Positive Rights News From Europe

Various readers are sending in good news from Europe on the rights front. First, at the EU level, Mark.J brings word that the European Parliament has canned a number of controversial amendments to its updated Telecoms Package, which could have resulted in ISPs being forced to disconnect customers for involvement in illegal file-sharing of copyrighted material. Next, SplatMan_DK writes from Denmark on a recent ruling by the Danish High Court that means that Danes are still innocent until proven guilty in copyright cases, even if their IP address has been confirmed as the origin of P2P traffic involving copyrighted music. Finally, from Sweden, an update on the draconian so-called Lex Orwell, which would have effectively resulted in the routine wiretapping of the entire nation. Eric Blair sends a link on an agreement reached between the Swedish parliament and the sitting government on a new form for the controversial signals intelligence law. Supposedly, the sting has been taken out of the law: only the department of defense and the cabinet may request data, and they'll have to get court approval for it.

Comments

Europe is not one country

[houghi]

Although it is nice to see positive news, you must remember that Europe is not one country. It is many countries and what is legal in one can be very illegal in another.

As if you start comparing laws in Israel, China and Japan, just because it is all Asia.

Just so you are aware of it.

Europe is now a confederacy

[burnitdown]

Thanks to the EU, it's now an alliance with internal tradiing advantages and collective leadership. In English, we call this a confederacy (no necessary relation to the Confederate States of America).

If Israel, Iran and Iraq started their own trade agreement, we might refer to the mid-East in the same way.

Re:Encroachment upon rights held at bay

[ThinkTwicePostOnce]

There's an old saying that speaks to your question and is profoundly true:

Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.

Re:Encroachment upon rights held at bay

[BadAnalogyGuy]

What you fail to realize is that you will not lose your rights due to complacency, but rather you will forfeit them enthusiastically to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Re:Mr. Orwell?

[ThinkTwicePostOnce]

Just to save a few visits to Wikipedia, Eric Blair is George Orwell's real name.