EU Rejects Three-Strikes Legislation, For Good
Written by Ernesto on May 06, 2009The European Parliament has cast its final vote in favor of an amendment that will prevent member states from implementing three-strikes laws. Disconnecting alleged file-sharers based on evidence from anti-piracy lobby groups restricts the rights and freedoms of Internet users, according to the amendment.
For the fifth time in a year the European Parliament has spoken out against tougher anti-piracy legislation that would allow alleged file-sharers to be disconnected from the Internet, based on evidence provided by anti-piracy lobby groups. Instead, they chose to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of Internet users.
In a vote earlier today, 407 Members of Parliament voted in favor of the amendment (138/46) while only 57 were opposed. After a bureaucratic pinball game with several votes on the same text, the amendment of the Telecoms package is now likely to be signed into law.
This is a strong message from Europe in favor of the individual rights of Internet users and against the widely opposed HADOPI law that French President Nicolas Sarkozy hopes to pass in the near future. In April it was mistakenly voted out by the French Parliament, but this is not likely to happen twice.
The entertainment industry, including Sarkozy’s wife, has has been lobbying for tougher anti-piracy legislation for years and despite the recently adopted amendment, France can not be forced to throw their “three-strikes” law overboard. Sarkozy himself put a lot of effort into ditching the amendment, as head of the European Council he already went against the democratic vote by rejecting it.
Nevertheless, the amendment was not adopted after a few months of delay. This is a step in the right direction, and it clearly goes against Sweden’s IPRED and France’s HADOPI laws. Let’s hope this will at least prevent other member states of the EU following the lead of these two countries.
Previously: Pirate Party 3rd Largest Political Party in Sweden
Next: Obama Wants Spain to Ban BitTorrent Sites
74 Responses
About time we had some good news =D
Finally some good news in the P2P world.
this is great news 4 piracy! ole!
Finally some good news on this crappy day…
An excellent result, lets hope democracy wins out over the vast amount of money the entertainment industry wastes, and in future the eu states listen to the voters and work for them instead of trying to lock them up
Hopefully this will also prompt France and Sweden to drop their laws which obviously harm the freedoms of the individual in favour of cash returns for political parties
@ 3
We are not pirates we are filesharers, lose the term “pirates” it makes us all look bad.
Piracy would require you to make money from copyright infringement.
It’s not about rejecting three strikes. It’s about rejecting account termination. (apparently only allowed if people do not pay their bills)
The EU sure is a mysterious thing. Despite the corruption in individual nations and even aggregate bodies like the UN, the EU has managed to remain relatively uncorrupt.
It’s like a machine that works mostly correctly made of broken parts.
@6 Are you kidding? Pirates are awesome! Sure, it has negative connotations, but it also has swashbuckling ones!
I propose that we take back the term ‘Pirate’, much like homosexuals did with ‘gay’ and ‘queer’ – turn it from something bad into a matter of pride in ourselves, where only the ignorant and 12 year olds use it as an insult!
We have won a battle here my friends, but the war rages on. Let’s hope things turn to our tide!
This article is complete bullshit:
a) The EU did not reject three strikes or account termination. There is just dispute about if a judge or a “tribunal” decides about that.
b) The law now enteres a conciliation phase and will be voted on again after that. Not too clear if the parliament will stand the pressure of the council once the elections are over…
How about we stop using the term piracy at all given the state of the world? Net “pirates” infringe copyright, real pirates carry machine guns, steal ships and take hostages.
@ 6
You’re right. We’re not just pirates. We are modern pirates, digital pirates.
Normal pirates are no different than bank robbers. They steal. They Remove the original product.
But we are much different. We do not steal. We make copies… Millions and millions of copies.
“We are not pirates we are filesharers, lose the term “pirates” it makes us all look bad.
Piracy would require you to make money from copyright infringement.”
Piracy doesn’t require money to be made. Don’t make up definitions.
If most nations in the EU are corrupt, then they can all get political browny points by ganging up and being rightious against a rival nation.
The end result is bizzarly and paradocily, the EU stands for Justice, freedom of speech (in your face Jaqui Smith) rule of law (looking at you Belesconi) and rights of the individual on the internet (this is payback Sarcozy and dont forget it).
