EU IP Enforcement Directive Criticized

wiredog writes "A commentary at ZDNet UK concerning the proposed EU IP Enforcement Directive describes it as being as bad as, or possibly worse than, the American DMCA. Some snippets: 'You want to change the tyres on your 2006 model Ford Prefect? Anything other than genuine Ford tyres -- with the genuine Ford ID chip -- will disable your car. In the brave new world of the Directive, singing ... in public with your hat on the floor would be a crime,... You can imagine how much the police are going to enjoy having to cope with that.' It closes with the observation that "intellectual property is verging on thought crime."" Civil liberties groups have sent a letter to EU urging that the proposal be rejected.

Comments

Re:Ford Prefect... the Car?

[Colin Douglas Howell]

Quite a bit prior to that--it was last produced in 1959.

Unfortunately, the joke of Ford Prefect's name was lost on most Americans, myself included. I didn't even know the car existed until I read the obituary for Douglas Adams, and my dad (an Englishman old enough to remember the Prefect) mentioned the car.

Wikipedia has a pretty good entry covering both the car and Adams' choice of the name for his character.

Re:a good example

[Thing 1]

a good example of the dictum that if you make enough laws then everyone can be a criminal

Very succinctly put. I like to refer to a passage from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" which says essentially the same thing, with more words:

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now, that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."

It blows me away that she wrote this half a century ago, and it's becoming more and more relevant. RFID tags for all!