Cory Doctorow to be ORGCon guest

Cory Doctorow. Photo by Jonathan Worth (JonathanWorth.com)

The digital rights event ORGCon is back in London on Saturday 24th March 2012, at the University of Westminster. It's packed with exciting speakers, including author and comic creator Cory Doctorow, challenging debates, and workshops that will leave your mind exploding with ideas!

Here's your chance catch up with everything digital rights related, while meeting the brilliant minds of Lawrence Lessig, Cory Doctorow, Wendy Seltzer, Ross Anderson, Tom Lowenthal, and many more. From the government snooping on your data to default internet blocking and monitoring to the corporate capture of state and democratic institutions - they'll be covering vast regions of the digital rights sphere. And there may even be a competition or two.

Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger -- the co-editor of Boing Boing (boingboing.net) and the author of Tor Teens/HarperCollins UK novels like For the Win and the bestselling Little Brother. He is the former European director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in London.

His forthcoming books include Rapture of Nerds (a novel for adults, written with Charles Stross) and Anda's Game (a graphic novel from FirstSecond).

• For a taster of what you'll be coming to take part in, have a look at these videos taken at the last ORGCon.

• Book your tickets here by joining the Open Rights Group now and get a free Ticket, and a free copy of Heather Brooke's The Revolution Will Be Digitised.

A chance to win a signed book by Neil Gaiman, courtesy of the Open Rights Group

Britain's Open Rights Group - the UK’s leading voice defending freedom of expression, privacy, innovation, consumer rights and creativity on the internet - marks its fifth birthday today, and is offering anyone who joins by donating or than £5 between now and 10th December a book by the organistion's patron, Neil Gaiman - and the chance to win a signed copy by the author.

Celebrating Open Rights Group's 5th birthday, ORG says our digital rights face an increasing number of challenges: the government has put widespread internet surveillance back on the agenda, Net Neutrality is slipping away and the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (which has been rejected by the European Parliament) is being used to further restrict copyright provisions.

By joining ORG now, you'll receive a free copy of graphic novel Tales from the Public Domain: Bound By Law? and could win a unique signed book from Neil Gaiman, who recently sent a video message in support of the organisation (above).

Founded in 2005 by 1,000 digital activists, the Open Rights Group campaigns to change public policy whenever citizens' or consumers' rights are threatened, by talking to policy-makers and mobilising supporters to stop bad laws in the UK and EU.

The group is funded by donors and depends on regular contributions to run and win their campaigns.

• Read more about the Open Rights Group's birthday here


• Open Rights Group on Facebook