EU About To Consider Stringent Anti-Sharing Law

chrestomanci writes " The Register have just posted a news item about the EU IP Rights Enforcement Bill. Theres is an editorial about the issue in PC Magazine. The bill if passed would give intellectual property holders draconian powers to enforce their IP against infringers. The powers available include sending rent-a-cops to private homes, seizing assets, freezing bank accounts, and confiscating and ISP's equipment on suspicion. Any of these powers could be used against a 12-year-old file sharer, as easily as against a large scale commercial piracy operation The bill has been proposed by the French MEP Janelly Fourtou, whose husband is the the head of Vivendi Universal. She has placed the bill on a 'First Reading' track that does not allow debate, and is normally reserved for bills with near unanimous support. The deadline for amendments is today. If you are a European citizen it is time to write to your Member of the European Parliament. The final vote will be between the 8th and 11th March." (We mentioned this a few weeks ago, too.)

Comments

Ummm, NO

[Ummagumma]

Disclaimer: I am a US citizen. And please don't construe this as a flame.

When the standard-issue starts kicking in my door, without a PROPER search warrant, executed and issued by a JUDGE, is when I start considering violence, and start shooting back.

When I was in the US Army years ago, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States - I am no longer in the Army, but still consider that oath to be valid.

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the president of the United States and the orders of the Officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the uniform code of military justice.

So help me God!"

Re:Ummm, NO

[Anonymous Coward]

I sure don't recognize that as a proper search warrant, and recent court rulings back me up on this.

I think you are missing the point. It doesn't matter if you don't recognise it as valid, the law would. And "recent court rulings" wouldn't matter either as they are attempting to change the law.

Re:Ummm, NO

[Ummagumma]

You're reading a bit too much into my writing. I'd resist, violently, without resorting to deadly violence, then sue the crap out of everyone involved. Failing that is when I turn to more drastic measures.

I hope I don't sound like some kind of extremist whacko here, I'm not. I don't even own a gun. But thats not the point. I'll get one soon enough, should the American justice system not overturn these illegal laws first, and the standard-issue starts kicking in doors willy-nilly. You HAVE to give the justice system its due course before turning to more drastic measures. Lets just hope the SJC doesnt uphold some of these more draconian laws. I have faith in them for now.

Re:Ummm, NO

[Phillup]

It highlights the fact that the determining factor of whether they fight back or not is motivated by self-preservation and not some weird notion of oppressors always winning

You are probably right for those people. Which, in a way, drives home my point. They were victims of their own apathy. It took a threat to their own life to make them care enough to fight back.

And, it was too late by then.

I think the two (oppression and survival) are linked. The more oppressors win, the lower you chance of survival.

To me, "surviving" isn't worth it on its own. Someone once said "the purpose of life is to live, not to exist".

So, the origial topic was about fighting... vs. waiting for a better chance later... and, I still hold that later may be too late.

And... I believe that if the people on the other planes, and planes for the last decade or more, had insisted on confronting hijackers instead of "going along for the ride" then the incidence of hijacking would have been much lower. And, 9/11 probably would not have even been attempted... at least not on a passenger airline.

Same goes for our government. If people would start acting at the earliest sign of trouble... instead of not caring until it affects them personally... then things would be much better.

IMHO

Just become a rights holder

[Atomizer]

Just like a similar US story: License to Hack"

Then you can have the same powers to attack the big guys. Legally.

writing to MEP's

[An Onimous Cow Herd]

Ummm - who do i write to if my MEP is an ex-artist? I don't think she'd take too kindly to filesharing.

Welcome to the United States of Europe...

[Dr. Bent]

...please empty your rights and privileges into the trash bin to your left, and step through the metal detector for further processing. Have a nice day!

The Eurpoean Union was a good idea when it was an economic union. Increasingly, however, European countries seem to be giving up thier individual sovereignty, and the result is legislation like this. Instead of removing economic restrictions to promote free trade, the EU is now creating new political and social restrictions. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was never it's original intent, right?

Re:Welcome to the United States of Europe...

[Thrymm]

Everyday we are losing rights, and everyday we are getting closer to the fictional worlds of Fahrenheit 451 and 1984... Im not condoning piracy, but this seems to give them Gestapo powers if even if they have no proof.

Live FREE or die

[ka9dgx]

If I had a gun, and they wanted to illegally enter... I'd assume they were crooks, and act accordingly... empty the clip into them, and dive for cover while reloading.

The police aren't the law... WE are the law. We set this government up, and WE have the right to override/revise/replace it.

--Mike--

Re: Losing rights

[ka9dgx]

We lose rights if we don't exercise them. The price over liberty is eternal vigilance, and we're not vigilant. We lost control a long time ago, when the 14th amendment was used to give Citizenship to Corporations. How can we mere mortals compete with an Amoral, Immortal, purely greedy entities in a struggle for power?

We've got an educational system that pumps out standard model consumer units, instead of concerned Citizens. Only a few of us were fortunate enough to have a nasty childhood which had the benefit of distracting us from the brainwashing.

We unhappy few are pissed that we've got a system where the majority has been assimilated, and are willing to be sheep. We need to wake them up, or get them the hell out of the way, before this whole system implodes under its own weight... or as a last resort, figure out how to hunker down and ride out a rerun of Nazi Germany.

--Mike--

What is the solution?

[tevita]

I see article after article expounding the evilness of the corporate might bullying the public for their own greedy ends. It so seems to be a losing battle, where the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. Is this a generational thing? Are we looking at an outmoded social order whose decline can be likened to that of the Roman Empire? I dunno, except I refuse to be part of the greedy, however I can best achieve that.

Re:The big advantage to the EU passing this law no

[Singletoned]

Actually it wasn't true 50 years ago. It hasn't been true since the industrial revolution (which started in England and spread through Europe).

If anything, America was most recently a cultural backwater (during the late 1800's) and has only relatively recently become 'civilised'.

Re:Quick, share everything Vivendi.

[Mishtara2001]

No,
better,

Short a Vivendi stock toady!
They are nothing but a huge corporation in major trouble, it's going to be the "Enron of europe", very soon, and like a wounded beast they "die hard".

Incidentally I am familiar with Vivendi's "environmental" operations, who represent a huge part of thier busines and I can tell you that thier tactics are almost solely based around bribery of officials.
They deserve to die, especially now!