European Parliament Condemns Plans To Disconnect File-Sharers
Written by enigmax on April 10, 2008Controversial plans to disconnect file-sharers from the internet were condemned in the European Parliament this morning when MEPs voted to avoid adopting measures “conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness”.
After failing in their ’sue em all’ approach in dealing with file-sharers, the music industry in particular has been lobbying for ISPs to disconnect their subscribers from the internet. The proposals by the French have been well documented and more recently, the attempts by the British Phonographic Industry to bully ISPs into disconnecting their customers. These proposals have been met with anger and disbelief across Europe but today, common-sense appears to be re-emerging.
According to an Open Rights Group report, Members of the European Parliament have voted this morning to adopt an amendment to the Guy Bono Report and condemning state plans to authorize the disconnection of suspected file-sharers from the internet.
The vote was very close, with 314 MEPs voting in favor of the amendment and 297 voting against.
The text of the amendment “calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognize that the Internet is a vast platform for cultural expression, access to knowledge, and democratic participation in European creativity, bringing generations together through the information society; calls on the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of Internet access.”
Proportionate behavior is not a quality one would immediately associate with the anti-piracy activities of the recording industries, so it’s no surprise that they should attempt to encourage such draconian legislation. Denying European citizens access to the Internet along with its massive scope for learning, education and the spreading of culture, has clearly gone several steps too far, particularly when actioned due to petty personal copyright infringement on a non-commercial scale.
European Parliament spokesperson Malene Folke Chaucheprat said in a statement: “The vote shows that MEPs want to strike a balance between the interests of rights holders and those of consumers, and that big measures like cutting off Internet access shouldn’t be used.”
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21: The reason for this recent development is that they’re probably doing the same thing at home. The longer time moves forward, the worse it becomes for the media companies to assert their rights. The reason for this is that filesharing, legal OR illegal is slowly becoming accepted by all tiers of people that can afford the connection.
As someone once said “information wants to be free” .. well, I’d like to change that to “everybody wants information to be free” and hope that this is indeed the future of things to be.
To naysayers, I simply point you to mozilla whose earning shitloads of cash on a product that’s FREE.
So apparently you guys can choose what deserves to be payed for?…and file sharing isnt stealing?……….haha…..
logic is taking a serious hit in this room.
[quote comment="340105"]yes…we can all steal in peace…and destroy the industries…. BRAINS.[/quote]
Your plea for brains is too late.
SOurce BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7342135.stm
[quote comment="340675"]So apparently you guys can choose what deserves to be payed for?[/quote]
Yes. Last time I checked it was called freedom. Anything wrong with it?
[quote comment="340675"]and file sharing isnt stealing?[/quote]
Precisely so. *Prove* that filesharing *directly* hurts anyone and I’ll believe it’s a crime. *Prove* that someone *directly* loses any property because of filesharing and I’ll believe it’s a theft.
Otherwise, it’s your word against mine. Which means I’ve already won the argument if we stick to presumption of innocence. :-)
[quote comment="340675"]logic is taking a serious hit in this room.[/quote]
You mean: from you? ;-)
[quote comment="340105"]yes…we can all steal in peace…and destroy the industries…. BRAINS.[/quote]
we’re not stealling. if someone buys something and wants to share his private property, how is that stealling?
i own a copy of a Picasso painting. it is a photocopy
why the fuk is it not worth the same $3M as the original?
i feel cheated by the guy who sold me the photocopier. he also sold 300 million other people the same photocopier
great article enigmax
keep blogging such fine sentiments and arguments
did you see the BBC docu featuring TPB where Mr TPB says “we call ourselves pirates because that is what the RIAA calls us”?
enigmax you do well using the torrentfreak vehicle to drive home the point that petty filesharing, regardless it is done by billions of people, is not criminal software piracy
proportionality is king in everything and the enemy has lobbies with millions of dollar budgets
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