Setting up a well-funded Digital Rights campaign organisation

Hello,

many of us on this list tried to set up an organisation to campaign on
intellecual property issues in the digital environment (including the
original point of getting Dmitri Sklyarov released); eventually it became
apparent that what could be achieved without lots of money was even less
than it appeared.

So the Campaign for Digital Rights was created (and even a limited company
of the same name + Ltd), but was never able to achieve much legislative
change, though we did succeed in getting a lot of stories in the press /
radio / TV (I was on CNN only a few weeks ago), and did particularly well
behind the scenes at bringing activists, academics and journalists
together. But what was lacking was money.

There is now an effort to set up a funded digital rights organisation,
coordinated at:

http://www.pledgebank.com/rights

This is obviously something which we should have tried, and did think
about trying, but there wasn't a well-established PledgeBank mechanism
four years ago, nor were the issues so well publicised or understood by
the communities thereby affected.

I'd urge everyone who reads this list to check out that effort; I've had
nothing to do with it, but obviously Danny O'Brien and co are sound and
aren't going to run away with anyone's cash.

If they're successful in getting enough financial support, I'd like to
propose turning over CDR's cash (only six hundred quid left) and the
limited company (potentially more useful, having a seat on the European
Digital Rights organisation) to them; I'd particularly appreciate feedback
from readers of this list, out of which CDR grew, on the advisability of
the latter two actions. 

Regards,

Mk