Funny how we build such an awesome federation with such rubbish individual pieces…
@13.. it does actually require money to be made.. that is the definition.. if you don’t like it go speak another language.
@flynn: Got any sources to back it up? uh?
Provided this is true… I still have some trust in Europe. The 3 strikes and you’re out thing only works on a very small scale. Its not like you can control the world by it. So what, your family or company does not have internet because something happened 3 times. What if the 3 strikes would have been done to an entire city or county–would all the people on that county not have internet thanks to 3 people? Legislation should not be globalized. Of course bureaucrats are good for just that–filling in positions without real merits. If things and work were done on the behalf of merit such BRIGHT ideas like the 3 strikes would not have been implemented and would not have wasted years out of people’s time. In the meantime some politicians (you know who you are!) try to make the gray area work to their advantage. So, if I am in the army and the team has to bomb or shoot or destroy another team and there’s no evidence or signal that these are indeed enemies, wy are some people taking the guilt/ I’m sure that the industry and such will regret their smart ideas once it starts turning towards them. What is most unfair is how these idiots can get away with anything they wanna do and yet the ordinary citizens are condemned to follow laws without questions. Same with banks. These people spend and earn as much as they want, not even caring if it takes a disease,a plague or the life of millions (starving, dead, ETC) to do so…. yet NO ONE holds them accountable. Makes em sick. In the meantime, “all hail the sensible EU!: – isohunt
we are 138
This is good, now we just need the pirate party to get a seat and things might start looking up!
@6
Filesharers are called pirates no matter what you do because thats the name given to us.
Its also why the parties in several countries are called Pirate Party and not File-sharing Party.
We are pirates because the recording and movie industry say we are, weither we actualy pirate or not. and thus born was the pirate party to fight this bullying. amen or whatever.. bah who cares im a frickin pirate because i want to be one lol
Doh.. this is good news for privacy and human rights. That is something else than ‘good news for Piracy’.
If this 3-strike-no-internet crap was passed it was the first step to a totally censored internet, but most of us just care for their personal ’sharing’ needs, ignorant, and selfish.
Glad some people are paying attention, good news :)
It’s about time the politicians decided to perform their duties and listen to their constituents. It’s suppose to be a government for the people not big business. Millions of Europeans were against the Three-Strikes Legislation yet big business tried to ram it through and get their governmental lackeys on board. Glad to see the people won one battle, bu the war is far from over.
This makes me so mad.
God bless Europe!!Europe rules!!
@10
I have to agree.. its more missleading than anything and dissappointingly irrespronsible.
EU parliament have firmly broken against a 3 strikes rule that
** does not have a judicial process **
@16 Open your eyes
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/european-parliament-smacks-down-france-on-three-strikes-law.ars
:D
“When it came time for Parliament to vote on the compromise, lawmakers sent a message: 407 voted to restore the original graduated response amendment, which made it illegal to disconnect Internet users without direct judicial oversight of the process.”
It may not be a total victory but it does still give a measure of hope. Without the passage of this bill the governments would have been able to simply disconnect a user without the benefit of doubt. It would’ve completely destroyed the ideology of “Innocent Until Proven Guilty”. Now the governments will need to come before a court and receive an order to disconnect. Where a defendant has a chance to argue against disconnection.
This is a step back in the right direction for freedom on the internet for everyone.
The three strike rule; when you say disconnecting a user from the Internet, do you mean completely from the internet, not allowing people access ever again, or just disconnecting them from their ISPs.
@ 28
Completely, for a limited time. You cannot switch to another ISP during that time.
@28 Thanks Justin.
Now that is just pathetic, I can’t believe the way the Internet is going completely down hill atm.
I’d really love to do something, drastic, to show my support and encourage change against MAFIIA/IPRED etc.
I’ve already written a few times to my MEPs (however they all seem to be in-favour of the Telcoms Package and the like) but besides that I’m at a dead end.
The net as it is too all of us here is a hugh part of our lives and it sucks the way they are taken our freedoms away just for their own greed.
I recommend anybody, who read the above TF article, to also read this linked article (Thanx Irishlander!):
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/european-parliament-smacks-down-france-on-three-strikes-law.ars
Unfortunatly the TF-reporting on this, don’t seem to be quite adequate… :(
Well they can pass all the laws they want I still am not paying up if it gets really tough I do prefer to watch LoLcats on the net so they can keep all their crap to themselves.
