In Britain, House of Commons Passes Bill to Curb Digital Piracy

[alp227]

Source: Broadcasting & Cable

The House of Commons has passed a bill to curb digital piracy, according to a report Thursday (Apr. 8) in London daily, The Telegraph.

The bill allows for the suspension of Internet connections for repeat file-sharing offenders, and would allow for the blocking of sites that a court concludes "has been, is being or is likely to be used for or in connection with an activity that infringes copyright," according to The Telegraph's Emma Barnett.

Read more: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/451222-In_Britain_House_of_Commons_Passes_Bill_to_Curb_Digital_Piracy.php?rssid=20065

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Original report from the UK newspaper Telegraph: "MPs pass Digital Economy Bill" by Emma Barnett. Has much more detail if you're interested.

[JDPriestly]

1. And they determine who is filesharing by internet surveillance

And they determine who is filesharing by internet surveillance of the content of usage. That has been the reason for the illegal wiretapping all along. And those of us who wouldn't know how to file-share if we wanted to do it are under surveillance along with everybody else.

[digidigido]

2. Or perhaps more likely by VOLUME of useage

[harmonicon]

3. no, but that's what might make them want to snoop

With this, now ISPs have to spy on their customers. I find it very disturbing as musician living in the UK that I could be targeted by this. Recently there was a push to ban websites that are set up to allow people to share large files over the internet (things like yousendit). That's something that I use a lot to send and receive music (that of myself and my colleagues). Furthermore, this doesn't punish people only after litigation has been successful, but makes the accused face punishment based only on accusations.

[Heywood J]

4. Considering every HTTP request creates an "unauthorized" copy of "copyrighted text",

that basically means they can shut down any connection they like, with a flimsy pretext. Your connection can be "likely to be used" for it - you don't have to actually have done anything.

[cstanleytech]

5. Guess this means their gonna be blocking google, wonder if they will have as much luck there

as china has had or will google just pull out of the UK.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. An MP pointed out it would give people power to have Wikileaks blocked

9.34pm: John Hemming - member of the BPI, PRS, has run e-commerce for 10 years - says "this bill is a complete mess". Most people using these systems are young, so the money to be gained is small.

"First problem is trying to deal with a very very very very very complex issue in the wash-up. Appreciate the industry had to wait four years but that's not a reason to do it in one night. Drop clauses 11-18 and look at them in next Parliament."

"Look at Wikileaks." (He's been reading our stuff.) "It holds government copyright material. They would want to apply to have Wikileaks banned in the UK. That's clearly in the bill as it stands."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/apr/07/digital-economy-bill-internet

BPI = British Phonographic Industry, PRS = Performing Rights Society. He's an industry insider and he says the bill is crap.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Rushed through, horribly quickly, before this Parliament ends due to the election

and so it has not received the debate, scrutiny and amendment it needed. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=191x29541

Pretty much everyone who spoke in the debate said it needs changing, but Labour and the Tories just called on lobby fodder to pass it.

[T_i_B]

8. Yet more awfulness from the House of Commons

The bill has been widely opposed, especially in places such as Twitter but since when have British politicians ever listened to the voting public?