Well, the government has gone and done it, despite the overwhelming opposition of people who actually understand the bill in question. Britain has passed the Digital Economy Bill, which mandates kicking whole families off the internet if one member is even accused of downloading (good thing those record companies never make mistakes), and accords to unelected officials the prerogative to change the provisions of internet enforcement without legislative warrant.
MP Lynne Featherstone (not my MP, sadly), Stef @ “DEBillitated”, and SkeptoRobot sum it up better than I could. And brilliant, articulate, consummate technologist Kevin Marks has been keeping his audiences up to date all along.
Cue the creepy music in the background, as a pitiless voice rasps, “Do what must be done, Lord Mandelson.”
Trying to find my local MP to see if she even turned up.
As a youngster who, just a few years ago, was EXCITED at the prospect of getting to vote, of getting involved in politics, I’m… pretty appalled at the government. Some 400-odd MPs don’t turn up to vote, and they call it “democracy”.
The whole thing presumes guilt before innocence. The penalties, as you mentioned, are rather severe — and frankly stupid. Plus, done without the appropriate due process, is doubly inappropriate.
Further, this bill doesn’t protect artists. Far from it. It protects the RIAA/MPAA/other such groups, but the artists get PITTANCE from the industry associations, who pocket the majority of the income from sales of music/movies/videos. Artists usually gain their income from touring and concerts, not from music/movies/videos. It also simply encourages piracy “underground”, and mark my words, those who try hard enough WILL find a way to contravene the measures imposed by this bill.
“Do what must be done…”
Isn’t that what Darth Sidious said as he commissioned Anakin to purge the Jedi Temple. [grin]
“Once more the Sith will rule the galaxy… and we shall have peace.”