Besides how are they going to stop darknets? or the next napster generation?
Good news!
haha mpaa you lost dumb troll
And for all of you wanting to do something about it you are already doing it.
Don’t giving money to those fools it’s what you have to do.
How you go about doing it can be legal(alternatives) or ilegal(pirating) but the bottom line is don’t feed the monster(Entertainment Industry) that did show to all of us how far they are willing to go.
All other options means it will take a lot of organization.
- Public Demonstrations.
- Sending mensal contribuitions to some ONG that will defend your rights for you(at least go see the headquarters to make sure you’re not being scammed), it doesn’t need to be a $100 a dollar or 1 euro will do just fine you can even contribute $10 for 10 NGOs the anual cost for you will be $120 is that much?.
- Writing your representatives(Not once in a year but once every month at least so they don’t think you forgot and as people unite the number os letters grow to). Make it easy, print 12 letters with 12 dates and send them every first day of each month :)
- Educate your friends, family and coworkers but don’t be a jerk offer words when opportunities appear you are not there to convert people but to show better ways to do something let them decide what they want.
- And did I say don’t give money to the industry that is causing you pain? Right I did I just wanna add that you make a list of all the people that support them like politicians, artists and whomever and don’t ever never give them a cent(or penny).
ps: When presidents start using torrents that can’t be a good sign LoL
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rollingstone.com.br%2Fsecoes%2Fnovas%2Fnoticias%2F3673%2F&sl=pt&tl=en&history_state0=
didn’t expect it :S
@20/west:
“but most of us just care for their personal ’sharing’ needs, ignorant, and selfish.”
1. this IS *torrent*freak, and you’re here as well.
2. those needs are NOT selfish, you’re missing the point by a mile
3. indeed, privacy and human rights; but this battle is far from won.
@all@random:
Kinda fearing we’re going to become like the vegans/vegetarians of the digital world, like they’ve managed to change one thing… Really, all those industries should probably better die, quickly. Even the word is filthy, industry, don’t know when that changed though.
@all who argue about being a pirate or not read this…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piracy
That is not who we are!
We are closer to this…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement
But I’m willing to bet my last hard earned dollar that 99.9% of us here do not make a dime from using P2P systems!
Avast! MAFIAA/MPAA and yer ilk and kin! Ye shall all be scuppered!
Har Har Har Maties!
I just wanted to acknowledge the EU legislators for taking the right step on this very important issues. It is a small step to the right direction in protecting the citizen’s rights and privacy from the abusive organizations such as the “entertainment industry”, the morally corrupted politicians and the bias judicial system as we have witnessed in the TPB verdict recently. We need to have very strict laws to protect every citizens from being victimized by very few large corrupted corporations. We must put an end to these international corporate criminals from taking away our freedom to express and share our values with one another.
this means nothing. the EU parliament can say whatever the hell they want. they have no power what so ever, they are a joke. countrys will still do as they please.
france will still likely go ahead with their law, sweds will keep theirs and anyone else whos bribed enough to implement one will do the same.
dont know what i hate more, pointless cash based politics or the even more pointless EU
@ #6 ,, arrr ,, heave ho ,, seadogs ,, arrr
As an American I’d like to thank all of you across the pond for taking a courageous stand on these issues and making yourself heard.
Organize. Learn. Get some good talking points and put sneakers on the street. Be heard.
You all know this isn’t just about file sharing; that’s just the “righteous front” for the effort to control the web – to make a perfectly wonderful inter-cultural communication platform into just another form of cable TV: all download, no upload.
hang tough and fight on.
One does wonder why France is the country taking such a hard line on these matters. Draconian intellectual property rights enforcement primarily benefits the US, with whom France has disagreed on many issues in recent years.
Perhaps there is already an “understanding” that if France supports the ACTA effort the US will be a receptive market for their Pressurized Nuclear Reactor?
This is getting even better than i thought it would be. Piracy is changing the world, a new age is coming.
For once I’m glad to be in a country a part of the EU. Now this silly IPRED law must be removed.
Good news at last.
