Britain's New and Improved Bullsh*t Internet Laws

“The British government has brought down its long-awaited Digital Economy Bill, and it’s perfectly useless and terrible. It consists almost entirely of penalties for people who do things that upset the entertainment industry (including the “three-strikes” rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the net if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement, without proof or evidence or trial), as well as a plan to beat the hell out of the video-game industry with a new, even dumber rating system (why is it acceptable for the government to declare that some forms of artwork have to be mandatorily labelled as to their suitability for kids? And why is it only some media? Why not paintings? Why not novels? Why not modern dance or ballet or opera?).

So it’s bad. ?50,000 fines if someone in your house is accused of filesharing. A duty on ISPs to spy on all their customers in case they find something that would help the record or film industry sue them (ISPs who refuse to cooperate can be fined ?250,000).

But that’s just for starters. The real meat is in the story we broke yesterday: Peter Mandelson, the unelected Business Secretary, would have to power to make up as many new penalties and enforcement systems as he likes. And he says he’s planning to appoint private militias financed by rightsholder groups who will have the power to kick you off the internet, spy on your use of the network, demand the removal of files or the blocking of websites, and Mandelson will have the power to invent any penalty, including jail time, for any transgression he deems you are guilty of. And of course, Mandelson’s successor in the next government would also have this power.

What isn’t in there? Anything about stimulating the actual digital economy. Nothing about ensuring that broadband is cheap, fast and neutral. Nothing about getting Britain’s poorest connected to the net. Nothing about ensuring that copyright rules get out of the way of entrepreneurship and the freedom to create new things. Nothing to ensure that schoolkids get the best tools in the world to create with, and can freely use the publicly funded media — BBC, Channel 4, BFI, Arts Council grantees — to make new media and so grow up to turn Britain into a powerhouse of tech-savvy creators.

Lobby organisation The Open Rights Group is urging people to contact their MP to oppose the plans.

“This plan won’t stop copyright infringement and with a simple accusation could see you and your family disconnected from the internet – unable to engage in everyday activities like shopping and socialising,” it said.

The government will also introduce age ratings on all boxed video games aimed at children aged 12 or over.

There is, however, little detail in the bill on how the government will stimulate broadband infrastructure.”

from: www.boingboing.net – Britain’s new Internet law — as bad as everyone’s been saying, and worse. Much, much worse.

news.bbc.co.uk – government lays out digital plans

2 thoughts on “Britain's New and Improved Bullsh*t Internet Laws

  1. Will there be laws so that stupid cnut ISP’s – let’s pick an example… TELSTRA here in Australia – can’t be complete cnuts and overcharge you by $1100 one month, then $6300 the next.

    That has happened to me the last two bills and there’s no laws against that shit.

    Seriously, I could pay "actresses" and make my own porn much cheaper than that, and if it was marketed correctly (ie. Midget Vampire An@l F!sting to match the whole Twilight thing now – It’d have to be my fist, cause I’m too tall) I’d make enough money to actually buy telstra… If the new UK laws said that ISP’s had to pay the customer for the customers time sorting out stupid bills, then that’d be a welcomed. I’d probably move to the UK just for that.

    And while I’m at it, what happened to the true bohemian artist? Oh, that’s right, there’s a record company rep standing in front of the artist who has more to loose than the artist does. With Music Video’s being Promo Material, and Live Concerts being… Promo Material, they can get in line behind Telstra.

    Once the democracy (fingers crossed…) of this internet thing is properly cracking, and everyone has the means to do whatever they want for the hell of it, not for the cash, the better for all of us. Apart from Telstra Technicians who have to maintain the lines.

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