Is your internet usage legal?
The Digital Economy Bill has been granted on the 8 April 2010 whereby the onus falls on users or more to the point partners in a practice or directors of a business rather than the Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) to ensure that the business broadband connection is not being used illegally.
The bill states that if you or your staff members are found conducting illegal file sharing or illegal downloading of music and films, copyright holders will be able to obtain names and addresses of the offenders through a court order. Action can then be taken which could result in suspension of the business internet connection.
The loss of internet connectivity for any modern business would be catastrophic, no emails, no web, no remote access and support.
This is an added overhead and increases to the risk management that each business faces. Business’s have always known about the risks involved in giving staff access to the internet and the penalties that can face the business partners and directors if any illicit materials are accessed over the internet.
Now not only are those businesses at risk from porn or other illicit material but also from theft of copyright by sharing pictures, music or videos.
The bill passes yet another IT overhead to the practice and each business needs to ensure that their network is secure especially when wireless access points are concerned.
DPS are highly experienced at offering solutions for this risk. The solutions can be as wide ranging as a complete hosting package where all the internet practice traffic is directed via DPS secure infrastructure which will ensure that each of these risks are properly managed. This is a completely seamless solution in that the uses know nothing of what has happened and their usage of the system is exactly as it was before but the risk is being managed off site! This package can include a spam filtering service that looks at all incoming email to the practice and filters out spam items.
Alternatively if the practice does not want to delegate this risk then DPS can provide in software solutions that monitors internet access and deals with the risk. Clearly the regular monitoring and assessment of the risk on a month to month, week to week and sometimes day to day basis is then up to staff at the practice.
If you need more information about your compliance and monitoring this business risk please contact us on 020 8804 1022 or vist our website.
Osman founded DPS Software 25 years ago. DPS are one of the UK’s leading providers of case management and accounting software for solicitors. Their award-winning case management systems cover all aspects including Crime, Matrimonial and Wills.
Is it legal to do your own online commentator of a Major League Baseball game?
by Frerieke
Question by Zen Jesus: Is it legal to do your own online commentator of a Major League Baseball game?
My friends and I want to do our own online “radio” broadcast of our favorite Major League team. Our their any laws preventing us from doing this? We won’t be showing any actual video or relaying any of the actual broadcast in any way – basically just doing our own commentary on the game for others to listen. Thanks for your help!
Best answer:
Answer by boomforce
No I don’t think it is illegal. I’m sure there are other people doing the same thing.
What do you think? Answer below!