Bittorrent Search Engine – http://pirlog.com
Nothing “for good” about what happened yesterday.
The entire telecoms-package was scrapped yesterday, it will have to be renegotiated. There is nothing guaranteeing that the 138 will still be in the new deal, especially since Sweden will host the chairmanship during those negotiations. Sweden is extremely opposed to including the 138 in the telecom deal…
How about a different kind of response from Pirates (File Sharers).
1. Stop Downloading, sharing.
2. Stop Buying, start a campaign, involve more people. Just they way one would do if was not satisfied with corporate policy.
I am sure everyone involved can hang on without buying music and movies for several months, the financial damage will be immense.
This is the best news for my today.
I hope the Sweden’s IPRED and France’s HADOPI & DADVSI wil die soon.
From what I recall of the top of my head, MSNBC is a subsidary of Viacom, which is a French media conglomerate.
Through a series of proxies and subsidaries (what if the Americans found out, remember the Freedom Fries?) that one of the big 4 was French….?
the european parliament felt the heat from rising pirate activists and made a move to show the world that they too support internet freedom hoping they keep their seat.
IRT 6:
OK, you ignorant thief.
” Rejects.. For Good”
Thats bullocks!
They are going to come up with a new proposal.
Who says torrent or file sharing is illegal ?
If i download Fast & Furious from piratebay link then it will cost me slight less than actual DVD.
I spent $100 for broadband,$100 on electricity and many hundreds for computer.
If MAFFIA wants money then they should charge it from ISP’s ,computer manufacturers etc.
I’m not doing anything illegal because I’ve paid for the content which I’ve recieved.
If MAFFIA wants money then they should charge it from ISP’s ,computer manufacturers etc.
I’m not doing anything illegal because I’ve paid for the content which I’ve recieved.
Even the real ones aren’t what they’re made out to be…
http://www.sfbayview.com/2009/you-are-being-lied-to-about-pirates/
Surprising eh?
Wow, at least the EU is exercising some common sense!
RT
privacy-web.net.tc
I know this comment will sound child-like, when compared to the rest of the well-thought-out comments, but I have to say it:
FUCK AWESOME!
Serves ‘em mobsters right.
next MAFFIA revenge!
I am fully for the association with the term “pirates” its a term first used by the industry to put us down and spread fear about our activitys, but we should clame the name as our banner just like the homosexual people embrased the name “queer” and the black people changed the meaning of “ni**er” making the tactics of the racists and homophobes totaly back fire!
atleast Some good news in these dark times =’/ =’]
Common sense indeed. I’d understand if they forbad using P2P, but cutting the line makes more harm (information becomes much harder to get global-wise) than “good” (preventing “offenders” from using BitTorrent) no matter how you look at it. Free speech FTW!
yea you have paid but you’ve not paid them lol
I didn’t know that Carla Bruni was actually a Hollywood whore.
finally some good news!!!!
“European Council” or Council of Ministers or just simply the Council!
Swedish politicians in the EU have a major part in this, especially Eva-Britt Svensson, from the Swedish left party, who succeesfully got proposition 166 voted on which started the whole campaign agains the 3-strikes law in the EU parliament.
Swedish MEP’s also reported getting thousands of calls and e-mails from concerned citizens who wanted them to vote in proposition 34.
I called myself, but dind’t get ahold of an MEP. Seemed to matter little, however.
i’m not a pirate. are you? stop using that term!
The proposal was so absurd that i’m not even happy. Strange days we’re livin in
This is a step back in the right direction for freedom on the internet for everyone.
Tech News – http://www.tech3d.net
Scores in..
Pirates 10 – 6 MPAA
but also:
E.U. 5 – 0 U.S.
US and their damn DMCA, thinkin they can police everyone. Spastics
A bit of sanity at last.
This isn’t a definite banning of three strikes laws, it still has to be approved by the fucking travesty that is the Council. But in the end, Parliament effectively gets the last word in the debate, and I hope they’re prepared to play hardball and remind those ministers who they work for.
Yes!!!
Although I don’t live in Europe but still, yes!! More Euro peers to connect to!!
Some good news finally! happy to ear it. Feels good again to be european!
15 references to this post
Responses are closed
All remaining responses will continue to be archived. Use the TorrentFreak forums if you want to discuss something.