people power set to stand in the way?

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